WALDORF, Md. — As a result of former Del. Kevin Harris being sworn into the Maryland Senate on Dec. 9 — creating a vacancy in the House of Delegates — the Charles County Democratic Central Committee has scheduled a public hearing for Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, to select a nominee for District 27A.
The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the committee’s headquarters at 3261 Old Washington Road, Suite 2031, in Waldorf, according to a Dec. 9 press release. The nominee chosen by the committee will be forwarded to Gov. Wes Moore for appointment, as required under Maryland law.
Harris, a Democrat, had represented the district since being appointed to the House in 2023. The Jan. 3 public hearing will give Democratic Central Committee members a chance to hear from potential nominees before recommending someone to the governor. With the General Assembly’s 2026 session beginning Jan. 14, the timeline to fill the seat is tight.
Harris was elevated to the Senate after former Sen. Michael A. Jackson resigned in November to become superintendent of the Maryland State Police. Harris was nominated by the Democratic central committees from Charles, Prince George’s, and Calvert counties, and was then appointed by the governor.
During his tenure in the House of Delegates, Harris served on the Appropriations Committee and held leadership roles related to education funding and economic development. He also chaired the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families. Prior to his legislative service, Harris worked in federal contracting and served in the U.S. Navy.
District 27A includes parts of northern Charles County, primarily in and around Waldorf, and a portion of Prince George’s County.
The Maryland General Assembly is scheduled to convene its 2026 legislative session on Tuesday, Jan. 14, creating a narrow window to fill the seat before lawmakers return to Annapolis.
Saturday’s public hearing will allow prospective candidates to present their qualifications before the central committee deliberates and votes on a nominee.
How To Apply For The District 27A Delegate Vacancy
Individuals interested in being considered for the vacancy must submit all required documents in PDF format to ccdccweb@gmail.com or by mail to CCDCC, P.O. Box 2710, La Plata, MD 20646, no later than Thursday, Dec. 23, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered.
Application packets must include:
- A letter of intent
- A brief biography (including full name, address, date of birth, etc.) and resume
- A copy of the applicant’s voter registration card
- Proof of residence, such as a current utility bill
To be eligible, candidates must be:
- A U.S. citizen
- At least 21 years old
- A registered Democrat residing in the 27th Legislative District
- A Maryland resident for at least one year prior to the appointment
- A resident of District 27A for at least six months prior to appointment
To learn more, visit the Charles County Democratic Central Committee Press Release here.
How Maryland Fills Legislative Vacancies
When a vacancy occurs in the Maryland General Assembly, state law requires the governor to appoint a replacement from a list submitted by the political party that holds the seat.
For House of Delegates vacancies, the central committee representing the affected county or counties conducts a public nomination process. The committee then forwards its selected nominee to the governor, who makes the official appointment.
The appointed delegate serves for the remainder of the unexpired term or until the next regularly scheduled election, depending on the timing of the vacancy.
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could be this wasn’t done right, could be. The applicants should go ahead + apply with whatever countys this vacancy is in, so, it would be Charles and PG, so you have to find out and keep track of what PG is doing. If a delegate applys for a senate seat, their voting record in Annapolis should be taken into consideration. The applicants might have no idea, since they’re just in 1 county, if a district is more than 1 county. Get the application in + don’t concern yourself with what it looks like unless theres time.