Del. Ariana B. Kelly (D)

Delegate Ariana Kelly has spent her career advocating for the diverse needs of
women, children and families. Since 2010 she has represented the 16th District
in the Maryland House of Delegates, which includes Bethesda, Chevy Chase
and Potomac. Delegate Kelly was recently named as Vice Chair of the
legislature’s Health and Government Operations Committee, and Chairs the
Health Occupations and Long-Term Care Subcommittee. She is the House
Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families and served as
the 2018 President of the Women Legislators of Maryland.
Delegate Kelly’s background in advocacy and policy is extensive, including
serving as Executive Director at NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, Campaign
Director at MomsRising. She began her career at Girls Inc, national
headquarters. She also served as Executive Producer of the National PBS
news program To The Contrary.
A specialist in women’s health and family economic security issues, Delegate
Kelly was a driving force behind Maryland’s new paid family and medical leave
program and author of the landmark Abortion Care Access Act. She has also
passed legislation making Maryland first in the nation for access to
contraception and IVF, preventing sexual harassment and investing in child
care. She authored laws requiring insurance coverage for autism and
expanding access to prenatal and mental health care. In 2018, she passed
legislation to require consent education be included as part of Maryland’s sex
education curriculum which has sparked national conversations and lead to
other states pursuing similar legislation. In 2019, she passed legislation to
expand Maryland’s Child Care Tax Credit, as well as multiple pieces of
legislation aimed at improving public health. During the pandemic, Delegate
Kelly served as a vital link between state and local officials, particularly as
related to vaccine distribution. She is widely recognized for her long term
efforts to address the ongoing healthcare workforce crisis.