Cory McCray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cory McCray
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| Member of the Maryland Senate from the 45th district |
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| Assumed office January 9, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Nathaniel J. McFadden |
| Acting Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party | |
| In office November 11, 2019 – December 7, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Maya Rockeymoore Cummings |
| Succeeded by | Yvette Lewis |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 45th district |
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| In office January 14, 2015 – January 9, 2019 Serving with Talmadge Branch and Cheryl Glenn
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| Preceded by | Nina R. Harper |
| Succeeded by | Stephanie M. Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 31, 1982 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Demetria |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Danielle McCray |
| Education | Baltimore City Community College (AS) National Labor College (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Cory V. McCray (born October 31, 1982) is an American politician. He serves as a member of the Maryland Senate for Maryland's 45th district. This area is located in northeast Baltimore City. Before this, McCray was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. He also served as the acting Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party.
Contents
Early Life and Career
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Cory McCray was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He went to Fairmount-Harford High School. After turning 18, he joined an apprenticeship program. This program was with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He later became an organizer there.
The program helped him earn enough money to start investing in real estate. He bought his first house when he was 20. By the time he was 25, he owned seven houses. In 2011, McCray earned an Associate degree in business management. He got this from the Baltimore City Community College. In 2013, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the National Labor College. From 2011 to 2013, he worked on the Baltimore City Board of Elections.
In 2012, McCray and other community leaders started the B.E.S.T. Democratic Club. This group encouraged young people in east Baltimore to get involved in politics. By 2014, the group had over 500 members. In May 2013, McCray announced he would run for the Maryland House of Delegates. He wanted to take the place of delegate Nina R. Harper. He won the Democratic primary election. He came in third place out of eight candidates.
McCray is seen as a political friend of Brandon Scott. When McCray ran for the House in 2014, he worked closely with Scott. Scott was a city council member at the time. They helped people in the community together. McCray was also part of Scott's team when Scott became mayor in 2020.
Serving in the Legislature
McCray was sworn into the House of Delegates on January 14, 2015. He joined the House Environment and Transportation Committee. He is also a member of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. He is part of the Baltimore City Delegation.
In March 2017, an ethics complaint was filed against McCray. He admitted that his language and tone were not acceptable during a discussion. He later apologized to the person involved. In April, an ethics committee found that McCray "breached the standards of conduct."
In July 2017, McCray showed interest in running for the Maryland Senate. He wanted to challenge Senator Nathaniel J. McFadden. He announced his candidacy in September. McCray won against McFadden in the Democratic primary election. He then faced no Republican challengers in the general election.
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McCray became a Maryland Senator on January 9, 2019. He joined several important committees. These include the Budget and Taxation Committee and the Joint Audit Committee. He is also a member of the Maryland Legislative Transit Caucus. He is part of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. From 2019 to 2020, he was also an associate member of the Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus. In November 2020, he was chosen to lead the Baltimore City Senate Delegation.
In October 2019, after Representative Elijah Cummings passed away, McCray thought about running. He considered running in the special election for Maryland's 7th congressional district. He later decided not to run for that seat.
In June 2025, The Baltimore Banner reported on McCray's involvement with a building proposal. This proposal was by Ronald Lipscomb. It was for a new apartment building near the Johns Hopkins Hospital in east Baltimore. McCray was on the board of East Baltimore Development Inc. (EBDI). He supported selling land near the hospital for this project. He said he wanted to offer "incentives for developers to come to my neighborhood." He also presented the project to the community. He said it would provide affordable housing. However, the developer planned to sell units at market rates. As of June 2025, the apartment project has not started construction.
Acting Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party
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McCray became the acting chair of the Maryland Democratic Party on November 11, 2019. This happened after Maya Rockeymoore Cummings resigned. She resigned to run for a special election. McCray chose not to run for the permanent party chair position.
During his time as acting chair, he believed the organization was spending too much money. He thought it needed better financial controls. To help the party's money situation, he canceled some contracts. He also suggested other ways to manage money. On December 7, 2019, the Maryland Democratic Party elected Yvette Lewis as the new party chairwoman.
Political Positions
COVID-19 Pandemic
In March 2021, McCray and five other senators sent a letter to Governor Larry Hogan. They were worried about fairness in the state's vaccination program.
Crime
McCray voted against a bill in 2020. This bill would have made penalties tougher for gun offenders.
In 2022, McCray introduced a bill. It would require the Maryland Division of Pretrial Detention and Services to tell city police when someone is released on bail.
Education
In 2019, McCray introduced a bill to expand food stamp benefits. This would help students who get free school meals during the summer. The bill passed and became law.
Elections
McCray introduced a bill in 2015 to restore voting rights for former offenders. Governor Hogan vetoed the bill. But the Maryland General Assembly voted to override the veto on February 9, 2016.
In 2019, McCray introduced a bill for Baltimore police. It would require them to redraw district boundaries after each census. The bill passed and started on October 1, 2019.
In September 2020, McCray asked for more ballot drop-off boxes in his district. He felt his district had fewer boxes than others.
Environment
In September 2019, McCray voted against a climate debate resolution. He felt his community needed him to focus on other issues. These included justice reform and economic opportunities.
In 2021, McCray introduced a bill to improve the Maryland Environmental Service. It aimed to limit future payments and change how the board works. It also added new rules like ethics training.
Minimum Wage
In 2019, McCray introduced a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2023. The bill passed with a full effective date of 2025. Governor Larry Hogan vetoed it on March 27, 2019. The Maryland General Assembly voted to override Hogan's veto the next day.
Policing
McCray voted for a bill in 2019. This bill would create an armed police force at the private Johns Hopkins University. He also introduced a bill that would require Baltimore police leaders to live in the city.
In 2019, McCray introduced a bill to make the Baltimore Police Department a city agency. It is currently a state agency. The bill did not get a vote. In 2021, he introduced a bill to study local control of the city police. It would let voters decide if the city government should control the police. This would happen through a charter change in the 2022 or 2024 general election. The bill passed and became law.
Taxes
In 2020, McCray introduced a bill to increase the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Transportation
In 2021, McCray and other officials asked for more money for the Maryland Transit Administration. This was to help with maintenance and other needs. He introduced a bill in 2021 to increase funding for the Maryland Transit Administration. This would make the state's bus system, MARC train, Metro, and Light Rail safer and more reliable. The bill passed the Maryland General Assembly. But Governor Hogan vetoed it on May 28, 2021. The legislature voted to override Hogan's veto during a special session in 2021.
In 2022, McCray introduced a bill. It would waive late fees and allow payment plans for delayed E-ZPass charges.
