Cheryl Kagan
Kagan in 2024
Member of theMaryland Senate from the17th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 14, 2015
Preceded by	Jennie M. Forehand
Member of theMaryland House of Delegates from the 17th district
In office January 11, 1995 – January 8, 2003
Preceded by	Jennie M. Forehand
Succeeded by	Luiz R. S. Simmons
Personal details
Born	(1961-07-02)July 2, 1961 (age 63) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	David Spitzer ​ ​ (m. 2000, divorced)​
Residence(s)	Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Education	Vassar College (AB)
Signature
Website	cherylkagan.org

Cheryl C. Kagan (born July 2, 1961) is an American politician who has served as a member of theMaryland Senate representingDistrict 17 since 2015. A member of theDemocratic Party, she previously represented the district in theMaryland House of Delegates from 1995 to 2003.

Kagan was born inWashington, D.C. on July 2, 1961. She graduated fromWinston Churchill High School and later attended the Washington Semester program atAmerican University in 1981, andVassar College, where she earned aBachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1983. Kagan also pursued graduate study at theUniversity of Maryland, College Park from 1991 to 1995.^[1]

After graduating from Vassar, Kagan worked as the director of development for theNational Women's Political Caucus from 1986 to 1987. From 1989 to 1991, she worked as an executive director for the Independent Action PAC, afterwards working as the chief of staff to U.S. RepresentativeJohn W. Cox Jr. and as a lobbyist for theBrady Center to Prevent Gun Violence until 1993.^[1]

During her first term in the Maryland House of Delegates, Kagan worked as a substitute teacher forMontgomery County Public Schools. After retiring from the House of Delegates, she worked as an executive director for theCarl M. Freeman Foundation until 2007, when she became a professor atMontgomery College until 2009. Kagan worked as the executive director for theAmericans for Democratic Action's education fund from 2010 to 2012, and afterwards worked as the director of community engagement forBBYO's mid-atlantic chapter.^[1]

Kagan served as the co-chair, and later as a Montgomery County delegate, forJohn Kerry's2004 presidential campaign. She later served on the steering committee ofHillary Clinton's2008 presidential campaign.^[1] Kagan observed theIowa caucuses in 2008, 2012, and 2020.^[2]

Kagan was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 11, 1995. She served on the Commerce and Government Matters Committee from 1995 to 1998, afterwards serving on the Appropriations Committee until 2003.^[1] She opted against running for re-election in2002.^[3]

In May 2005, Kagan launched anexploratory committee into a potential run against state senatorJennie M. Forehand in2006,^[4] but ultimately decided against running.^[5] She unsuccessfully challenged Forehand in2010, losing by a margin of 356 votes.^[6] Kagan again sought to run against Forehand inthe 2014 election;^[7][8] however, in January 2014, Forehand announced that she would not seek re-election in 2014.^[9] In the Democratic primary, Kagan faced off against state delegateLuiz R. S. Simmons, whom she criticized for blocking domestic violence legislation and for being initially elected to the legislature as aRepublican.^[10][11] Despite being outraised by Simmons,^[12] Kagan defeated Simmons in the Democratic primary election with 54.6 percent of the vote.^[13]

Kagan was sworn into the Maryland Senate on January 14, 2015. She has served as a member of the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee during her entire tenure, including as the committee's vice chair from 2020 to 2022 and since 2023.^[1]

In March 2018, Kagan accused lobbyist Gilbert J. Genn of inappropriately touching her back and buttocks during a karaoke event at the Castlebay Irish Pub inAnnapolis, Maryland.^[14][15][16] After Genn denied her accusations, Kagan released security camera footage of the incident,^[17] after which he acknowledged placing his hand on her back but continued to deny doing anything inappropriate.^[18][19] Following the incident, Kagan supported legislation reforming the state's anti-sexual harassment policies.^[20]

In 2020, Kagan unsuccessfully ran for delegate to theDemocratic National Convention, pledged to former New York City mayorMichael Bloomberg.^[21]

Since 2023, Kagan has served as a member of theElection Assistance Commission's board of advisors.^[1]

Kagan does not support providing state funding toprivate schools.^[22] In March 2019, she proposed, but did not introduce,^[23] an amendment to the state budget that would limit state funding to private schools unless they increased discrimination protections for students to include disabilities andgender identity.^[24]

In 2019, Kagan proposed legislation that would allow the use ofranked choice voting in Montgomery County elections.^[25] The bill failed to pass out of committee.^[26]

During the 2020 legislative session, Kagan introduced a bill to delay the rollout of the state's absentee canvass, citing "election vulnerabilities and fiscal implications".^[27] The Maryland Board of Elections paused its implementation of the canvass following errors during the February 2020 primary in the2020 Maryland's 7th congressional district special election.^[28]

In July 2020, Kagan criticized Hogan's decision requiring voters to apply for anabsentee ballot to vote by mail in the2020 general elections.^[29] She also scrutinized the multi-step process for applying for a mail-in ballot, which would sometimes send applicants applications in the mail as well as their mail-in ballot, which she said would create "extra steps and extra burdens" on election workers.^[30]

During the 2022 legislative session, Kagan introduced a bill to allow the Maryland State Board of Elections to process mail-in ballots before Election Day.^[31] She opposed Republican attempts to amend the bill to require signature verification on mail-in ballots.^[32] The bill passed, but was vetoed by Governor Hogan.^[33] Afterwards, Kagan urged Hogan to sign an executive order to allow the Maryland State Board of Elections to count mail-in ballots early, expressing concerns that his inaction would reinforce conspiracy theories toward mail-in voting.^[34] In September 2023, she supported the Maryland State Board of Elections in a lawsuit filed by Republican gubernatorial nomineeDan Cox against the early counting of mail-in ballots in the2022 general election,^[35] in which theMaryland Court of Appeals allowed the Board of Elections to count mail-in ballots early.^[36]

In September 2023, Kagan said she supported aRockville, Maryland referendum to lower the city's voting age to 16 years old.^[37]

During the 2024 legislative session, Kagan introduced a bill that would replace the party central committee appointment process used to fill vacancies in theMaryland General Assembly withspecial elections held at the same time as regular state primary elections.^[38] At the time of the bill's introduction, roughly 25 percent of the legislature was initially appointed to their seats through the party central committee process.^[39] The bill passed the Maryland Senate in a 43-2 vote, but died in the House of Delegates.^[40]

In March 2017, Kagan attended a protest at theMaryland State House supporting a bill to banfracking in Maryland.^[41] During the 2019 legislative session, Kagan introduced legislation to banpolystyrene products in Maryland.^[42] The bill passed and became law without GovernorLarry Hogan's signature.^[43]

Kagan advocated for the passage of theBrady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and theFederal Assault Weapons Ban.^[44]

In February 2019, Kagan was one of six Democratic state senators to vote to confirm GovernorLarry Hogan's nominees to the Handgun Permit Review Board. All three nominees were rejected in a 21-25 vote. That year, she also supported a bill to repeal the Handgun Permit Review Board.^[44]

During the 2021 legislative session, Kagan introduced a bill that would allow children 14 years and older to consent to vaccines without parental consent.^[45]

In November 2023, Kagan and eight other state senators signed a joint letter that threatened to defund immigrants rights groupCASA de Maryland because it had called for an immediate ceasefire in theGaza war and condemned what she characterized as "utilization of US tax dollars to promote the ongoing violence."^[46] She refused to accept apologies from CASA executive director Gustavo Torres, saying, "I cannot forgive statements that essentially say he wants to murder my people".^[47]

During the 2015 legislative session, Kagan introduced legislation to providefertility treatment benefits, includingin vitro fertilisation coverage, to marriedlesbian couples.^[48]

In January 2018, Kagan condemned PresidentDonald Trump's "shithole countries" remarks, which she called hateful and racist.^[49]

In February 2018, Kagan was one of six lawmakers to sponsor a bill to banconversion therapy for LGBTQ youth.^[50]

In September 2018, Kagan penned a letter to GovernorLarry Hogan calling on him to open a state investigation intosexual assault allegations made against Supreme Court nomineeBrett Kavanaugh.^[51] Hogan declined to do so.^[52]

In January 2019, Kagan was one of nine Maryland lawmakers to add their names to a manifesto signed by 326 state legislators to reaffirm their commitment to protecting abortion rights.^[53]

During the 2021 legislative session, Kagan introduced legislation to remove "Maryland, My Maryland" as the state's official anthem.^[54] The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Hogan.^[55]

In 2022, Kagan introduced a bill to ban cat declawing in Maryland.^[56] The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Hogan.^[57]

During the 2020, 2022, and 2023 legislative sessions, Kagan sponsored bills to require gender-inclusive language for all public bathrooms in Maryland.^[58]

Kagan opposed GovernorLarry Hogan's proposal to addhigh-occupancy toll lanes toInterstate 270 and theCapital Beltway, citing concerns with the project's high tolls and environmental impact.^[59]

During the 2015 legislative session, Kagan voted to raise the state's maximum speed limit to 70 miles per hour.^[60]

In July 2016, after theWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) closed theRed Line to makeSafeTrack repairs, Kagan wrote to theMaryland Department of Transportation asking the agency to cover costs associated with the county's plan to provide free shuttle bus services to help commuters affected by the transit line's downtime.^[61] In July 2019, she criticized the Maryland Department of Transportation for withholding $55.6 million in funding for WMATA, which she predicted would have a "ripple effect" on theDistrict of Columbia andVirginia.^[62] After the Hogan administration released $83.5 million in funding for WMATA in September 2019, Kagan criticized the administration's decision to delay funding as "unnecessary" and "disappointing".^[63]

Kagan was married to David Spitzer, a Montgomery County public school teacher whom she met at a concert inRockville, Maryland.^[64] The couple married on August 20, 2000,^[65] but are now divorced.^[66] She isJewish.^[67][68]

Kagan is a nationally rankedScrabble player.^[69] In 2019, she lobbied theNorth American Scrabble Players Association to bring its annual Scrabble championship toBaltimore in 2020; however, the competition was cancelled amid theCOVID-19 pandemic. The event finally happened in 2022.^[70][71]

From 2017 to 2020, Kagan hosted the UnNauguralfolk music concert atMontgomery College to raise funds for advocacy groups, including theACLU,CASA de Maryland, andPlanned Parenthood.^[72][73][74] She also hosts a podcast calledKibbitzing With Kagan, which interviews politicians relevant to state and local Democratic politics.^[75]

• Media related toCheryl Kagan at Wikimedia Commons
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