Delores Goodwin Kelley is an American politician from Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 and a member of the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

. She is currently serving in her 4th term in the Maryland State Senate

Maryland State Senate

The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...

, representing Maryland's District 10 in Baltimore County

Baltimore County, Maryland

Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...

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Background

Born in Norfolk

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 on May 1, 1936, Kelley received a bachelor's degree from Virginia State College in 1956. She went on to earn three more degrees; an M.A. in education form New York University

New York University

New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

, an M.A. in speech communication from Purdue University

Purdue University

Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...

, and Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Maryland, College Park

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

. A lifelong educator, Kelley has taught at Coppin State University

Coppin State University

Coppin State University is a historically black college located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is part of the University System of Maryland...

 since 1973. She volunteered or served with a number of organizations, most prominently the Democratic Party, the National Endowment for the Humanities

National Endowment for the Humanities

The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...

, and the Baltimore Urban League. Kelley is a member of the Union Baptist Church in Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

.

In the legislature

Kelley was originally elected to the legislature as a member of the House of Delegates in 1991. Following redistricting and after only one term in the House, she successfully ran for a seat in the State Senate representing Baltimore County. Kelley serves both as the chair of the Executive Nominations Committee and as a member of the Finance Committee. She is also a member of the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy

Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy

Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy, , is an agency within the state government of Maryland, that sets guidelines which are used by Maryland circuit court judges in sentencing persons convicted of crimes in the state.-Background:...

 and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly...

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