C. T. Wilson (born February 20, 1972) is an
American politician and attorney who has represented
District 28
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
in the
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...
since 2011.
Background
Wilson was born in
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. An orphan, he lived in several
foster home
Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family mem ...
s as a child. Wilson has stated he was
sexually abused
Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assau ...
and repeatedly raped by his adoptive father while in foster care from the ages of 9 to 15.
He graduated from
Freeburg Community High School in
Freeburg, Illinois
Freeburg is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. Located within Greater St. Louis, it is a southeastern exurb with many residents commuting to Downtown St. Louis or the Belleville area for employment. , Freeburg had a populati ...
. After high school, at 18, he enlisted as a combat soldier in the
U.S. Army from 1990 to 1997.
He served in the Persian Gulf and Bosnia Herzegovina in both combat and medical units.
Wilson later graduated
cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
from
Upper Iowa University
Upper Iowa University (UIU) is a private university in Fayette, Iowa. It enrolls around 6000 students and offers distance education programs that include 15 centers in the U.S., an online program, an independent study program, and centers in ...
with a
B.A. in psychology. He then went on to the
Howard University School of Law
Howard University School of Law (Howard Law or HUSL) is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the oldes ...
where he earned a
J.D. in 2003, and was admitted to
Maryland Bar
The Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) is a voluntary bar association for the state of Maryland.
The association pursues the following mission: "to effectively represent Maryland’s lawyers, to provide member services, and to promote profes ...
.
After graduating, he helped organize the Community Prosecution Unit of the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office.
He is a Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center boardmember and a
National Eagle Scout Association
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
member. He and his wife Nicole have three daughters.
In the legislature
Wilson has been a member of House of Delegates since January 12, 2011, and is the first Black man elected delegate in
Charles County.
and served as the chair on the Business Regulations Subcommittee under the Economic Matters Committee. He is a member of the
Southern Maryland Delegation and the
Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. He previously served as the House Chair of the Maryland Veterans Caucus.
In December 2021, House Speaker
Adrienne A. Jones
Adrienne A. Jones (born November 20, 1954) is the Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, the first African-American and first woman to serve in that position in Maryland. Initially appointed by Governor Parris Glendening to fill the vacancy ...
appointed Wilson chairman of the House Economic Matters Committee, succeeding Delegate
Dereck E. Davis
Dereck Eugene Davis (born June 6, 1967) is an American politician serving as the Treasurer of Maryland since 2021. He is a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 25th district.
Background
Delegate Davis was born in Washingto ...
.
Political positions
Education
During the 2021 legislative session, Wilson introduced legislation to require the
Maryland State Board of Education
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to it ...
to create statewide standards for teaching Black history to public school students. The bill was reintroduced during the 2022 legislative session.
In 2022, Wilson opposed legislation to break up the
College of Southern Maryland
The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is a public community college with campuses in Hughesville, La Plata, Leonardtown, and Prince Frederick, Maryland. It serves students living in Southern Maryland's Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert count ...
to create a new Charles County Community College.
Elections
In 2016, Wilson voted against overriding Governor
Larry Hogan
Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...
's veto on legislation that would restore voting rights to felons on parole and probation.
Justice
Wilson opposed legislation to repeal the
death penalty
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
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." 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.
Paid family leave
Wilson introduced legislation in the 2022 legislative session 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. The bill was later restored and passed with an effective date of 2025 in a compromise with Wilson. The bill became law after the General Assembly voted to override Governor
Larry Hogan
Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...
's veto on April 9, 2022.
Policing
Following the
2015 Baltimore protests
On April 12, 2015, Baltimore Police Department officers arrested Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American resident of Baltimore, Maryland. Gray's neck and spine were injured while he was in a police vehicle and he went into a coma. On Ap ...
, Wilson called on finding a "middle ground" on police reform legislation. 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.
Social issues
Wilson opposed a bill introduced in the 2011 legislative session to legalize
same-sex marriage in Maryland, saying "I'm taking the courageous stance. I have not had a chance to take this to my constitutes and get their opinion."
Wilson introduced legislation in the 2012 legislative session to make it a felony offense to transfer knowingly, or attempt to transfer,
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
to another person.
During the 2014 legislative session, Wilson introduced a resolution to urge the owners of the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
to change the football team's name to something that "is not offensive to Native Americans or any other group".
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.
During the 2017 legislative session, Wilson introduced legislation extending the
statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases from 25 to 38. The bill was introduced in previous legislative sessions but was blocked by
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
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. In 2019, he introduced a bill to abolish the statute of limitations on child sexual assault cases, which the Senate Judiciary Committee later voted down after passing the House of Delegates by a vote of 135–3. Later that day, the House Judiciary Committee agreed to include compromise provisions in legislation introduced by Senator
Justin Ready
Justin D. Ready ( ) (born April 15, 1982) is member of the Maryland State Senate and a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates.
Background
Justin Ready was born in Mobile, Alabama, but moved to Westminster, Maryland at the age of 11 af ...
, including one to increase the statute of limitations to the age of 58. He re-introduced, and later withdrew, this bill during the 2021 legislative session.
In 2021, he supported legislation that would lower the state's age of mental health consent to 12 years old.
Electoral history
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, C. T.
Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates
African-American state legislators in Maryland
People from St. Clair County, Missouri
United States Army soldiers
Upper Iowa University alumni
Howard University School of Law alumni
Maryland lawyers
21st-century American politicians
People from Charles County, Maryland
21st-century African-American politicians
20th-century African-American people
1972 births
Living people