35 Facts About Cheryl Kagan

Cheryl C Kagan was born on July 2,1961 and is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland Senate representing District 17 since 2015.

Cheryl Kagan graduated from Winston Churchill High School and later attended the Washington Semester program at American University in 1981, and Vassar College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1983.

Cheryl Kagan spent the summer after her freshman year at Vassar working in Washington, DC as a member of US Senator Ted Kennedy's presidential campaign staff in 1980.

Cheryl Kagan worked as the director of development for the National Women's Political Caucus from 1986 to 1987.

In 1991 and 1993, Cheryl Kagan was a lobbyist for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, where she helped pass the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.

Cheryl 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.

Cheryl Kagan served as the co-chair, and later as a Montgomery County delegate, for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.

Cheryl Kagan later served on the steering committee of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.

Cheryl Kagan observed the Iowa caucuses in 2008,2012, and 2020.

Cheryl Kagan was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 11,1995.

Cheryl Kagan served on the Commerce and Government Matters Committee from 1995 to 1998, afterwards serving on the Appropriations Committee until 2003.

In May 2005, Kagan launched an exploratory committee into a potential run against state senator Jennie M Forehand in 2006, but ultimately decided against running.

Cheryl Kagan unsuccessfully challenged Forehand in 2010, losing by a margin of 356 votes.

Cheryl Kagan again sought to run against Forehand in the 2014 election; however, in January 2014, Forehand announced that she would not seek re-election in 2014.

Cheryl Kagan was sworn into the Maryland Senate on January 14,2015.

Cheryl Kagan has served as a member of the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee during her entire tenure, including as the committee's vice chair from 2020 to 2022 and since 2023.

In March 2018, Kagan accused lobbyist Gilbert J Genn of inappropriately touching her back and buttocks during a karaoke event at the Castlebay Irish Pub in Annapolis, Maryland.

In 2020, Cheryl Kagan unsuccessfully ran for delegate to the Democratic National Convention, pledged to former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Since 2023, Cheryl Kagan has served as a member of the Election Assistance Commission's board of advisors.

In 2019, Cheryl Kagan proposed legislation that would allow the use of ranked choice voting in Montgomery County elections.

In July 2020, Cheryl Kagan criticized Hogan's decision requiring voters to apply for an absentee ballot to vote by mail in the 2020 general elections.

Cheryl Kagan scrutinized the multi-step process for applying for a mail-in ballot, which would sometimes send applicants applications in the mail as well as their mail-in ballot, which she said would create "extra steps and extra burdens" on election workers.

Cheryl Kagan opposed Republican attempts to amend the bill to require signature verification on mail-in ballots.

In September 2023, Cheryl Kagan said she supported a Rockville, Maryland referendum to lower the city's voting age to 16 years old.

In March 2017, Cheryl Kagan attended a protest at the Maryland State House supporting a bill to ban fracking in Maryland.

In February 2019, Cheryl Kagan was one of six Democratic state senators to vote to confirm Governor Larry Hogan's nominees to the Handgun Permit Review Board.

In January 2018, Cheryl Kagan condemned President Donald Trump's "shithole countries" remarks, which she called hateful and racist.

In February 2018, Cheryl Kagan was one of six lawmakers to sponsor a bill to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth.

In January 2019, Cheryl Kagan was one of nine Maryland lawmakers to add their names to a manifesto signed by 326 state legislators to reaffirm their commitment to protecting abortion rights.

In 2022, Cheryl Kagan introduced a bill to ban cat declawing in Maryland.

Cheryl Kagan opposed Governor Larry Hogan's proposal to add high-occupancy toll lanes to Interstate 270 and the Capital Beltway, citing concerns with the project's high tolls and environmental impact.

In July 2016, after the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority closed the Red Line to make SafeTrack repairs, Cheryl Kagan wrote to the Maryland Department of Transportation asking the agency to cover costs associated with the county's plan to provide free shuttle bus services to help commuters affected by the transit line's downtime.

Cheryl Kagan was married to David Spitzer, a Montgomery County public school teacher whom she met at a concert in Rockville, Maryland.

Cheryl Kagan is Jewish and is a member of Congregation Har Shalom.

From 2017 to 2020, Cheryl Kagan hosted the UnNaugural folk music concert at Montgomery College to raise funds for advocacy groups, including the ACLU, CASA de Maryland, and Planned Parenthood.