The Ballot Brief
Howard County, Maryland

Maryland House of Delegates District 9A

5 candidates are tracked for Maryland House of Delegates District 9A on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Chao Wu, Natalie Ziegler, Fitzgerald Mofor, Spencer Rhoda and Saif Rehman. Candidate information follows official Howard County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Chao Wu (Democratic), Natalie Ziegler (Democratic), Fitzgerald Mofor (Republican), Spencer Rhoda (Republican), Saif Rehman (Unaffiliated) are on the November 3 ballot for Maryland House of Delegates District 9A (2 seats; vote for up to 2); Chao Wu, Natalie Ziegler are sitting members, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 23 primary; unaffiliated candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified 2026 Gubernatorial General candidate list (updated September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.

What this office does

State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.

This race. Voters choose 2; the top 2 finishers win seats. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. Sitting officeholders on the ballot: Chao Wu, Natalie Ziegler.

Maryland › Howard County › Maryland House of Delegates District 9A

Chao Wu

Chao Wu

Democratic Incumbent

Top priorities
  • Improve education funding formulas to reflect population growth
  • Build better infrastructure and protect the environment
  • Strengthen community safety and public health

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Chao Wu is a data scientist and immigrant who served on the Howard County Board of Education from 2018 to 2022, including as board chair, per the campaign site. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland College Park, a master's degree from the National University of Singapore, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Science and Technology of China, per the campaign site. He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 9A in November 2022, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
Natalie Ziegler

Natalie Ziegler

Democratic Incumbent

Top priorities
  • Bridge the partisan divide to develop practical solutions
  • Support agriculture and rural concerns

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Ziegler is a small business owner and farmer who co-founded a jewelry design firm and now operates a family farm growing feed grains and rye, per the campaign site. She holds degrees from Oberlin College and Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies and previously worked as a segment producer at CNN, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Fitzgerald Mofor

Republican

Top priorities
  • Lower individual income, corporate and gas taxes
  • Repeal the Climate Solutions Act and streamline power plant permitting
  • Convert closed juvenile justice facilities into vocational boarding schools

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Fitzgerald Mofor is the Republican candidate for Maryland House of Delegates District 9A on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified candidate list. Born in Gaithersburg, Maryland; played linebacker at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on a football scholarship and earned All-Conference honors, per candidate campaign site. Earned a Master of Law degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, per candidate campaign site. Founded a construction firm, worked in his father's law practice, and served on the Montgomery County Board of Education and as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, per candidate campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
Spencer Rhoda

Spencer Rhoda

Republican

Biography

Spencer Rhoda is the Republican candidate for Maryland House of Delegates District 9A on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified candidate list. Born and raised in Maryland, lived in Montgomery County for more than half his life before moving to Damascus, per Maryland Bay News. Career has included premium sales roles with NFL, NBA and NHL teams and a career in real estate brokerage, where he was a top-producing rookie agent, per Maryland Bay News.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Saif Rehman

Unaffiliated

Biography

Dr. Saif Rehman is running as an unaffiliated candidate for District 9A, according to his campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
Next on your ballotMaryland House of Delegates District 9B

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Maryland House of Delegates District 9A in 2026?

5 candidates are tracked for Maryland House of Delegates District 9A on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Chao Wu, Natalie Ziegler, Fitzgerald Mofor, Spencer Rhoda and Saif Rehman. Candidate information follows official Howard County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Maryland House of Delegates District 9A election in Maryland?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Maryland are on the Maryland election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Howard County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Howard County and state election office filings, last verified September 29, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Maryland election office, or see the full Howard County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Howard County ballot

19 tracked races in Howard County, Maryland. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Maryland House of Delegates District 12AMaryland House of Delegates District 13Howard County ExecutiveSee all 19 Howard County races
Candidate profiles
Chao Wu, full profileNatalie Ziegler, full profileFitzgerald Mofor, full profileSpencer Rhoda, full profileSaif Rehman, full profileOfficial Maryland election office