Cheryl Riley

Cheryl Riley is the Republican nominee for Maryland's 8th Congressional District and a public relations executive. She ran for Montgomery County Council in 2022 and was the Republican nominee for this seat in 2024, losing to Rep. Jamie Raskin.[1][2]

Riley was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland.[1][2] She attended Montgomery College and the University of Maryland, College Park, but left without earning a degree to begin her public relations career.[1][2] She works as a public relations executive, and a Baltimore Sun voter guide lists her residence as North Bethesda, Montgomery County.[1][2]

Riley first ran for office in 2022, when she sought a seat on the Montgomery County Council in District 4.[2] In 2024 she won the May Republican primary for Maryland's 8th District with 69.2% of the vote and lost the November general election to Raskin, receiving 20.5%.[1][3] She won the June 23, 2026 Republican primary, defeating Anita Cox, Donald Lech, and Michael Yadeta, with 43.2%.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.