Loading your ballot results. Please wait.
Loading your ballot results. Please wait.
State Senator · Legislative District 18 · Maryland · 2026 Primary
Maryland State Senators represent their local districts in the General Assembly, where they propose and vote on laws covering issues like education, transportation, and public safety. They are responsible for approving the state’s annual budget and have the unique power to confirm or reject the Governor’s appointments for judges and agency leaders. This office is critical because its decisions determine how state tax dollars are spent and which policies govern your local community.
View all candidates in this raceJeff Waldstreicher is a State Senator representing District 18 in Maryland's General Assembly, elected to the Senate in 2018 and serving his second four-year term as of June 2025. Prior to serving in the Senate, he was elected to the House of Delegates three times from 2007 until becoming a senator in 2019. Born and raised in Silver Spring, he attended Montgomery Blair High School and graduated with a B.A. in political science and history from Emory University and a law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law. He lives with his wife Joanna and their three children (Kate, Eli, and Harry) in Kensington/Parkwood neighborhood. As District 18's progressive voice, he champions world-class public schools, equal justice, gun violence prevention, veterans support, developmentally disabled advocacy, economic justice, police reform, and protecting a woman's right to choose.
Sources: Campaign website
Your Progressive Voice Senator Jeff Waldstreicher is our community's progressive voice in the Maryland State Senate.
He's proud to serve as District 18's progressive voice in the Maryland General Assembly. As Vice Chair of the powerful Judicial Proceedings Committee, he is a recognized leader on criminal justice reform, as well as a fierce champion for veterans and the developmentally disabled.
Jeff believes that every child deserves a great education. This is deeply personal to Jeff: all three of his children attend Montgomery County Public Schools just like he did.
Source: jeffwaldstreicher.com
Education
Jeff believes that every child deserves a great education. He fights to close the achievement gap by reducing class size and increasing school funding, pay teachers fairly, invest in The Blueprint for Maryland's Future, and protect students from guns.
“Jeff believes that every child deserves a great education. This is deeply personal to Jeff: all three of his children attend Montgomery County Public Schools just like he did.”
Gun Violence
He prioritizes reducing gun violence in the community and has shown relentless commitment to commonsense gun safety reforms including banning bump stocks, passing red flag legislation, stopping convicted domestic abusers from owning guns, and co-sponsoring legislation to ban ghost guns.
“Jeff believes we must crack down on gun violence. As State Senator, he's shown a relentless commitment to our shared values, including commonsense gun safety reforms.”
Criminal Justice Reform
As Vice Chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, he is recognized for ensuring fair and equitable justice system. He passed bold legislation to provide Marylanders a second chance by automatically clearing criminal records of minor offenses, fought for re-entry services, helped lead the charge to pass the Justice Reinvestment Act, and voted to decriminalize personal amounts of cannabis.
“Jeff believes in racial justice and reforming our criminal justice system. As Vice Chair of the powerful Judicial Proceedings Committee, Jeff is a recognized leader in ensuring our justice system is fair and equitable.”
Veterans
He is described as a fierce champion for veterans.
“As Vice Chair of the powerful Judicial Proceedings Committee, he is a recognized leader on criminal justice reform, as well as a fierce champion for veterans and the developmentally disabled.”
Economic Justice
In recent years he has championed economic justice.
“In recent years he has championed economic justice, cracked down on gun violence, protected a woman's right to choose, helped pass police reform, and stood up for our brothers and sisters in the labor movement.”
Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D) announced in June 2025 he is running for re-election to his seat in the Maryland General Assembly in the November 2026 general election. He represents parts of Silver Spring, Chevy Chase and Kensington in the Maryland Senate and is vice chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. In a statement, Waldstreicher wrote: 'In the Senate, I'll fight to lower everyday costs for my constituents, stand up to the lawless Trump Administration, and pass common-sense gun safety legislation.' He received endorsements from fellow state Democratic leaders including Gov. Wes Moore, U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Attorney General Anthony Brown, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Dist. 8) and U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-Dist. 6.).
“Jeff believes that every child deserves a great education. This is deeply personal to Jeff: all three of his children attend Montgomery County Public Schools just like he did.”
Source“Jeff believes we must crack down on gun violence. As State Senator, he's shown a relentless commitment to our shared values, including commonsense gun safety reforms.”
Source“Jeff believes in racial justice and reforming our criminal justice system. As Vice Chair of the powerful Judicial Proceedings Committee, Jeff is a recognized leader in ensuring our justice system is fair and equitable.”
Source“As Vice Chair of the powerful Judicial Proceedings Committee, he is a recognized leader on criminal justice reform, as well as a fierce champion for veterans and the developmentally disabled.”
Source