Maryland voters will see LGBTQ candidates on ballots across the state when they head to the polls for the June 23 primary election.

Evan Glass, an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council, is the current frontrunner in the Montgomery County Executive race. 

He made history in 2018 as the first openly gay Jewish man on the County Council. Glass is currently nearing the end of his second term as a councilmember.  

During his time on the council, he passed the ICE Out Act and the Pay Equity Act. He has also been outspoken about his disapproval of AI data centers and is endorsed by the Sierra Club. 

“Our community is under attack and we need local leaders who will continue fighting back against Donald Trump while embracing our beautiful diversity,” Glass said in a statement to the Washington Blade.

Josie Caballero, who is running for an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Council, would become the first transgender woman elected to office in Maryland if successful.

Alleria Stanley, who is running for the House of Delegates in District 4, could also make history. Stanley, a U.S. Army combat veteran who served in Afghanistan, would become the first trans person elected to the Maryland General Assembly if successful. She currently serves as vice president of the Transgender American Veterans Association.

Several congressional races are also drawing attention ahead of the primary.

In Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, former Congressman David Trone is challenging U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney. Trone has previously supported LGBTQ rights legislation, including the Equality Act, during his time in Congress.

Meanwhile, voters in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District will help determine who succeeds retiring U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer. State Del. Adrian Boafo (D-Prince George’s County), former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, and Quincy Bareebe are among the Democrats running for Hoyer’s seat.

During his congressional career, Hoyer supported LGBTQ rights legislation and opposed the Trump-Vance administration’s trans military ban. 

His daughter, Stefany Hoyer Hemmer, in 2012 came out as a lesbian in an exclusive interview with the Blade. Maryland voters the same year approved the state’s marriage equality law in a referendum. 

“I’m pleased that Stefany is adding her voice to those across Maryland and the country calling for marriage equality,” Steny Hoyer told the Blade, referring to his daughter’s decision to come out and to champion the marriage equality law. “This is about ensuring all families receive equal treatment under the law. As more people speak out, the more momentum this effort gains to give every family the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Gay, lesbian incumbents running for re-election

A number of openly gay and lesbian members of the Maryland General Assembly are seeking re-election this year.

State Del. Joe Vogel, who represents Montgomery County’s District 17, is seeking another term in office. Vogel made national headlines during his 2024 congressional campaign and has received support from LGBTQ advocacy organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign.

State Del. Gabriel Acevero, who represents District 39 in Montgomery County, is also seeking re-election. When he was first elected in 2018, Acevero became the first openly gay Afro-Latino elected to the General Assembly.

State Del. Anne Kaiser (D-Montgomery County), who represents District 14, is running for another term. Kaiser, who is a lesbian, was recently appointed vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and has served in the legislature since 2003.

State Del. Kris Fair is seeking re-election in District 3 in Frederick County. Fair has been active in civil rights advocacy and has worked with organizations including Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the campaign in support of the state’s marriage equality law.

State Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George’s County), who represents District 22, is also running for re-election. Martinez has focused on issues including affordable housing, healthcare access, and support for small businesses during his time in office.

State Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore County) is seeking another term for District 43. When she was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2010, Washington became Maryland’s first openly LGBTQ African American elected official.

State Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) is also running for re-election for Legislative District 46. Clippinger has served in the House of Delegates since 2010 and has supported legislation including marriage equality and efforts to ban the use of LGBTQ panic defenses.

Byron MacFarlane seeking re-election in Howard County

Several other LGBTQ candidates are running for local and state offices across Maryland. 

Jamar Day is running for an at-large seat on the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners. According to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Day identifies as pansexual and would become the first openly gay member of the board if elected. He previously worked as a teacher and dean of students in Baltimore and Washington.

Jamie McGonnigal is running for the Prince George’s County Board of Education representing District 3. McGonnigal currently serves as president of the Hyattsville Elementary School PTA and founded the advocacy organization TalkAboutEquality.org.

Matt Menter is seeking election to represent District 41 in the House of Delegates. Menter has worked on issues related to homelessness and addiction recovery and has served on Baltimore City’s LGBTQ Commission.

Joe Toolan is running for Anne Arundel County Council’s District 6 seat. Toolan previously served as the first chair of the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs and currently works with the environmental advocacy organization GreenLatinos.

Spencer Dixon is seeking a seat in the House of Delegates representing District 32 in Anne Arundel County. Dixon currently serves on the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board and has worked on Democratic political campaigns in Maryland.

Byron Macfarlane is running for re-election as Howard County’s register of wills. When he was first elected in 2010, Macfarlane became the first openly gay person elected in Howard County.

The Montgomery County, Md., Department of Police announced on June 4 that it is seeking the public’s help in locating two women, who they identify as a couple, who are charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing the mother of one of them.

In a statement police identified the two women as Vanessa Tjongarero-Henderson of Clarksburg, Md., and her girlfriend Samantha Raebel of Phoenix, Ariz. The statement says the two are charged with the murder of Hilde Henderson, 67, the mother of Vanessa.

According to the statement, officers with the department’s 3rd District found Hilde Henderson deceased on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at her home at the Charter House apartments in the 1300 block of Fenwick Lane in Silver Spring after being called to check on the resident’s welfare.

“Henderson was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where an autopsy was conducted,” the statement says. “The cause of death was ruled a homicide.”

It adds, “Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified Henderson’s daughter, Vanessa Tjongarero-Henderson and Vanessa’s girlfriend, Raeble, as the suspects.”  It says detectives obtained an arrest warrant against the two women, charging both with first-degree murder.

“Anyone with information regarding the location of these suspects or this crime is asked to call 911 or to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, Md. website at crimesolversmcmd.org,” the statement says, or to call the tip line at 1-866-411-8477. 

“Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000,” it says, adding that tips may remain anonymous.

A spokesperson for Montgomery County police didn’t immediately respond to a request from the Washington Blade for information not disclosed in the police statement, including the physical-medical cause of death for Hilde Henderson and whether detectives have determined a motive for the murder. 

Baltimore Heritage is continuing its mission to preserve Maryland’s LGBTQ history.

The group, using documentation, is attempting to get statewide LGBTQ historical sites listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Kentucky was the first state to make this effort, using a similar study to Maryland, which outlined a comprehensive list of LGBTQ heritage sites. 

Baltimore Heritage, a local non-profit, 15 years ago began its efforts to promote LGBTQ heritage within the local community, mainly with walking tours to sites important to LGBTQ history. Preservation Maryland in 2018 received a grant, and Susan Ferentinos spent two years compiling a comprehensive list of LGBTQ historical sites, later published in 2022. 

Suffragist Mary Elizabeth Garrett’s Mount Vernon home is one of the examples of the LGBTQ historical sites. 

Although Garrett never labeled herself, she was involved in same-sex relationships, was a leader in the feminist movement, and played a large role in advancing education for women. 

Although the effort has been ongoing, Baltimore Heritage Executive Director Johns Hopkins explained that Baltimore Heritage and its partners’ goal is to add Maryland to the public conversation on LGBTQ history. 

“Bringing a little bit of a spotlight to some of the sites that are important, locally and nationally, would be meeting a goal of trying to have a broader, more in-depth public discussion around LGBTQ history, so we all know where we’re coming from,” said Hopkins.