Derek Howell

Derek Howell
Member-elect of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 35B district
Assuming office
January 13, 2027
SucceedingKevin Hornberger
Personal details
PartyRepublican
SpouseJenna
Children2
EducationJohns Hopkins University (BS, MS)
University of Baltimore (JD)
OccupationAttorney

Derek James Howell is an American politician, attorney, and retired police officer who is a member-elect of the Maryland House of Delegates from District 35B. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life and education

Howell holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Johns Hopkins University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Career

Howell was a Maryland State Police trooper from 1995 to 2006, leaving the force to attend law school. He is also a lawyer with The Howell Firm.

In 2010, Howell unsuccessfully ran for the Harford County Council in District B, challenging incumbent Joe Woods. Howell was defeated in the Republican primary by Woods, receiving 43.8% of the vote. At the same time, Howell was elected to the Harford County Republican Central Committee, later becoming the central committee's chair in December 2012. In August 2013, Howell announced that he would run for Maryland Senate in the 34th district in 2014, seeking to succeed Nancy Jacobs, who was retiring. He withdrew from the election hours before the candidate filing deadline, leaving Bob Cassilly as the only candidate in the Republican primary.

Maryland House of Delegates

In 2026, Howell ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 35B, challenging incumbent Kevin Hornberger. During the Republican primary, Howell was backed by U.S. representative Andy Harris and the Maryland Freedom Caucus, who sent out mailers promoting Howell and criticizing Hornberger as a "liberal Republican". Howell defeated Hornberger in the Republican primary on June 23, 2026, with 40.0% of the vote, and defeated Democratic nominee Blessing Oluwadare in the general election.

Political positions

During his 2010 Harford County Council campaign, Howell aligned himself with the Tea Party movement. During his 2026 House of Delegates campaign, he described himself as a constitutional conservative.

During his 2014 Senate campaign, Howell supported repealing Maryland's "Rain Tax" as well as legislation that infringes on the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

During his 2026 House of Delegates campaign, Howell supported cuts to government spending and taxes, as well as the privatization of some government services. He also supported increased local control of school systems, and expanding power generation in Maryland through nuclear power and deregulation.

References

  1. ↑ "Derek James Howell | Lawyer at The Howell Firm LLC". martindale.com. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Harford Republican chairman Howell files to run for State Senate". The Aegis. The Baltimore Sun. August 6, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Harford County Council primary election voter guide". The Aegis. September 1, 2010. p. 66. Retrieved July 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Thompson, L'Oreal (June 4, 2010). "Relatively few file for Harford races". The Aegis. pp. 1, 11. Retrieved July 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Official 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Harford County". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  6. ↑ Thompson, L'Oreal (September 17, 2010). "Both parties shake up leaders". The Aegis. p. 6. Retrieved July 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Howell heads Harford Republican Central Committee". The Baltimore Sun. December 11, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Many Harford election races fill as 9 p.m. Tuesday deadline passes". The Baltimore Sun. February 25, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  9. ↑ Ford, William J.; Condon, Christine (June 25, 2026). "Some Maryland delegates still locked in tight primary contests two days after election". Maryland Matters. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  10. ↑ Wintrode, Brenda (July 23, 2026). "The Freedom Caucus wants to remake Maryland's GOP, one primary at a time". The Baltimore Banner. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  11. ↑ Bellmyer, Jane (June 23, 2026). "Derek Howell leads in GOP race for District 35B delegate". Cecil Whig. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Unofficial 2026 Gubernatorial General Election Results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Derek J. Howell, District B". The Aegis. September 3, 2010. p. 4. Retrieved July 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. 1 2 3 "Derek Howell Calls for Fiscal Restraint, Local Control, and Civic Engagement in 35B Race". Cecil TV. April 16, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  15. ↑ Bellmyer, Jane (May 6, 2026). "Maryland House, Senate candidates take part in Chamber forum". Cecil Whig. Retrieved July 23, 2026.