ABOUT THE DELEGATE

Jon S. Cardin is in the first year of his third term representing the 11th District of Northwest Baltimore County in the Maryland House of Delegates. Jon has served as Chairman of the Election Law Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee since 2007. The Ways and Means Committee's areas of jurisdiction include taxes, children and youth, education, gaming and election law. Jon previously served on the Tax and Revenue and Education Subcommittees. Jon focuses his legislative agenda on election law, the tax code, education reform and environmental policy.

Jon has represented the House of Delegates on several taskforces, including the Taskforce to Study Elderly and Retiree Migration Into and Out of Maryland, the Taskforce on Comparable Testing Methods for the Maryland High School Assessments, and the Taskforce to Implement Holocaust, Genocide, Human Rights and Tolerance Education. Jon also served on the Special Committee on Higher Education Affordability and Accessibility. Currently, he serves on the Student Health and Fitness Taskforce and the Legislative Technology and Data Information Committee. Among other awards, Jon received the 2008 Legislator of the Year Award from the National Humane Society's Maryland Chapter for sponsoring legislation that reduced unnecessary cruelty to animals.

When the House of Delegates is not in session, Jon practices law at Cardin & Gitomer, P.A. in Baltimore. He participates in a wide range of activities in the community including serving as a member of the Board of Directors/Advisors for the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, the Camp Shohola Scholarship Fund, the Baltimore Hebrew Institute, UMBC Hillel, the American Council of Young Political Leaders, the Institute for Progressive Leadership, and the Maryland Public Interest Law Project. Jon is also Vice Chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Election Law Committee.

Jon earned a Juris Doctor with Honors from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2001. Upon graduation from law school, Jon worked as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable William D. Quarles in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and during his successful confirmation process to sit on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

Jon received his Master's degree in Policy Sciences from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and his Master's degree with Honors in Judaic Studies from Baltimore Hebrew University, both in 1996. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from both institutions in 2009. Jon was also recruited to be executive director of The Project Judaica Foundation in Washington, DC from 1996-1998.

Jon was hired as a faculty member of The Mercersburg Academy (1992-1994). Before teaching Spanish and coaching lacrosse and basketball at Mercersburg, Jon obtained his Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Tufts University in 1992. He is a 1988 alumnus of The Park School.

Since 1990 Jon has competed in numerous triathlons, marathons, and adventure races. He has also been fortunate to gain valuable perspective from his travels to Vietnam, Hong Kong, Morocco, Taiwan, Israel, and across the United States in his capacity as a legislator.

Jon's service in the Maryland House of Delegates follows that of his uncle, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, great uncle, Delegate Maurice Cardin, and grandfather, the Honorable Judge Meyer Cardin.

Jon lives with his wife Megan in Owings Mills.