State Senator in Legislative District 36, Maryland

2026 Primary Election

• Nivek Johnson — State Senator in Legislative District 36, Maryland

  Nivek Johnson is a Democratic candidate for the Maryland State Senate, representing Legislative District 36. Born and raised in Chestertown, Maryland, he attended public schools in both Kent and Queen Anne's Counties, graduating from Queen Anne's County High School in 2011. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication of Arts from Salisbury University. His career in education includes positions as an Elementary Special Education Para-Educator and a Middle School IT & Computer Science Teacher. He is currently the Vice President of the Kent County Public Schools Board of Education, to which he was the youngest member ever elected. Key issues for his campaign include lowering energy costs, increasing affordable housing, and expanding rural transportation.

• John Queen — State Senator in Legislative District 36, Maryland

  John Queen is a Democratic candidate for the Maryland State Senate in Legislative District 36 and a member of the Kent County Board of Education, with a term ending in 2028. For over a decade, he has developed programs supporting youth and strengthening schools on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Queen is the co-founder and president of Bayside H.O.Y.A.S. (Helping Our Youth Achieve Success), a non-profit organization that promotes academic excellence and character development among young people in Kent and northern Queen Anne's counties. He also serves as chairman of both the Black Union of Kent County and the Equity Advisory Committee for the Town of Chestertown. His campaign platform focuses on improving cooperation across the region.

• Steve Hershey — State Senator in Legislative District 36, Maryland

  Steve Hershey is a Republican State Senator for Maryland's Legislative District 36, serving Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's Counties. He assumed office in the Senate on October 1, 2013, and has served as the Senate Minority Leader since January 2023. His legislative career began in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he served from January 2011 to October 2013. Before his election, Hershey's professional background was in project management and commercial real estate. He also held appointments in Governor Bob Ehrlich's administration at the Maryland Department of Planning and the Department of Natural Resources. Hershey holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the Catholic University of America and an M.B.A. from George Washington University.