Antonio Hayes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Antonio Hayes
Member of the Maryland Senate from the 40th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2019
Preceded by	Barbara A. Robinson
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 40th district
In office January 14, 2015 – January 9, 2019 Serving with Barbara A. Robinson, Frank M. Conaway Jr., and Nick Mosby
Preceded by	Shawn Z. Tarrant
Succeeded by	Melissa Wells
Personal details
Born	(1977-12-09) December 9, 1977 (age 47) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Residences	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Alma mater	Frostburg State University
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Antonio Lamar Hayes (born December 9, 1977) is an American politician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Hayes serves in the Maryland Senate, where he represents the 40th legislative district of Baltimore. A person who makes laws for a state is called a legislator. Before becoming a state senator, he was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates.

Early Life and Education

Hayes (left) at a meeting in 2009 with Baltimore's mayor at the time, Sheila Dixon.

Antonio Hayes was born and grew up in Baltimore, where he was raised by his grandmother.

After high school, he went to Frostburg State University. He studied political science, which is the study of government and how it works. He graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Since 2010, Hayes has also worked as the Chief of Staff for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services. This department helps people and families in the city who need support.

Career in Maryland's Government

Hayes speaking at a Senate Finance Committee meeting in February 2025.

In politics, people run in elections to win a position in government. Hayes started his career in the state government in 2014.

Maryland House of Delegates

In 2014, Hayes ran for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates. This is one of the two parts of Maryland's state legislature. He won the election and began serving on January 14, 2015. He represented the 40th district of Baltimore.

Maryland Senate

After serving in the House of Delegates, Hayes decided to run for the Maryland Senate. The Senate is the other part of the state legislature. In 2018, he ran against the current senator for his district, Barbara A. Robinson, in the Democratic primary election. A primary election is how a political party chooses its main candidate for the final election.

Hayes won the primary with over 65% of the vote. He then won the main election and took office as a state senator on January 9, 2019.

National Politics

In 2020 and 2024, Hayes was chosen to be a delegate for the Democratic National Convention. A delegate is someone who represents their state at a big party meeting to help choose the candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. In 2020, he was pledged to Joe Biden, and in 2024, he was pledged to Kamala Harris.

Important Political Work

As a legislator, Antonio Hayes works on creating and voting on new laws for Maryland.

Paid Family Leave

One of Hayes's major projects was the "Time to Care Act." He introduced this bill to give workers in Maryland up to 12 weeks of paid time off for family reasons. This could be for having a new baby or taking care of a sick family member.

The bill was passed by the legislature in 2022. Even though the governor at the time, Larry Hogan, tried to stop it with a veto, the legislature voted again to make it a law.

Supporting Other Politicians

In 2021, Hayes announced his support for Wes Moore in the election for Governor of Maryland. Wes Moore went on to win the election in 2022.

Personal Life

Antonio Hayes is a member of the Empowerment Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore.

Election Results