Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (born May 2, 1964) is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland Senate from District 36 since 2013, and as the minority leader of the Maryland Senate since January 11, 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously represented the district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2011 to 2013.
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Prince George's County, Maryland, Hershey graduated from Catholic University of America and George Washington University. He began his career in project management and commercial real estate before joining the administration of Governor Bob Ehrlich, where he worked for the Maryland Department of Planning and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Hershey was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010 after defeating incumbent state delegate Richard A. Sossi in the Republican primary election for the 36th district, and was appointed to the Maryland Senate in 2013 following the resignation of state senator E. J. Pipkin. In 2023, Hershey was elected as the minority leader of the Maryland Senate.
Early life and education Hershey was born in Washington, D.C. to father Steve Hershey, a sportswriter for USA Today and The Washington Star, and mother Gail Hershey. He was raised in Prince George's County, Maryland, where he graduated from Bowie High School. Hershey later attended James Madison University and graduated from Catholic University of America, earning a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree in 1987, and George Washington University in 2002 with a Master of Business Administration degree. Hershey moved to Queen Anne's County in 1996.
Early career Hershey was a principal in Hershey Management Group, an independent real estate consulting firm, and later held positions at Planet Hollywood and Prime Retail. He worked as a vice president for project management for the Trammell Crow Company from 1999 to 2003, afterwards serving as a member of the Queen Anne's County Economic Development Commission until 2006. Following the election of Governor Bob Ehrlich, Hershey worked as an assistant secretary for the Maryland Department of Planning from 2003 to 2004, and assistant secretary for land and water recreation at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources from 2004 to 2006. Afterwards, Hershey served as the vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle from 2006 to 2023, and as the vice president of TECfusions since 2023.
Hershey first got involved in politics in 2002 as the president of the Queen Anne's County Republican Club. That year, he unsuccessfully ran for the Queen Anne's County Board of Commissioners in District 2, losing to Rodney Niedomanski in the Republican primary.
Maryland General Assembly
In 2010, Hershey filed to run for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 36, challenging incumbent state delegate Richard A. Sossi. During the Republican primary, he ran on a platform that included cutting taxes and reducing government spending. Hershey won the Republican primary in September 2010, edging out Sossi by 124 votes, or a margin of 1.2 percent, and ran unopposed in the general election. Hershey was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 12, 2011. He was a member of the Economic Matters Committee during his entire tenure, and served as the Deputy Minority Whip in 2013.
In August 2013, following the resignation of Senate minority leader E. J. Pipkin, Hershey applied to serve the remainder of Pipkin's term in the Maryland Senate. The Republican Central Committees of Caroline and Kent counties voted to nominate him, while the Queen Anne's and Cecil County Republican Central Committees voted to nominate his opponent, Michael D. Smigiel Sr. In September, Governor Martin O'Malley appointed Hershey to the seat over Smigiel, and he was sworn in on October 1.
Hershey served on the Judicial Proceedings Committee from 2013 to 2015, afterwards serving as a member of the Finance Committee. He has also served as a member of the Executive Nominations Committee and the Rules Committee since 2023. In January 2015, Hershey was elected to serve as the Senate minority whip. In this capacity, he worked with the Maryland Republican Party in its unsuccessful "Drive for Five" campaign during the 2018 Maryland Senate election, during which the party won a net gain of one seat. Hershey did not run for re-election to this position in October 2020, and was succeeded by Michael Hough. In November 2022, following the 2022 Maryland Senate election in which Republicans lost two seats, Hershey was elected to serve as the Senate minority leader, replacing Bryan Simonaire.
Hershey ran for a full four-year term in 2014, during which he faced a primary challenge from former state delegate Richard Sossi, whom he defeated with 56 percent of the vote. During his campaign, the Hershey Company filed a lawsuit against Hershey, alleging that he was infringing on the company's trademarked logo design in campaign materials. The company added that Hershey had used its trademarked logo during his 2002 and 2010 campaigns, during which the Hershey Company issued cease and desist orders to stop Hershey from using it. Hershey contested the company's lawsuit, arguing that a ruling for the company would infringe on his constitutional rights. In July 2014, Judge William D. Quarles Jr. ruled for the Hershey Company, issuing a preliminary injunction prohibiting Hershey from using the infringing campaign signs.
In September 2025, Hershey formed an exploratory committee for a potential 2026 gubernatorial campaign. He ultimately decided against running, filing to run for re-election in February 2026.
Political positions
During his 2010 House of Delegates campaign, Hershey described himself as a "fiscal and social conservative whom stands for preserving our Constitution, the principles of an economy based on free enterprise, small limited government and individual responsibilities". In January 2026, The Washington Post described Hershey as a moderate Republican.
Agriculture Hershey supports the deregulation of Maryland's farming industry. During the 2015 legislative session, he introduced a bill to reduce penalties for illegal oyster poaching, which passed but did not become law.
Crime and policing During his 2002 commissioner campaign, Hershey said he supported creating a liaison position for emergency services in the county.
In 2013, Hershey voted against a bill to abolish the death penalty in Maryland.
In November 2023, ahead of the 2024 legislative session, Hershey introduced a package of "tough on crime" bills, including legislation to increase penalties for gun crimes and to repeal the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, which restricted the state's ability to charge juveniles for most offenses.
Education Hershey supports the Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) program, which provides state-funded scholarships to low-income students attending private schools, and spoke out against proposals to cut funding for the program in 2023. He opposes the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, describing it as an "unfunded mandate" for the state's education system, and has proposed cutting back spending on the education reform package so that the state only focuses on its most important components. In January 2026, Hershey opposed Governor Wes Moore's proposal to increase funding for education in fiscal year 2027, raising questions about how it would be paid for amid a $1.4 billion budget deficit.
During his 2002 commissioner campaign, Hershey proposed providing tax credits and improving benefits to retain teachers in the county.
In 2019, Hershey opposed a bill that would allow county school boards to set their own academic calendars, reversing an executive order by Governor Larry Hogan that mandated a post-Labor Day start for public schools.
During the 2013 legislative session, Hershey introduced a bill to extend voting rights to the student member of the Kent County Board of Education.
In June 2025, Hershey supported the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which overturned Montgomery County Public Schools's policy of not permitting opt-outs for instruction involving LGBTQ-themed storybooks, calling it a "victory for common sense and for parental rights" and describing the school system's policy as "authoritarian".
Environment
In September 2014, Hershey criticized the bay restoration agreement between Maryland and Pennsylvania, saying that it stunted development on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and calling the $15 billion cost associated with cleaning up the Conowingo Dam an "unfunded mandate". He has called the Conowingo Dam one of the largest point sources of nitrogen pollution in the state and supports requiring Exelon, who operates the dam, to dredge the sediment behind the dam to reduce runoff into the Chesapeake Bay.
In 2023, Hershey said he opposed the Clean Trucks Act, a bill that would require the Maryland Department of the Environment to adopt a rule to phase out the sale of medium and heavy-duty gas-powered vehicles in Maryland.
Energy In 2015, amid proposals to build a wind farm off the shore of Kent County, Hershey introduced a bill to give the county the authority to veto any large-scale wind project in their jurisdiction. In November 2025, he signed onto a letter criticizing Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown for becoming involved in litigation over a proposed offshore wind farm project off the coast of Ocean City.
During the 2019 legislative session, Hershey opposed the Clean Energy Jobs Act, which would require half of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030, and questioned whether the bill would create jobs in Maryland. He later expressed disappointment with Governor Larry Hogan's decision to allow the bill to become law without his signature.
During the 2023 legislative session, Hershey opposed the POWER Act, which increased the state's wind power goals to 8.5 gigawatts, and unsuccessfully sought to amend the bill to prevent its costs from being passed down to consumers. In February 2025, amid rising utility rates, Hershey suggested that Maryland increase its natural gas generation and repeal the state's ban on fracking.
In January 2026, amid a $1.5 billion budget deficit, Hershey called on Governor Wes Moore to cut funding for the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, which is funded by utilities that can pay into the fund in lieu of purchasing renewable energy, to close the state's budget deficit. He also expressed support for allowing Exelon to build new gas-fired power plants in Maryland, but opposes allowing the company to use ratepayer funds to pay for the new generating plants. In April 2026, he opposed the Utility RELIEF Act, an omnibus energy bill backed by Moore and Democratic legislative leaders, saying that the bill doesn't go far enough to cut consumers' electricity bills.
In June 2026, Hershey supported efforts by the second Trump administration to restart the Warrior Run Generating Station coal plant using federal funds, saying that it would lower energy costs in Maryland.
Fiscal issues Hershey opposes Maryland's "Rain Tax", calling it an "unnecessary burden" for Maryland businesses. During the 2014 legislative session, he introduced a bill that would exempt counties who use "best available technology septic systems" from the rain tax.
During the 2014 legislative session, Hershey voted against a bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. In 2019, he voted against a bill to raise it again to $15 an hour, arguing that legislators should instead cut taxes to increase workers' income. In May 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Hershey called on the Maryland Board of Public Works to freeze the minimum wage at $11 an hour for two years.