Biography
Ben Hightower is the Republican candidate for Maryland State Senate District 9 in the November 3, 2026 general election, in which incumbent Katie Fry Hester (D) is also running.[1] A U.S. Navy veteran who works in healthcare administration, he advanced from the June 23, 2026 Republican primary.[1]
Hightower served in the U.S. Navy from 2002 to 2022, earned a bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 2021 and a graduate degree from John Brown University in 2023, and has worked in healthcare administration.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, he said he served as a Hospital Corpsman and retired after 20 years of service.[2]
Hightower's three campaign messages in the survey were cutting taxes and regulatory burdens, supporting schools by empowering parents and rewarding teachers, and backing law enforcement and first responders; he also named conservation and farming as priorities.[2]
- 1.Ben Hightower - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Ben Hightower - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Maryland Senate District 9
Ben Hightower is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Maryland Senate District 9 as R. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.