Stephen S. Hershey Jr.

Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (born May 2, 1964) is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland Senate from District 36 since 2013, and as the minority leader of the Maryland Senate since January 11, 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously represented the district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2011 to 2013.

Early life and education
Hershey was born in Washington, D.C. to father Stephen Hershey, a sportswriter for USA Today and The Washington Star, and mother Gail Hershey. He was raised in Prince George's County, Maryland, where he graduated from Bowie High School. Hershey later attended James Madison University and graduated from Catholic University of America in 1987, earning a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree in 1987, and George Washington University in 2002 with a Master of Business Administration degree. Hershey moved to Queen Anne's County in 1996.

Career
Hershey worked as a vice president for project management for the Trammell Crow Company from 1993 to 2003, afterwards serving as a member of the Queen Anne's County Economic Development Commission until 2006. Following the election of Governor Bob Ehrlich, he worked as an assistant secretary for the Maryland Department of Planning from 2003 to 2004, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources from 2004 to 2006. Since 2006, Hershey has served as the vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle.

Political involvement
Hershey first got involved in politics in 2002 as the president of the Queen Anne's County Republican Club. That year, he unsuccessfully ran for the Queen Anne's County Board of Commissioners in District 2, losing to Rodney Niedomanski in the Republican primary.

In 2010, Hershey filed to run for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 36, seeking to succeed retiring state delegate Mary Roe Walkup. He won the Republican primary in September 2010, edging out incumbent state delegate Richard A. Sossi by 124 votes, or a margin of 1.2 percent, and ran unopposed in the general election.

Maryland General Assembly
Hershey was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 12, 2011. He was a member of the Economic Matters Committee during his entire tenure, and served as the Deputy Minority Whip in 2013.

In August 2013, following the resignation of Senate minority leader E. J. Pipkin, Hershey applied to serve the remainder of Pipkin's term in the Maryland Senate. The Republican Central Committees of Caroline and Kent counties voted to nominate him, while the Queen Anne's and Cecil County Republican Central Committees voted to nominate his opponent, Michael D. Smigiel Sr. In September, Governor Martin O'Malley appointed Hershey to the seat over Smigiel, and he was sworn in on October 1.

Hershey served on the Judicial Proceedings Committee from 2013 to 2015, afterwards serving as a member of the Finance Committee. He has also served as a member of the Executive Nominations Committee and the Rules Committee since 2023. In January 2015, Hershey was elected to serve as the Senate minority whip. In this capacity, he worked with the Maryland Republican Party in its unsuccessful "Drive for Five" campaign during the 2018 Maryland Senate election, during which the party only picked up one seat. Hershey did not run for re-election to this position in October 2020, and was succeeded by Michael Hough. In November 2022, following the 2022 Maryland Senate election in which Republicans lost two seats, Hershey was elected to serve as the Senate minority leader, replacing Bryan Simonaire.

Hershey ran for a full four-year term in 2014, during which he faced a primary challenge from former state delegate Richard Sossi, whom he defeated with 56 percent of the vote. During his campaign, the Hershey Company filed a lawsuit against Hershey, alleging that he was infringing on the company's trademarked logo design in campaign materials. The company added that Hershey had used its trademarked logo during his 2002 and 2010 campaigns, during which the Hershey Company issued cease and desist orders to stop Hershey from using it. Hershey contested the company's lawsuit, arguing that a ruling for the company would infringe on his constitutional rights. In July 2014, Judge William D. Quarles Jr. ruled for the Hershey Company, issuing a preliminary injunction prohibiting Hershey from using the infringing campaign signs.

Personal life
Hershey is married to his wife, Wendy. Together, they live in Queenstown, Maryland.

Agriculture
Hershey supports the deregulation of Maryland's farming industry. During the 2015 legislative session, he introduced a bill to reduce penalties for illegal oyster poaching, which passed but did not become law.

Crime and policing
During his 2002 commissioner campaign, Hershey said he supported creating a liaison position for emergency services in the county.

In 2013, Hershey voted against a bill to abolish the death penalty in Maryland.

In November 2023, ahead of the 2024 legislative session, Hershey introduced a package of "tough on crime" bills, including legislation to increase penalties for gun crimes and to repeal the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, which restricted the state's ability to charge juveniles for most offenses.

Education
Hershey supports the Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) program, which provides state-funded scholarships to low-income students attending private schools, and spoke out against proposals to cut funding for the program in 2023.

During his 2002 commissioner campaign, Hershey proposed providing tax credits and improving benefits to retain teachers in the county.

In 2019, Hershey opposed a bill that would allow county school boards to set their own academic calendars, reversing an executive order by Governor Larry Hogan that mandated a post-Labor Day start for public schools.

During the 2013 legislative session, Hershey introduced a bill to extend voting rights to the student member of the Kent County Board of Education.

Environment
In September 2014, Hershey criticized the bay restoration agreement between Maryland and Pennsylvania, saying that it stunted development on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and calling the $15 billion cost associated with cleaning up the Conowingo Dam an "unfunded mandate".

In 2015, amid proposals to build a wind farm off the shore of Kent County, Hershey introduced a bill to give the county the authority to veto any large-scale wind project in their jurisdiction.

In November 2016, Hershey said he supported a $34 million plan to extend sewer lines to southern Kent Island.

During the 2019 legislative session, Hershey opposed the Clean Energy Jobs Act, which would require half of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030, and questioned whether the bill would create jobs in Maryland. He later expressed disappointment with Governor Larry Hogan's decision to allow the bill to become law without his signature.

In 2023, Hershey said he opposed the Clean Trucks Act, a bill that would require the Maryland Department of the Environment to adopt a rule to phase out the sale of medium and heavy-duty gas-powered vehicles in Maryland. He also scrutinized the POWER Act, which increased the state's wind power goals to 8.5 gigawatts, and unsuccessfully sought to amend the bill to prevent its costs from being passed down to consumers.

Fiscal issues
Hershey opposes Maryland's "Rain Tax", calling it an "unnecessary burden" for Maryland businesses. During the 2014 legislative session, he introduced a bill that would exempt counties who use "best available technology septic systems" to be exempt from the rain tax.

During the 2016 legislative session, Hershey supported a measure to provide tax breaks to households that earn more than $150,000 annually, which he claimed represented the state's small business owners.

In January 2017, Hershey said he would support allowing citizens initiatives on budgetary matters, including newly imposed taxes.

During the 2014 legislative session, Hershey voted against a bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. In 2019, he voted against a bill to raise it again to $15 an hour, arguing that legislators should instead cut taxes to increase workers' income. In May 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Hershey called on the Maryland Board of Public Works to freeze the minimum wage at $11 an hour for two years.

In 2021, Hershey opposed a bill to impose a tax on digital advertising.

During the 2023 legislative session, Hershey introduced a bill to eliminate all income taxes for retirees. During debate on a bill to decouple state transit fares from inflation, he introduced an amendment to decouple the state's fuel taxes from inflation, which was rejected in a 27-18 vote.

Gun policy
During the 2018 legislative session and following the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, Hershey was one of three Republicans to vote for a bill to ban bump stocks in Maryland.

In 2019, Hershey voted against a bill to abolish the state's Handgun Permit Review Board, which handled conceal carry applications.

In June 2022, Hershey said he supported the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. During the 2023 legislative session, he opposed the Gun Safety Act, which banned open carry near schools, government property, construction areas, or entertainment venues, and from entering someone's property while carrying a firearm unless given permission by the owner, calling it "unconstitutional". In September, Hershey celebrated a federal court ruling that struck down certain provisions of the Gun Safety Act.

Health care
During the 2017 legislative session, Hershey supported legislation to assist displaced workers following hospital closures. He opposed a bill that would allow the attorney general of Maryland to impose civil penalties onto companies that gouge drug prices, which he claimed would harm competition, and a bill to provide workers with seven days of paid sick leave a year.

In 2021, Hershey introduced legislation that would allow pharmacists to switch name brands. The bill passed and became law. He also supported a bill banning medical debt collection agencies from garnishing the wages or placing liens on homes of people who owed medical debt, and limiting payments made toward medical debt at five percent of a person's income.

Marijuana
During the 2015 legislative session, Hershey was one of three senators to vote against a bill to decriminalize marijuana paraphernalia. In 2019, he was appointed to a task force on developing policy for legalizing recreational cannabis in Maryland.

National politics
In 2012, Hershey served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, pledged to Mitt Romney. In 2016, he unsuccessfully ran to serve as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention, pledged to Chris Christie. Hershey attended the inauguration of Donald Trump, and would later use social media to criticize Trump in now-deleted tweets. He opposed impeaching and removing Trump following the January 6 United States Capitol attack, saying it would "undermine the efforts to ensure a peaceful transfer of power".

During the 2017 legislative session, Hershey voted against a bill that would give the attorney general of Maryland the power to pursue cases against the federal government.

In 2018, Hershey opposed a bill requiring presidential candidates to release their tax returns to appear on the ballot in Maryland.

In August 2019, following mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, Hershey released statements on Twitter calling the incident "an act of terrorism" and the shooter a white nationalist, and called on Trump to recognize the "white supremacy problem in America". He also expressed support for a primary challenge against Ohio state legislator Candice Keller after she claimed that the 2019 Dayton shooting was caused by "drag queen advocates".

Social issues
During the 2012 legislative session, Hershey voted against the Civil Marriage Protection Act, which legalized same-sex marriage in Maryland.

In May 2015, following the 2015 Baltimore protests, Hershey visited neighborhoods damaged by fires and looting during the protests.

During the 2016 legislative session, Hershey sought to kill a bill that would restore voting rights for felons on parole. In June 2020, he wrote a letter to the Maryland State Board of Elections following Maryland's June 2 primary election, which was conducted largely using mail-in ballots, to express concern about potential voter fraud if mail-in ballots were used in the general election. In 2021, Hershey supported legislation that would require signature verification for mail-in ballots.

In 2021, Hershey voted for a bill to repeal "Maryland, My Maryland" as the official state song.

During debate on the Abortion Care Access Act in 2022, Hershey introduced an amendment that would restrict the facilities that could provide abortion services; the amendment was rejected. In 2023, he criticized a bill creating a statewide referendum on codifying Roe v. Wade into the Constitution of Maryland, calling it "performative progressivism".

Transportation
In October 2010, Hershey criticized the state's public transportation system, arguing that private industry would "manage and provide this service more cost efficiently than the government".

In June 2015, Hershey said he supported Governor Larry Hogan's decision to shift funding for the Red Line toward road widening projects in other jurisdictions around the state, especially Route 404.

During the 2016 legislative session, Hershey opposed a bill that would require the Maryland Department of Transportation to use a scoring system when deciding which transportation projects to prioritize, claiming that the bill would force rural transportation projects to compete with urban transit projects. He introduced an amendment to the bill to create a separate scoring system for transit projects, which was rejected in a 28-17 vote.

In 2019, Hershey opposed a bill that would give Anne Arundel County veto power over a proposed second Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which he said would prevent any bridge project from being completed. In April 2022, he proposed replacing the current Bay Bridge spans with a single eight-lane bridge.