Senator Mary-Dulany James Contact information

Mary-Dulany James is an American politician who has represented District 34 in the Maryland Senate since 2023. She was previously a member of the District 34A in the Maryland House of Delegates for sixteen years, representing Harford and Cecil Counties along the U.S. Route 40 corridor.

Born on February 1, 1960, in Baltimore, Maryland, she attended Havre de Grace High School. She then went on to earn a B.S. in psychology with honors from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law.

While studying for the bar exam, she clerked for Judge Edward Skottowe Northrop in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1986. She worked for law firms in Baltimore, then set up her own practice in Harford County where she lived.

James ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in 1998, seeking to replace one of two outgoing state delegates in District 34. She won the Democratic primary and later won the general election on November 3, 1998. James was re-elected to the newly redistricted District 34A in 2002, and was subsequently re-elected in 2006, and 2010.

In 2014 and 2018, James unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland Senate in District 34. In 2022, she launched her third bid for the state senate seat, this time defeating Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Disabilities and former state delegate Christian Miele in the general election.

As a member of the Maryland Senate, she serves on the Judicial Proceedings Committee, Executive Nominations Committee, and Joint Committee on the Management of Public Funds. She is also the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, and a member of the State Advisory Council on Administrative Hearings.

James has been a strong advocate for various social issues, including energy, gun control, healthcare, taxes, and unions. Her dedication and commitment to public service have made her a respected figure in Maryland politics.

Education: Gile graduated from Rockford University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a minor in French. She then went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2006.

Career: Before moving to Maryland in 2007, Gile worked in the Chicago area. Prior to her political career, she served as the president of the Military Spouse JD Network. In July 2021, Gile filed to run for the Maryland Senate in District 33. She won the Democratic primary unopposed and faced Republican state delegate Sid Saab in the general election. Despite facing a defamation lawsuit from Saab during her campaign, Gile won the general election on November 8, 2022, receiving 55.41 percent of the vote to Saab’s 44.48 percent. She is the first Democrat to win the state Senate seat in 50 years and the first Democrat to hold the office since Robert R. Neall.

Personal Life: Gile is a military spouse, with her husband, SGM (ret.) D.J. Gile, serving in the military for 24 years. Together, they have three daughters and live in Severna Park, Maryland.

Political Positions: Gile has been described as a moderate. She supports the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a sweeping education reform bill passed by the legislature during the 2020 legislative session that would provide schools with $3.8 billion a year for 10 years.