Biography
Ashley Emerick is the Democratic candidate for Maryland State Senate District 1 in the November 3, 2026 general election, running against incumbent Mike McKay (R).[1][3] A small business owner from Allegany County, she says her campaign focuses on affordability, keeping data centers out of Western Maryland, and public education.[1][2]
Emerick earned a bachelor's degree from Frostburg State University in 2015.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, she said she was born and raised in Allegany County, worked as a waitress and at local call centers after college using her Spanish skills, and began baking during the first COVID shutdown.[2] She said that baking grew into a small business in Downtown Cumberland over the following three years.[2] Emerick said she is running because of the struggles Western Marylanders face with housing, affordability and access to health care.[2] Her listed key messages include opposing new taxes and fees on working families and opposing data centers in Western Maryland, and she said she is passionate about affordability, regulating AI and public education.[2]
- 1.Ashley Emerick - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Ashley Emerick - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
- 3.Maryland State Senate elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Maryland Senate District 1
Ashley Emerick is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Maryland Senate District 1 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
