GREENBELT, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES, April 9, 2026 (by Stephen Lotz, Greenbelt News Review)— Four candidates, all Democrats, are running for three available spots in the 2026 Maryland House of Delegates District 22 election. Two current delegates, Anne Healey and Nicole Williams, are not seeking reelection. Ashanti Martinez is the only incumbent on the ballot.
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Craig Hayes
Candidate Statement:
“I refuse to stand by idly while ICE prepares a massive operation to snatch my neighbors off the streets and send them across the state to an illegal detention center in the county where I was raised. I am running for Delegate because I believe our ongoing constitutional crisis needs a new generation of state leaders who are willing to propose bold policy solutions to not only protect but strengthen our democracy. That is why I support electoral reforms like proportional ranked choice voting and special elections for legislative vacancies so that Maryland voters always have a voice in who represents them. With nearly two decades of experience organizing political campaigns and working directly with elected officials and community leaders, I will be ready on day one to represent the people of District 22 in Annapolis.”
Candidate Biography:
Hayes, 35, of Hyattsville, is a political consultant and campaign strategist with nearly two decades of experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Shippensburg University. Hayes worked as a field organizer for Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, a staff assistant for Congressman John Delaney and a campaign manager for a Maryland House delegate race. He currently works as a senior advisor and project manager on local, state and federal political campaigns.
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Stephen Lotz is a student at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism interning with the Greenbelt News Review.
HYATTSVILLE, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES, March 31, 2026 — Today, Craig Hayes officially launched his campaign for District 22 in the Maryland House of Delegates. Coinciding with the launch, his campaign also announced the release of his official campaign website at www.craighayes.com.
“As a lifelong progressive Democrat, I am proud to announce my campaign for Maryland state delegate. I am running for office because I believe our ongoing constitutional crisis needs a new generation of state leaders who are willing to propose bold policy solutions to not only protect but strengthen our democracy,” Hayes said in a statement.
Hayes has nearly two decades of experience organizing political campaigns and advising candidates for local, state, and federal office.
“I look forward to continuing my advocacy for electoral reforms like proportional ranked choice voting, special elections for legislative vacancies, and public financing because I believe that all Marylanders should have a meaningful voice in who represents them,” Hayes stated.
Hayes also vowed to continue his advocacy for Maryland's immigrant communities by supporting passage of the Community Trust Act in the General Assembly and organizing against new ICE detention facilities like the one currently facing litigation near Williamsport, Md.
"I refuse to stand by idly while ICE prepares a massive operation to snatch my neighbors off the streets and send them across the state to an illegal detention center in the county where I was raised. In the fight against creeping fascism, we must not only protect but strengthen our democracy and declare that this heinous ideology has no quarter in the state of Maryland," Hayes declared.
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Craig Hayes is an electoral reform advocate, grassroots organizer, and progressive Democrat running for District 22 of the Maryland House of Delegates. Hayes was born in Germany to an Irish immigrant and a U.S. Air Force service member. Because of his father’s deployments abroad, Hayes' grandparents helped raise him in Washington County, Md.
Hayes graduated summa cum laude from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He has published and presented research on proportional electoral systems and submitted written testimony to the Maryland General Assembly in support of ranked choice voting and local public financing reforms.
Hayes currently lives in Hyattsville with his partner, Teddy, and their two rescue cats, Floyd and Kairi. In his spare time, he volunteers for a nonprofit dedicated to providing comprehensive services and support to vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.
