Meet Cory
A husband and father first, Cory takes great pride in his work as a union electrician and the State Senator for Baltimore’s 45th District.
core values
Family, Community & Service
profession
Union Electrician, Entrepreneur, State Senator
leadership
Deputy Majority Whip, Health & Human Service Subcommittee Chair, Maryland Senate
Early Life
Born and raised in Baltimore City, Cory attended Fairmount-Harford High School in East Baltimore. He credits his mother, who encouraged him to join the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), with changing the trajectory of his future. After completing a five-year apprenticeship with the IBEW, Cory attended Baltimore City Community College, where he proudly earned an associate degree in business administration. By the age of 20, Cory had purchased his first home and was able to start a small business, investing in multiple rental properties and helping to revitalize the neighborhoods that raised him.
In 2014, neighbors across the 45th District elected Cory to represent them in Maryland’s House of Delegates. During his time in the House, leading news outlets like Center Maryland called him one of the most effective freshman legislators in the entire state.
Service
Cory McCray was elected to represent the 45th Legislative District in the Maryland State Senate in 2018 after serving in the House of Delegates for one term. Since that time, he has been named a legislator to watch by the Daily Record and Maryland Matters and was nominated by his peers to serve as First Vice Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party.
His approach to public service is rooted in a profound commitment to hearing the concerns of his constituents and finding practical solutions. When his constituents asked for better jobs, Cory passed the ACTION and POWER Apprenticeship Acts, which expands funding for apprenticeships that lead to family supporting careers. When asked for greater investment in our public schools, he passed legislation that scores school construction funding to prevent lawmakers from cutting Baltimore out of the education resources it deserves.
When his neighbors demanded to be heard in Annapolis, he amplified their voices with legislation that restored voting rights for more than 40,000 Marylanders. When Governor Hogan vetoed the voting rights bill shortly after its passage, he organized a coalition of legislators from across the state to overturn the governor’s veto.
During his tenure in the Maryland General Assembly, Cory has spearheaded the successful passage of over sixty pieces of legislation to bring greater resources and equity to Baltimore City and the State of Maryland. Among them, he is particularly proud of his work to raise the minimum wage, increase transportation funding, reduce pollutants in our air and waterways, secure additional snap benefits for families, and provide greater access to public libraries.
Family
Beyond his work in the community and in Annapolis, Cory finds solace and joy in his family life, cherishing every moment with his loving wife and four children in Northeast Baltimore. He also remains deeply committed to his IBEW family, working for the union and as a community organizer to this day, while continuing the fight to expand opportunity for every family, small business, mother, father, grandparent, and youth in Baltimore City.