| Ron Watson | |
| State Senate: | Maryland |
| District: | 23rd |
| Term Start: | August 31, 2021 |
| Appointed: | Larry Hogan |
| Predecessor: | Douglas J. J. Peters |
| State Delegate1: | Maryland |
| District1: | 23B |
| Term Start1: | January 9, 2019 |
| Term End1: | August 31, 2021 |
| Predecessor1: | Joseph F. Vallario Jr. |
| Successor1: | Cheryl S. Landis |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Birth Name: | Ronald L. Watson |
| Birth Date: | 30 April 1966 |
| Children: | 3 |
| Alma Mater: | Morgan State University (BS) Binghamton University (MS, PhD) George Washington University (MBA) |
| Branch: | United States Army Reserves |
| Serviceyears: | 1989–2006 |
| Rank: | Major |
Ronald L. Watson (born April 30, 1966) is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland Senate representing District 23 since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented District 23B in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2019 to 2021, and served on the Prince George's County Board of Education from 2006 to 2010.
Watson was born in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 1966. His parents were both retired school principals.[1] Watson graduated from Central High School and attended Morgan State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1991; Binghamton University, where he earned a Master of Science degree in advanced technology in 1993 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in systems science in 1999; and George Washington University, where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 2002. He is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.[2]
Watson served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1989 to 2006, during which he worked as a program manager at Lockheed Martin, IBM, and MCR. He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 2004. Since 2004, Watson has owned his own business, Watson Management Corporation.
In 2006, Watson was elected to the Prince George's County Board of Education.[3] He served in this position until 2010. Watson unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 23B in 2014, challenging incumbents Marvin E. Holmes Jr. and Joseph F. Vallario Jr.[4] He ran for the seat again in 2018, during which he defeated Vallario in a political upset.[5] [6]
Watson was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 9, 2019. During his tenure, he served on the Judiciary Committee, including its family law and juvenile law subcommittees.
In August 2021, following the resignation of state Senator Douglas J. J. Peters, Watson applied to serve the remainder of Peters' term in the Maryland Senate. He was unanimously nominated to the seat by the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee later that month,[7] and was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan on August 27.[8] Watson was sworn into the Maryland Senate on August 31, and was elected to a full four-year term in the 2022 Senate election.[9] He was a member of the Judicial Proceedings Committee from 2021 to 2023, afterwards serving on the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee.
In 2024, Watson applied to run as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention pledged to Joe Biden, but was denied by the Maryland Democratic Party.[10]
Watson is married to his wife, Ingrid Watson, who was elected to the Prince George's County Council in 2022.[11] Together, they have three children.
In May 2009, after the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation to cut funding for the Prince George's County Public Schools system, Watson voted to terminate the county board of education's $11 million lease for a new headquarters.[12]
During the 2020 legislative session, Watson criticized a bill that would allow couples to file for divorce while living in the same house, noting that it would allow people to file for divorce because of their spouse's inability to have sex due to a medical condition.[13]
During the 2021 legislative session, Watson introduced legislation creating a statewide referendum on renaming the Maryland Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court of Maryland, which passed[14] and was approved by voters in the 2022 elections.[15] He also introduced a bill to eliminate the four appointed positions from the Prince George's County Board of Education and make all elected positions at-large,[16] [17] which died without a vote.[18]
During the 2022 legislative session, Watson introduced the Climate Equity Act, a bill that would require government agencies to assess the impacts of climate and labor before approving permits or projects,[19] and another bill that would make it illegal to send threats to health officers.[20] He also expressed concerns with proposal to raise the state's eviction notice filing fee from $15 to $65, which he said would penalize small landlords.[21] [22]
During the 2023 legislative session, Watson introduced legislation to create a statewide referendum on legalizing online gambling[23] and another bill allowing municipalities to establish their own police accountability boards.[24] He also supported a bill to raise sentences for illegal gun possession and make knowingly selling someone a weapon used in a crime a felony offense.[25] He also supported efforts to locate the new Federal Bureau of Investigation's headquarters in Prince George's County.[26]
During the 2024 legislative session, Watson says he plans to introduce legislation that would allow parents to waive the requirement that a child must speak to an attorney before speaking to law enforcement and would require parents and children to complete counseling or substance abuse treatment classes administered by the Maryland Department of Social Services.[27] He also plans to support legislation to extend probationary periods for juveniles found guilty of firearm misdemeanors and felonies.[28]