Meet Mrs. Benson

Joanne C. Benson was elected in 1991 to The House of Delegates of the Maryland General Assembly to represent Prince George’s County’s 24th Legislative District. In 2011 she was elected to serve as the 24th District’s first female Senator. Senator Benson currently serves in the Senate Leadership as Majority Whip. She is a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee, serves on the Joint Committees on Education, Business and Administration, Pensions, Audit and Evaluations, Children, Youth and Families; Ending Homelessness; Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight; and has been appointed to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. She also is a member of the Women Legislators of Maryland and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

Joanne C. Benson was born in Roanoke, Virginia. She is the daughter of the Reverend and Mrs. William Claybon. She is one of a patrician line of six --- four sisters and one brother. Her family relocated early on to Hagerstown, Maryland where she attended public schools and graduated from South Hagerstown High School. Mrs. Benson holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Bowie State University and a Master of Arts Degree from Catholic University. She believes that education is one of the most powerful tools anyone could possess. She is a constant proponent for the strongest quality education for all Prince George’s County’s children.

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Why Mrs. Benson?

Latest News

New Office Location

New Office Location

Senator Joanne C. Benson has a new office location. Visit her at the Senate Office Building, Room 201, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 and let your voice be heard! Every voice matters—don't miss out on this opportunity to make a difference.

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February 2024 Coalition Meeting Announcement

The 202 Coalition 2024 February Meeting

Our breakfast meeting will convene on Monday, February 26, 2024, at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, 410 Addison Road, South, Capitol Heights, Maryland. We will begin at 9:00 a.m. We will have updates from Law Enforcement, Fire, and EMS agencies. We look forward to presentations from the Housing Initiative Partnership, Department of Assessments and Taxation, and Office of Finance. We are moving along with Suitland High School’s construction and are happy that Fairwood Elementary School is on schedule for construction. At our meeting, we will give special recognition to three people who have been a part of our Coalition since it started.

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Maryland Governor Moore Announces Program to Increase Homeownership Opportunities in Historically Redlined Communities

UPLIFT (Utilizing Progressive Lending Investments to Finance Transformation)

On December 4, 2023, in Annapolis, MD, Governor Wes Moore announced the UPLIFT (Utilizing Progressive Lending Investments to Finance Transformation) program to increase homeownership opportunities, one of the most powerful drivers of the racial wealth gap, in chronically underinvested communities with a history of redlining. Administered through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the program will address homes impacted by appraisal gaps by accelerating the pace of new construction and rehabilitation of quality affordable housing in strategically identified communities across Maryland.

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