The Ballot Brief
Howard County, Maryland

Maryland Senate District 9

2 candidates are tracked for Maryland Senate District 9 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Katie Fry Hester and Ben Hightower. Candidate information follows official Howard County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Katie Fry Hester (Democratic), Ben Hightower (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Maryland Senate District 9; Katie Fry Hester is the sitting member, 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. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Katie Fry Hester, is on the ballot.

Maryland › Howard County › Maryland Senate District 9

Katie Fry Hester

Katie Fry Hester

Democratic Incumbent

Top priorities
  • Strengthen the state's economic competitiveness
  • Ensure every child gets a world class education
  • Protect the environment while supporting economic growth

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Katie Fry Hester is a Maryland state senator serving her first term since 2019, per the campaign site. She spent 20 years in international development, creating public-private strategies for sustainable development and advising companies on stakeholder engagement, per the campaign site. She chairs the Joint Committee on Cybersecurity, IT, and Biotechnology, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Ben Hightower

Republican

Top priorities
  • Focuses his campaign on making Maryland more affordable of campaign announcement coverage
  • Wants to improve school quality of campaign announcement coverage
  • Wants to enhance public safety and defend individual liberties of campaign announcement coverage

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Ben Hightower is a Navy hospital corpsman with 20 years of military service, including six combat deployments, per the campaign site. He also served in a policy role at the Pentagon before retiring and settling in Maryland, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
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Voting info and more

Voting info and more
Questions about this race

Who is running for Maryland Senate District 9 in 2026?

2 candidates are tracked for Maryland Senate District 9 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Katie Fry Hester and Ben Hightower. Candidate information follows official Howard County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Maryland Senate District 9 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 Senate District 13Maryland House of Delegates District 9AMaryland House of Delegates District 9BSee all 19 Howard County races
Candidate profiles
Katie Fry Hester, full profileBen Hightower, full profileOfficial Maryland election office