Kris Valderrama

Kriselda Valderrama-Lobo (born November 17, 1970) is an American politician who represents District 26 in the Maryland House of Delegates.^[1]

Kris Valderrama
Valderrama in 2025
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 26th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 10, 2007 Serving with Veronica L. Turner, Jay Walker, and Tony Knotts
Preceded by	Obie Patterson
Constituency	Prince George's County
Personal details
Born	Kriselda Valderrama (1970-11-17) November 17, 1970 (age 54) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Abraham A. Lobo
Children	2
Parent	David Mercado Valderrama (father)
Residence(s)	Fort Washington, Maryland, U.S.
Alma mater	Salisbury University (BS)

Early life and career

Kriselda Valderrama was born in Washington, D.C. to David Mercado Valderrama, a judge in Prince George's County, Maryland and Maryland State Delegate representing District 26. She is of Filipino ancestry.^[2][3] She graduated from Oxon Hill Senior High School, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in respiratory therapy from Salisbury University.^[1]

In the legislature

Valderrama speaks in the Maryland House of Delegates, April 2009

Valderrama was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 10, 2007. Since 2022, she has served as the Deputy Majority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates.^[1]

Committee assignments

• Member, Economic Matters Committee, 2015–present (banking, economic development, science & technology subcommittee, 2015–2018; unemployment insurance subcommittee, 2015–2018; chair, workers' compensation subcommittee, 2021, member, 2015–present; member, business regulation subcommittee, 2019; chair, alcoholic beverages subcommittee, 2022–present, member, 2020–present)
• House Chair, Joint Committee on Workers' Compensation Benefit and Insurance Oversight, 2015–present
• Member, Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, 2021–present
• Member, Judiciary Committee, 2007-15 (juvenile law subcommittee, 2007–2015)
• Deputy Majority Whip, 2011–2018
• Member, Legislative Policy Committee, 2019

Other memberships

• Chair, Bi-County Committee, Prince George's County Delegation, 2017–present (law enforcement & state-appointed boards committee, 2014, vice-chair, 2008–2010, chair, 2011–2014; member, bi-county committee, 2015–present)
• Member, Women Legislators of Maryland, 2007
• Maryland Legislative Asian-American and Pacific-Islander Caucus, 2015–present (1st vice-chair, 2016–2019; chair, 2019–2021)
• Maryland Legislative Transit Caucus, 2019–present

Political positions

Paid family leave

Valderrama introduced legislation during the 2020 legislative session to provide all Maryland workers with up to 12 weeks of paid family leave.^[4][5][6] The bill was reintroduced in 2022,^[7][8] during which it passed and became law after the General Assembly voted to override Governor Larry Hogan's veto.^[9][10]

National politics

Valderrama endorsed Hillary Clinton for president on April 9, 2016.^[11]

Social issues

Valderrama was a co-sponsor of the Civil Marriage Protection Act, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland.^[12] The bill passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 72-67^[13] and was signed into law by Governor Martin O'Malley on March 2, 2012.^[14]

Valderrama introduced legislation in the 2016 legislative session to prohibit employers from excluding women from desirable positions and for employers to retaliate against employees for sharing salary information with co-workers.^[15]

Valderrama introduced legislation in the 2018 legislative session to block employers from imposing non-disclosure agreements on workers reporting sexual harassment and require employers with more than 50 workers to disclose information about their records in maintaining harassment-free workplaces. The bill passed and was signed into law on May 16, 2018.^[16][17]

Electoral history

Maryland House of Delegates District 26 Democratic Primary Election, 2006^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Veronica Turner	8,489	19.1
	Democratic	Jay Walker	6,184	13.9
	Democratic	Kris Valderrama	6,177	13.9
	Democratic	Ollie Anderson	6,087	13.7
	Democratic	Darryl A. Kelley	5,125	11.6
	Democratic	Earl Adams	4,603	10.4
	Democratic	Jerry J. Mathis	2,972	6.7
	Democratic	Nathaniel Bryant	1,939	4.4
	Democratic	Xavier Aragona	1,823	4.1
	Democratic	Jocelyne G. Stichberry	947	2.1

Maryland House of Delegates District 26 Election, 2006^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Veronica Turner	24,891	34.1
	Democratic	Kris Valderrama	22,231	30.5
	Democratic	Jay Walker	22,162	30.4
	Republican	John Rowe	3,587	4.9
	Write-In		108	0.1

Maryland House of Delegates District 26 Democratic Primary Election, 2010^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Veronica Turner	9,133	25.3
	Democratic	Jay Walker	8,181	22.7
	Democratic	Kris Valderrama	6,889	19.1
	Democratic	Ollie Anderson	5,302	14.7
	Democratic	Sidney L. Gibson	3,703	10.3
	Democratic	Hopal "Hope" Felton	1,540	4.3
	Democratic	Branndon D. Jackson	1,318	3.7

Maryland House of Delegates District 26 Election, 2010^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Veronica Turner	27,770	35.0
	Democratic	Jay Walker	24,328	30.7
	Democratic	Kris Valderrama	24,141	30.5
	Republican	Holly Ellison Henderson	2,916	3.7
	Write-In		107	0.1

Maryland House of Delegates District 26 Democratic Primary Election, 2014^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jay Walker	9,428	24.3
	Democratic	Kris Valderrama	8,217	21.2
	Democratic	Tony Knotts	8,129	21.0
	Democratic	Tamara Davis Brown	5,698	14.7
	Democratic	David Sloan	2,782	7.2
	Democratic	Leonard "Lennie" Moses	3,475	7.2
	Democratic	Xavier A. Aragona	1,692	4.4
	Democratic	Keith L. Gray	1,359	3.5
	Democratic	Vernon O. Holmes, Jr.	877	2.3

Maryland House of Delegates District 26 Democratic Primary Election, 2014^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Tony Knotts	27,487	35.2
	Democratic	Jay Walker	25,434	32.6
	Democratic	Kris Valderrama	24,821	31.8
	Write-In		287	0.4

Maryland House of Delegates District 26 Democratic Primary Election, 2018^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jay Walker	11,749	24.3
	Democratic	Veronica Turner	10,197	21.1
	Democratic	Kris Valderrama	9,590	19.8
	Democratic	David Sloan	4,403	9.2
	Democratic	Sade Oshinubi	4,153	8.6
	Democratic	Leonard "Lennie" Moses	3,475	7.2
	Democratic	Diedra Henry-Spires	2,912	6.0
	Democratic	Sean Chao	1,812	3.8

Maryland House of Delegates District 26 Election, 2018^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Veronica Turner	35,748	35.1
	Democratic	Kris Valderrama	32,523	32.0
	Democratic	Jay Walker	11,749	24.3
	Democratic	Diedra Henry-Spires (Write In)	1,852	1.8
	Write-In		509	0.5

References

1. "Kriselda Valderrama". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
2. "Telling "one story" of Filipino American history". Medium. Plex. March 9, 2015. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
3. Dechter, Gadi; Smitherman, Laura (March 22, 2009). "Patronage endures, even in hard times". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
4. Gaskill, Hannah (January 29, 2020). "Lawmakers Unveil Plan to Reintroduce Paid Family Leave Legislation". Maryland Matters. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
5. Sears, Bryan (January 28, 2020). "Md. Democrats again to push for 12-week paid leave program". The Daily Record. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
6. Gaskill, Hannah (February 25, 2020). "Family Medical Leave Insurance Legislation Gets First Airing of Session". Maryland Matters. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
7. Shwe, Elizabeth (January 12, 2022). "Paid Family Medical Leave Getting a New Look in This Year's Legislative Session". Maryland Matters. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
8. Shwe, Elizabeth (February 21, 2022). "Advocates Rally Md. Lawmakers to Pass Paid Family Medical Leave This Year". Maryland Matters. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
9. DePuyt, Bruce; Gaines, Danielle (April 8, 2022). "Hogan Vetoes Abortion and Paid Family Leave Bills, Allows Climate Measure to Become Law". Maryland Matters. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
10. Gaines, Danielle; Gaskill, Hannah; Leckrone, Bennett; Shwe, Elizabeth (April 9, 2022). "With Legislative Overrides, Paid Leave and Abortion Access Bills Become Law in Maryland". Maryland Matters. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
11. Fritze, John (April 9, 2016). "Hillary Clinton announces endorsements from Maryland women". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
12. Bykowicz, Julie (March 1, 2011). "House committee vote on marriage delayed". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
13. Tavernise, Sabrina (February 17, 2012). "In Maryland, House Passes Bill to Let Gays Wed". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
14. McParland, Tom (March 2, 2012). "O'Malley Signs Same-Sex Marriage Bill as Opponents Push Referendum". Capital News Service. Archived from the original on November 12, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
15. Hicks, Josh; Wiggins, Ovetta (February 1, 2016). "Democratic leaders in Maryland want to offer matching funds for 529 plans". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
16. Kurtz, Josh (May 16, 2018). "Hogan Signs Bill Cracking Down on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace". Maryland Matters. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
17. Dresser, Michael (October 1, 2018). "'Sextortion' ban among many new Maryland laws taking effect to protect women". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
18. "Official 2006 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Legislative District 26". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
19. "Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for Legislative District 26". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
20. "Official 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
21. "Official 2010 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
22. "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
23. "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on 2021-10-24. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
24. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
25. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved 2022-06-01.