Howard County voters in Legislative District 9 are watching the ballot take shape as the June 23 primary approaches, with a mix of familiar names and a few new contenders lining up for Senate and House seats.
According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, the primary is set for Tuesday, June 23, 2026, and candidate filings for Senate District 9 and House districts 9A and 9B have been certified. The state’s election pages include sample ballots and the official candidate lists that will determine who appears on Howard County ballots next month.
Who Is On The Ballot
Sen. Katie Fry Hester is the Democratic incumbent in Senate District 9 and is listed in state records as the sitting senator from Ellicott City. Del. Chao Wu represents House District 9A and is identified in his official biography as a data scientist. Abdun Matin, a 31‑year‑old Ellicott City resident, is running in the Democratic primary for House District 9B, according to local voter‑guide reporting.
Voter guides and candidate rosters show a compact field, with incumbents who already hold local office and challengers positioning themselves on issues that range from infrastructure to technology policy. For voter contact details, filings and committee information, the state candidate lists remain the official source.
Questionnaire Responses And Transparency
The Baltimore Sun’s voter guide, published May 20, tracked which candidates returned the paper questionnaire it sent to the District 9 field and which did not. Per The Baltimore Sun, several hopefuls did not complete the questionnaire, a detail that can leave voters with less direct and comparable information about those campaigns.
What The Campaigns Are Focusing On
Local infrastructure and tech policy are already prominent in the discussion. Sen. Hester has been publicly tied to Ellicott City’s Safe & Sound flood‑mitigation work, including the Extended North Tunnel project, which local reporting says is now moving into construction phases. According to reporting and legislative records, Del. Wu previously sponsored a bill aimed at requiring greater transparency about training data used in generative AI models, a measure that drew attention and debate at the State House.
Expect those themes, including flood mitigation funding, school and local services, and how to regulate emerging AI tools, to surface in campaign mail, public forums and any voter questionnaires that are completed before the primary.
How To Make Your Vote Count
Voters who live in District 9 can check their polling place, view sample ballots and confirm early‑voting options via the state’s election pages. The Maryland State Board of Elections maintains the calendar and resources for the June 23 primary, including deadlines for mail ballots and early voting hours.
