C. T. Wilson

C. T. Wilson
Wilson in 2026
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 28th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 12, 2011
Preceded byMurray Levy
Personal details
Born (1972-02-20) February 20, 1972
Missouri, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseNicole
Children3
EducationUpper Iowa University (BA)
Howard University (JD)
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1990–1997

C. T. Wilson (born February 20, 1972) is an American politician and attorney who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing the 28th district since 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Background

Wilson was born in Missouri. An orphan, he lived in several foster homes as a child. Wilson has stated he was sexually abused and repeatedly raped by his adoptive father, Tom Wilson, while in foster care from the ages of 9 to 15.[1][2]

Wilson graduated from Freeburg Community High School in Freeburg, Illinois. After high school, at 18, he enlisted as a combat soldier in the U.S. Army from 1990 to 1997.[3] He served in the Persian Gulf and Bosnia and Herzegovina in both combat and medical units.[4] Wilson later graduated cum laude from Upper Iowa University with a B.A. in psychology. He then went on to the Howard University School of Law where he earned a J.D. in 2003, and was admitted to Maryland Bar.[3] After graduating, he helped organize the Community Prosecution Unit of the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office.[2]

In 2014, Wilson's book, 10,000 Hills: One Boy's Journey was published by CreateSpace. The book follows Wilson's early life story and the sexual abuse he faced from his adoptive father.[5]

In the legislature

Wilson was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 12, 2011.[3] He is the first Black man elected delegate in Charles County.[2][6] In December 2021, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones appointed Wilson chairman of the House Economic Matters Committee, succeeding state delegate Dereck E. Davis.[7] He served as the chair of this committee until December 2025, when House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk named Wilson as the House parliamentarian.[8] Wilson is also member of the Southern Maryland Delegation and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, and served as the House Chair of the Maryland Veterans Caucus from 2014 to 2021.[3]

In December 2025, after Adrienne A. Jones announced that she would step down as Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, Wilson announced that he would run for Speaker.[9] Wilson dropped out of the race a few days later, endorsing Joseline Peña-Melnyk.[10]

In February 2026, Wilson announced that he would run for the Maryland Senate in 2026, in anticipation of state senator Arthur Ellis announcing that he would run for Congress in Maryland's 5th congressional district.[11]

Political positions

Wilson has described himself as a moderate Democrat.[12]

Education

During the 2021 legislative session, Wilson introduced legislation to require the Maryland State Board of Education to create statewide standards for teaching Black history to public school students.[13] The bill was reintroduced during the 2022 legislative session.[14]

In 2022, Wilson opposed legislation to break up the College of Southern Maryland to create a new Charles County Community College.[15]

Electoral reform

In 2016, Wilson voted against overriding Governor Larry Hogan's veto on legislation that would restore voting rights to felons on parole and probation.[16]

In November 2025, House Speaker Adrienne Jones appointed Wilson to the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Commission, a body formed by Governor Wes Moore to study mid-decade redistricting in Maryland.[17] In January 2026, Wilson voted to recommend a congressional redistricting map that would increase the Democratic Party's chances of winning Maryland's 1st congressional district, the only one represented by a Republican,[18] after which he introduced the bill to adopt the map for the 2026 elections.[19]

Environment

In August 2025, Wilson criticized the Trump administration's plans to revoke federal offshore wind permits for US Wind's proposed wind farm off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, calling its stoppage "shortsighted" and saying that there's "nothing that they're going to say to replace it besides, 'drill, baby, drill'".[20]

Justice reform

Wilson opposed legislation to repeal the death penalty in Maryland, saying, "I wish we did not need the death penalty... but I've seen the worst of the worst, and I know it's necessary."[21] During the debate on the bill in 2013, Wilson opposed an amendment to keep execution as an option for those who kill after being sentenced to death or life in prison. The amendment failed by a 61–77 vote.[22]

Labor

During the 2022 legislative session, Wilson introduced a bill to provide up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to all Maryland workers. During a hearing on the bill, he introduced an amendment to replace the bill with a commission to investigate how to implement a statewide paid family leave program.[23] The bill was later restored and passed with an effective date of 2025 in a compromise with Wilson.[24] The bill became law after the General Assembly voted to override Governor Larry Hogan's veto on April 9, 2022.[25][26]

During the 2026 legislative session, citing efforts by the second Trump administration to weaken the National Labor Relations Board, Wilson introduced a bill to establish the Maryland Labor Relations Board, which would provide state-level protections for private sector workers and settle labor union disputes.[27]

National politics

During the 2026 legislative session, Wilson opposed a resolution to honor Charlie Kirk, saying that he "refused to honor a man who helped drive a wedge between my people, my community, and everyone around", citing controversial statements made by Kirk on his podcast.[28]

Policing

Following the 2015 Baltimore protests, Wilson called on finding a "middle ground" on police reform legislation.[29] During the 2021 legislative session, Wilson introduced legislation requiring police officers to identify themselves and notify individuals of their right to refuse to speak or provide information during a traffic stop.[30]

Social issues

Wilson opposed a bill introduced in the 2011 legislative session to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland,[31] saying "I'm taking the courageous stance. I have not had a chance to take this to my constituents and get their opinion."[32]

Wilson introduced legislation in the 2012 legislative session to make it a felony offense to transfer knowingly, or attempt to transfer, HIV to another person.[33][34]

During the 2014 legislative session, Wilson introduced a resolution to urge the owners of the Washington Redskins to change the football team's name to something that "is not offensive to Native Americans or any other group".[35]

Wilson introduced legislation in the 2015 legislative session to make March 30 "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day". The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan on March 30, 2015.[36]

During the 2017 legislative session, Wilson introduced legislation extending the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases from age 25 to age 38. The bill was introduced in previous legislative sessions but was blocked by Catholic Church lobbyists and Delegate Joseph F. Vallario Jr., the chair of the House Judiciary Committee. The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan on April 4, 2017.[37] In 2019, he introduced a bill to abolish the statute of limitations on child sexual assault cases,[38] which the Senate Judiciary Committee later voted down after passing the House of Delegates by a vote of 135–3.[39] Later that day, the House Judiciary Committee agreed to include compromise provisions in legislation introduced by Senator Justin Ready, including one to increase the statute of limitations to the age of 58.[40] He re-introduced, and later withdrew, this bill during the 2021 legislative session.[41][42]

In 2021, he supported legislation that would lower the state's age of mental health consent to 12 years old.[43]

In November 2022, following the conclusion of a years-long investigation by the Attorney General of Maryland into accusations of sexual assault in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, Wilson introduced the Maryland Child Victims Act, a bill to eliminate the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse lawsuits and create a "look back window" to allow survivors to file lawsuits alleging past sexual abuse.[44] The Maryland Catholic Conference, who had previously lobbied against bills eliminating the statute of limitations, said that they would support eliminating the statute of limitations but opposed provisions of the bill creating the look back window.[45][46] The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore on April 11, 2023.[47]

Personal life

Wilson is a Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center boardmember and a National Eagle Scout Association member. He and his wife Nicole have three daughters.[3]

Electoral history

Maryland House of Delegates District 28 Democratic primary election, 2010[48]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sally Y. Jameson 7,507 25.4
Democratic Peter Murphy 6,444 21.8
Democratic C. T. Wilson 5,666 19.1
Democratic Gary V. Hodge 3,335 11.3
Democratic Jim Easter 3,155 10.7
Democratic Bud Humbert 2,475 8.4
Democratic Craig James Hickerson 1,016 3.4
Maryland House of Delegates District 28 election, 2010[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sally Y. Jameson 28,092 23.6
Democratic Peter Murphy 26,006 21.9
Democratic C. T. Wilson 23,619 19.9
Republican Kirk W. Bowie 14,577 12.3
Republican Mike Phillips 13,750 11.6
Republican Daniel D. Richards 12,844 10.8
Write-in 69 0.1
Maryland House of Delegates District 28 Democratic primary election, 2014[50]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic C. T. Wilson 8,302 25.9
Democratic Sally Y. Jameson 7,249 22.6
Democratic Edith J. Patterson 6,644 20.7
Democratic Candice Quinn Kelly 5,966 18.6
Democratic John Coller 3,913 12.2
Maryland House of Delegates District 28 election, 2014[51]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sally Y. Jameson 25,811 28.7
Democratic C. T. Wilson 24,202 26.9
Democratic Edith J. Patterson 21,421 23.8
Republican Jim Crawford 17,312 19.2
Write-in 1,332 1.5
Maryland House of Delegates District 28 Democratic primary election, 2018[52]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Edith J. Patterson 10,346 27.4
Democratic C. T. Wilson 10,053 26.6
Democratic Debra Davis 8,725 23.1
Democratic Edward Holland 4,561 12.1
Democratic John Coller 4,043 10.7
Maryland House of Delegates District 28 election, 2018[53]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Debra Davis 34,236 23.8
Democratic Edith J. Patterson 33,383 23.2
Democratic C. T. Wilson 32,793 22.8
Republican Jim Crawford 15,059 10.5
Republican Dave Campbell 15,010 10.4
Republican Maureen Janette Woodruff 13,318 9.3
Write-in 159 0.1

Bibliography

  • 10,000 Hills : one boy's journey, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014. ISBN 9781495463235

References

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  2. ^ a b c Sessa-Hawkins, Margaret (March 19, 2014). "From a childhood of abuse to state delegate: C.T. Wilson's painful story". MarylandReporter.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e "C. T. Wilson, Maryland State Delegate". Msa.maryland.gov. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  4. ^ "Elect CT Wilson". electctwilson.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
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  6. ^ Williams, Shernay (December 15, 2010). "The New Black Delegates". Baltimore Afro-American. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
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