Sheree Sample-Hughes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheree Sample-Hughes
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| Speaker pro tempore of the Maryland House of Delegates | |
| In office September 9, 2019 – January 10, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Adrienne A. Jones |
| Succeeded by | Dana Stein |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 37A district |
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| Assumed office January 14, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Rudolph C. Cane |
| Member of the Wicomico County Council from the 1st district |
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| In office December 5, 2006 – December 2, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Ed Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Ernest Davis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 13, 1977 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Delaware State University (BA) Wilmington University (MPA) |
Sheree L. Sample-Hughes (born September 13, 1977) is an American politician. Since 2015, she has been a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. She represents District 37A in Dorchester and Wicomico Counties. These areas are on the Eastern Shore, near Salisbury. She is a member of the Democratic Party. From 2019 to 2024, she served as the speaker pro tempore of the Maryland House of Delegates. This means she helped lead the House when the Speaker was not there.
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Early Life and Education
Sheree Sample-Hughes was born on September 13, 1977. She grew up in Salisbury, Maryland. She went to Parkside High School. After high school, she studied at Delaware State University. She earned a bachelor's degree in public relations in 1999. Later, in 2014, she earned a master's degree in public administration from Wilmington University. She is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Starting Her Political Journey
Public Service Roles
Sample-Hughes began her work in public service by helping people find affordable housing in Pocomoke City. She worked there until 2000. After that, she became a special events coordinator for the Governor's Office. This office focuses on service and volunteer work. From 2002 to 2004, she was the president of her local American Legion Post.
Serving Wicomico County
In 2006, Sample-Hughes was elected to the Wicomico County Council. She represented District 1, which includes parts of Wicomico County and Salisbury. She made history as the first African-American woman to serve on this county council. She was also appointed to the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards. She served as the vice chair of this commission from 2010 to 2014.
In the Maryland House of Delegates
Becoming a State Delegate
In 2014, Sample-Hughes was encouraged to run for the Maryland House of Delegates. The person who held the seat before, Rudolph C. Cane, asked her to run as his health was declining. She ran without anyone opposing her in the primary and general elections. She was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 14, 2015.
She was a member of the Health and Government Operations Committee until 2022. Then, she moved to the Economic Matters Committee. Since 2019, she has been the only Democrat and the only person of color to represent the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the Maryland General Assembly.
Leading the Women's Caucus
From 2018 to 2019, Sample-Hughes was the president of the Maryland Women's Legislative Caucus. She was the first African-American woman to lead this group. In this role, she supported laws to help female veterans and older people. She also worked to protect victims of workplace harassment and assault.
Speaker Pro Tempore Role
In September 2019, the House Speaker, Adrienne A. Jones, chose Sample-Hughes to be the speaker pro tempore. This meant she would help lead the House. She was officially elected to this position by the Maryland House of Delegates in January 2020.
In May 2023, Speaker Jones decided not to nominate Sample-Hughes for the speaker pro tempore role again. Instead, she nominated delegate Dana Stein. Speaker Jones said this was part of a general change in leadership after elections. Sample-Hughes later said she believed she was removed because she voted against some bills that Democratic leaders supported.
Voting and Elections
In the 2020 presidential election, Sample-Hughes voted as an elector for Maryland. She was also a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention. There, she supported Kamala Harris.
In 2025, Sample-Hughes voted against the state's budget. She explained that she felt the budget would unfairly affect counties on the Eastern Shore. She said it would cut programs for rural communities. She also mentioned that she would continue to be herself, even if there were consequences for her vote.
What She Believes In
Sample-Hughes calls herself a "traditional Democrat." She has noted differences between her views and those of more progressive members of the legislature. She looks up to Barbara Mikulski as a political role model.
Education Views
Sample-Hughes supports giving more money for school buildings. She also wants to increase pay for school staff. She has concerns about how Eastern Shore counties can put the Blueprint for Maryland's Future reforms into action, even though she supports the plan.
In 2015, she was unsure about a plan to have an elected school board in Wicomico County. She worried it might not represent all the different people in the county.
In 2023, Sample-Hughes voted against a bill that would require teachers to get training for online teaching. She supported a change to the bill that would let Eastern Shore schools keep using a private company for online education. She also proposed a law to teach more about managing money in schools.
In 2025, she was the only Democrat to vote for a change that would let parents choose if their children learn about different types of families and personal identity in health class. She was also the only Democrat to vote against the main bill.
Environment Views
In 2019, Sample-Hughes voted against a bill that would stop oyster harvesting in five special areas of the Chesapeake Bay. In 2023, she voted for a law to greatly increase Maryland's offshore wind energy by 2031.
Gun Control Views
In 2018, Sample-Hughes voted for "red flag bills." These laws allow temporary removal of guns from people who might be a danger. She called them a "tool" to prevent dangerous situations. In 2023, she voted against a large gun control bill. This bill would have made it harder to get handgun permits and required safer gun storage. She later said the law would create "unnecessary challenges" for people who want to carry guns legally.
Housing Views
In 2018, Sample-Hughes introduced a law that would require landlords to give a 60-day notice before raising rent. This bill passed and became law.
Minimum Wage Views
In 2023, Sample-Hughes supported raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024. However, she did not support linking future wage increases to inflation. She supported removing that part from the bill.
Paid Leave Views
In 2015, Sample-Hughes supported a bill that would require employers to give employees paid sick leave. In 2022, she supported a law for a state-run medical leave program. This program would require businesses and workers to contribute.
Policing Views
In 2020, Speaker Adrienne A. Jones asked Sample-Hughes to join a group working on police reform. This group suggested changes like ending certain police protections and setting rules for how police can use force. Sample-Hughes voted for these changes in 2021.
In October 2020, she worried about proposed budget cuts that might close a Maryland State Police helicopter base. She feared this would affect safety on the Eastern Shore. The base was not closed.
Social Issues Views
In 2019, Sample-Hughes supported creating a commission to study racially motivated lynchings in Maryland's past. In 2021, she introduced a law to remove "Maryland, My Maryland" as the state's official song. This bill passed and became law. She also attended a rally to remove a Confederate monument in Easton.
In 2022 and 2023, Sample-Hughes voted against a bill that would require the state's Medicaid program to cover healthcare for personal identity. She said she opposed the bill because of her religious and personal beliefs.
Taxes Views
In April 2024, Sample-Hughes was the only Democrat in the Maryland House of Delegates to vote against a bill that raised tobacco taxes and vehicle registration fees. These increases were meant to pay for state transportation projects. In January 2025, she said she was against tax increases to fix the state's budget problems. She suggested cutting funding for government agencies instead. She also supported getting rid of the inheritance tax.
Personal Life
Sheree Sample-Hughes is married to Desmond. They have two sons. She also teaches at Wor-Wic Community College. In 2017, her son had a serious incident and needed to be flown to the University of Maryland, Baltimore for care. She attends services at the Wesley Temple United Methodist Church in Salisbury, Maryland.
Images for kids
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Sample-Hughes being sworn in as Speaker Pro Tempore
