State Sen. Sara Love, a Democrat representing District 16, is running for a full term in the Maryland State Senate in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Love was certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.
Gov. Wes Moore appointed Love to the Senate on June 13, 2024, to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Sen. Ariana Kelly, according to the Maryland Manual On-Line. Before that appointment, Love served as a delegate for District 16 from 2019 to 2024.
Love describes herself as a progressive Democrat, according to her campaign website.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Maryland State Senate, District 16
- Born: April 6, 1967, in Evanston, Illinois
- Education: Bachelor's degree in history, Princeton University, 1989; J.D., Northwestern University, 1993
Experience and public service
Love clerked for Judge Timothy K. Lewis on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit from 1993 to 1994, according to the Maryland Manual On-Line. She worked as a litigation associate at Robinson, Curley and Clayton from 1994 to 1998.
She held legal and leadership roles at several advocacy organizations. She served as legal director of the Clinic Access Project at the Feminist Majority Foundation and general counsel at the National Women's Health Foundation, both from 1998 to 2000. She served as general counsel and legal director at NARAL Pro-Choice America from 2002 to 2004 and sat on that organization's board of directors from 2010 to 2014, according to the Maryland Manual On-Line and BallotReady.
Love was president of the board of directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland from 2008 to 2012. She served as public policy director at the ACLU from 2012 to 2016, according to BallotReady.
In the legislature, Love chaired the Land Use, Transportation, and Public Safety Committee of the Montgomery County House Delegation from 2020 to 2024, according to her campaign website. She chaired the Motor Vehicle and Transportation Subcommittee and served on the Environment and Transportation Committee in the House of Delegates from 2023 to 2024, according to the Maryland Manual On-Line.
In the Senate, Love serves on the Judicial Proceedings Committee. She chairs the Chesapeake Bay Commission and is a member of the Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities, according to the Maryland Manual On-Line. She also serves on the McLean School Board, according to BallotReady.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Love's responses on her campaign website and via BallotReady. They reflect the candidate's own statements.
Transportation: Love said transportation is one of the top issues in Montgomery County. She said she supports improving public transit and creating safer roads for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. "We must work on a multi-modal, comprehensive solution that addresses both roads and transit," Love said on her campaign website.
Environment and energy: Love said she has been an environmental leader in the legislature and is committed to protecting the Chesapeake Bay, clean air and open spaces. She said data center growth is pulling from existing energy supply and driving up utility bills. Love said the General Assembly is working to reduce energy costs for Maryland families.
Education: Love said she is a firm believer in public schools and called them the center of a community. She noted that Montgomery County Public Schools is the largest school system in Maryland and the 14th largest in the country, growing by 2,500 students a year. She said 31.5% of MCPS students qualify for free and reduced-price meals, 14.2% receive English-language services and 11.7% receive special education services.
Reproductive rights: Love is pro-choice. She said she will continue fighting efforts to erode reproductive rights in Maryland.
Healthcare: Love said she supports ensuring all Marylanders have access to affordable, quality health care.
Endorsements
The following endorsements were reported by the endorsing organizations, according to BallotReady:
- Maryland State Education Association
- Maryland League of Conservation Voters
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland, known as AFSCME
Candidate responses were collected via BallotReady questionnaires and the candidate's campaign website. The Bethesda Beacon presents this profile for informational purposes and does not endorse candidates.
