State

House of Delegates, District 7A

Vote for: 2
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 4
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A delegate votes on Maryland laws and the state budget in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Candidates Compare by issue

Ly Xinzhen Brown

Democratic

Attorney; disability policy director · Carney

The gist

Supports raising the minimum wage to $25.
Supports universal pre-K and after-school care.
Supports free tuition at state four-year colleges.
Supports decriminalizing drug use and allowing safe injection sites.
Supports abortion rights and access to birth control.
Supports expanded Medicare and Medicaid for all.
Supports housing-first policies for homelessness.

More about Ly

View sources (1)

Supports raising the minimum wage to $25.
Issues – Ly Xīnzhèn Brown for State Delegate
Campaign website · Friends of Ly Xinzhen Brown · brownformaryland.com
“raising the minimum wage to $25 to reflect the real cost of living”
Supports universal pre-K and after-school care.
Issues – Ly Xīnzhèn Brown for State Delegate
Campaign website · Friends of Ly Xinzhen Brown · brownformaryland.com
“implementing universal pre-K and after school care”
Supports free tuition at state four-year colleges.
Issues – Ly Xīnzhèn Brown for State Delegate
Campaign website · Friends of Ly Xinzhen Brown · brownformaryland.com
“free tuition at state-run four-year colleges and universities”
Supports decriminalizing drug use and allowing safe injection sites.
Issues – Ly Xīnzhèn Brown for State Delegate
Campaign website · Friends of Ly Xinzhen Brown · brownformaryland.com
“decriminalizing alcohol and drug use, and instituting harm reduction policies and practices, including access to safe injection”
Supports abortion rights and access to birth control.
Issues – Ly Xīnzhèn Brown for State Delegate
Campaign website · Friends of Ly Xinzhen Brown · brownformaryland.com
“rights to access safe, legal, and affordable abortion care and birth control”
Supports expanded Medicare and Medicaid for all.
Issues – Ly Xīnzhèn Brown for State Delegate
Campaign website · Friends of Ly Xinzhen Brown · brownformaryland.com
“advocating for expanded Medicare and Medicaid for all”
Supports housing-first policies for homelessness.
Issues – Ly Xīnzhèn Brown for State Delegate
Campaign website · Friends of Ly Xinzhen Brown · brownformaryland.com
“implementing housing first policies to respond to homelessness”

Satish Chapagain

Democratic

School system interpreter

The gist

Supports public safety and youth programs.

More about Satish

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Supports public safety and youth programs.
District 7's GOP delegation heads into November unchallenged in the general — but not without a live lawsuit hanging over one member
News coverage · Maryland Bay News · Aug 16, 2026 · mdbaynews.com
“campaigns on public safety and youth programming”

Ryan Nawrocki

RepublicanIncumbent

Small business owner; communications consultant · Baltimore County

The gist

Supports expanding the standard deduction and protecting retirement income.
Supports keeping the Brandon Shores power plant online.
Opposes solar farms on agricultural land.
Supports cooperation between federal agents and local police.
Supports photo ID requirement at the polls.
Supports creating a statewide Office of the Inspector General.
Opposes expanding mass transit into more of Baltimore County.
Secured $15 million for a new Middle River fire station.

More about Ryan

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Supports expanding the standard deduction and protecting retirement income.
Priorities · Ryan Nawrocki
Campaign website · Friends of Ryan Nawrocki · ryannawrocki.com
“Continue working to expand Maryland's standard deduction and protect retirement income.”
Supports keeping the Brandon Shores power plant online.
Priorities · Ryan Nawrocki
Campaign website · Friends of Ryan Nawrocki · ryannawrocki.com
“Advocated for keeping Brandon Shores online to preserve grid reliability.”
Opposes solar farms on agricultural land.
Priorities · Ryan Nawrocki
Campaign website · Friends of Ryan Nawrocki · ryannawrocki.com
“Fought against placing solar panels on productive agricultural land.”
Supports cooperation between federal agents and local police.
Priorities · Ryan Nawrocki
Campaign website · Friends of Ryan Nawrocki · ryannawrocki.com
“Allow cooperation between federal agents and local law enforcement to keep the most violent offenders off our streets.”
Supports photo ID requirement at the polls.
Priorities · Ryan Nawrocki
Campaign website · Friends of Ryan Nawrocki · ryannawrocki.com
“Continue pushing for photo-ID at the polls”
Supports creating a statewide Office of the Inspector General.
Priorities · Ryan Nawrocki
Campaign website · Friends of Ryan Nawrocki · ryannawrocki.com
“Codify a statewide office of the Inspector General.”
Opposes expanding mass transit into more of Baltimore County.
Priorities · Ryan Nawrocki
Campaign website · Friends of Ryan Nawrocki · ryannawrocki.com
“Fight against the expansion of mass transit services into additional parts of Baltimore County.”
Secured $15 million for a new Middle River fire station.
Priorities · Ryan Nawrocki
Campaign website · Friends of Ryan Nawrocki · ryannawrocki.com
“Secured $15M for a new Middle River fire department”

Kathy Szeliga

RepublicanIncumbent

Small business owner (construction contracting) · Baltimore County

The gist

Voted against state tax and fee increases.
Sponsored bill designating school teams and locker rooms by sex.
Opposed the Youth Charging Reform Act.
Opposed the 2026 special-session redistricting constitutional amendment.
Supports parental authority over children's education.
Secured $265,000 for Loch Raven High and Kingsville Elementary.

More about Kathy

View sources (2)

Voted against state tax and fee increases.
Priorities | Kathy Szeliga
Campaign website · Kathy Szeliga for Delegate · electkathy.com
“More than 300 tax and fee hikes in four years. Kathy has voted against them”
Sponsored bill designating school teams and locker rooms by sex.
Delegate Kathy Szeliga: member page (biography and 2026 legislation)
Government record · Maryland General Assembly · mgaleg.maryland.gov
“Education - Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams and Locker Rooms - Designation Based on Sex (Fairness in Girls' Sports Act)”
Priorities | Kathy Szeliga
Campaign website · Kathy Szeliga for Delegate · electkathy.com
“Kathy is the lead sponsor of the Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act.”
Opposed the Youth Charging Reform Act.
Priorities | Kathy Szeliga
Campaign website · Kathy Szeliga for Delegate · electkathy.com
“Kathy opposed the Youth Charging Reform Act”
Opposed the 2026 special-session redistricting constitutional amendment.
Priorities | Kathy Szeliga
Campaign website · Kathy Szeliga for Delegate · electkathy.com
“In 2026 the Governor called a special session to make partisan gerrymandering easier to write into the Maryland Constitution. Kathy went back to fight it.”
Supports parental authority over children's education.
Priorities | Kathy Szeliga
Campaign website · Kathy Szeliga for Delegate · electkathy.com
“Parents are responsible for their children — not the state”
Secured $265,000 for Loch Raven High and Kingsville Elementary.
Priorities | Kathy Szeliga
Campaign website · Kathy Szeliga for Delegate · electkathy.com
“$265,000 approved for Loch Raven High School and Kingsville Elementary in the 2026 session”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 10 issues covered in this race.