Senator Cheryl Kagan Contact information

Cheryl C. Kagan was born on July 2, 1961, in Washington, D.C. She is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland Senate representing District 17 since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1995 to 2003.

Early Life and Education: Kagan was born in Washington, D.C. She graduated from Winston Churchill High School and later attended the Washington Semester program at American University in 1981. She went on to attend Vassar College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1983. Kagan also pursued graduate study at the University of Maryland, College Park from 1991 to 1995.

Career: After graduating from Vassar, Kagan worked as the director of development for the National Women’s Political Caucus from 1986 to 1987. From 1989 to 1991, she worked as an executive director for the Independent Action PAC. Afterwards, she worked as the chief of staff to U.S. Representative John W. Cox Jr. and as a lobbyist for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence until 1993. During her first term in the Maryland House of Delegates, Kagan worked as a substitute teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. After retiring from the House of Delegates, she worked as an executive director for the Carl M. Freeman Foundation until 2007, when she became a professor at Montgomery College until 2009. Kagan worked as the executive director for the Americans for Democratic Action’s education fund from 2010 to 2012, and afterwards worked as the director of community engagement for BBYO’s mid-atlantic chapter.

Political Career: Kagan served as the co-chair, and later as a Montgomery County delegate, for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign. She later served on the steering committee of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. Kagan observed the Iowa caucuses in 2008, 2012, and 2020.

In the Legislature: 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. She opted against running for re-election in 2002.