Maryland State House District 45 has three candidates in the 2026 general election: Stephanie Smith, Caylin Young and Jackie Addison. All three are Democrats, and all three currently hold office as incumbents.
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Because every candidate in the field has the same party affiliation and incumbent status, those labels alone do not distinguish the choices before District 45 voters.
Race at a glance
This is a contested Maryland State House race for District 45. The current field consists entirely of Democratic incumbents seeking to continue representing the district.
An incumbent is a candidate who already holds the office being contested. In this race, that description applies equally to Smith, Young and Addison. None enters the contest with a different party label or a different incumbent status.
The election is part of Maryland’s 2026 general election. Voters will make their choices on Nov. 3, when District 45’s State House contest appears alongside other races in that election.
The three candidates
Stephanie Smith is running as a Democrat. She is an incumbent in Maryland State House District 45 and is seeking election in the district’s 2026 general election. Smith shares the Democratic affiliation and incumbent designation held by the other two candidates in the contest.
Caylin Young is running as a Democrat. Young is also an incumbent in District 45 and is seeking election in the Nov. 3 general election. Like Smith and Addison, Young enters the race as a current officeholder rather than as a challenger seeking the office for the first time.
Jackie Addison is running as a Democrat. Addison is an incumbent in District 45 and is seeking election in the same 2026 general election. Addison has the same party affiliation and incumbent status as Smith and Young, placing all three candidates on equal footing in those basic descriptions.
What is contested
The District 45 general election is contested, with Smith, Young and Addison all running in the State House race. The field is unusual in one clear respect: every listed candidate is both a Democrat and an incumbent.
That means the contest cannot be described as a standard choice between candidates from different parties, or as a race between an incumbent and a newcomer. Instead, voters are considering three current officeholders from the same party in one district contest.
The candidate list does not create a policy contrast among Smith, Young and Addison. Voters looking to compare them will need to pay attention to any campaign priorities, public appearances or candidate statements that emerge as the election approaches.
What voters should watch
One important process detail will be the official ballot instructions for the District 45 race, including how voters are directed to mark their choices. Voters should follow those instructions when casting a ballot.
The candidate field also remains important to track as the election calendar moves toward Nov. 3. Any change in candidate status would affect the final choices presented to District 45 voters.
Voter registration information, voting options and election deadlines are also key parts of the process. Those administrative details determine how and when eligible District 45 residents can participate, without indicating an advantage for any candidate.
