{{Short description|American politician}} {{Distinguish|Ken Roberson}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kent Roberson | image = Kent Roberson (53517515269).jpg | caption = Roberson in 2024 | state_delegate = Maryland | district = 25th | term_start = May 30, 2023 | term_end = | alongside = Karen Toles and Denise Roberts | appointer = Wes Moore | predecessor = Darryl Barnes | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | party = Democratic | spouse = | children = 3 | education = | alma_mater = Ball State University (BA, MA)<br>Wesley Theological Seminary (MDiv) | occupation = | website = [https://kentroberson.org/ Campaign website] }} '''Kent A. Roberson''' is an American politician who is currently a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from District 25.
==Background== Roberson was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He graduated from Frederick Douglass High School and later attended Ball State University, earning a bachelor's and master's degree in political science in 2002 and 2007, and the Wesley Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2003.<ref name="msa" />
Roberson first got involved in politics during high school in 2002, working as a student page for the Maryland House of Delegates. In 2013, he started work in the Maryland General Assembly mailroom.<ref name="NewDelegate" /> After graduating, Roberson worked as an intern for U.S. Representative Albert Wynn, later serving as a senior government relations manager for the Corn Refiners Association<ref name="Corn">{{cite web |title=Kent Roberson, Senior Manager, Government Relations |url=https://corn.org/about-cra/staff/kent-roberson/ |website=Corn.org |publisher=Corn Refiners Association |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424222309/https://corn.org/about-cra/staff/kent-roberson/ |archive-date=April 24, 2023}}</ref> and the vice president of the Prince George's County Parent Teacher Student Association. In 2021, Roberson was appointed as the African-American Diversity Leadership chair for the state of Maryland.<ref name="SchoolBoard" />
In 2018, Roberson was elected to the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee for District 25. He was re-elected to a second term after running unopposed in 2022, subsequently becoming the committee's chair.<ref name="Successor">{{cite news |last1=Beachum |first1=Lateshia |title=Successor to outgoing Maryland Del. Darryl Barnes to be named this week |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/04/24/prince-georges-county-district25/ |access-date=April 24, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 24, 2023}}</ref>
Also in 2018, Roberson unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 25, placing fifth with 6.4 percent of the vote.<ref name="2018house" /> In 2022, Roberson unsuccessfully ran for the Prince George's County Board of Education, losing to small business owner Lolita Walker.<ref name="SchoolBoard">{{cite news |last1=Gauer |first1=Akshaj |title=Meet the PGCPS school board candidates in southern Prince George's County |url=https://dbknews.com/2022/11/07/prince-georges-school-board-southern/ |access-date=April 24, 2023 |work=The Diamondback |date=November 7, 2022}}</ref>
thumb|left|Roberson as a member of the electoral college, 2020 During the 2020 presidential primaries, Roberson unsuccessfully ran for national delegate to the Democratic National Convention, pledged to Elizabeth Warren.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official 2020 Presidential Primary Election results for Male Delegates to the Democratic National Convention |url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2020/results/primary/gen_results_2020_3_054X.html |website=elections.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections |access-date=April 24, 2023 |date=July 2, 2020}}</ref> He later served as an elector for Maryland's 5th congressional district in the 2020 United States presidential election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Leckrone |first1=Bennett |title=Here Are Maryland's Potential Electors For 2020 |url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2020/10/14/here-are-marylands-potential-electors-for-2020/ |access-date=April 24, 2023 |work=Maryland Matters |date=October 14, 2020}}</ref>
==In the legislature== In April 2023, Roberson applied to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of state delegate Darryl Barnes.<ref name="Successor" /> He was unanimously nominated by fellow members of the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee on May 5, 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gaines |first1=Danielle E. |last2=Kurtz |first2=Josh |last3=Sears |first3=Bryan P. |title=Roundup: Prince George's Dems pick chair for House vacancy, attitudes on sports betting, and new enviro leaders |url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/05/05/roundup-prince-georges-dems-pick-chair-for-house-vacancy-attitudes-on-sports-betting-and-new-enviro-leaders/ |access-date=May 5, 2023 |work=Maryland Matters |date=May 5, 2023}}</ref> Roberson was sworn into office on May 30, 2023.<ref name="NewDelegate">{{cite news |last1=Ford |first1=William J. |last2=Kurtz |first2=Josh |last3=Sears |first3=Bryan P. |title= Notes: A new delegate, a gig for wife of Moore's chief of staff, AG sues chemical polluters, and more |url= https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/05/30/notes-a-new-delegate-a-gig-for-wife-of-moores-chief-of-staff-ag-sues-chemical-polluters-and-more/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |work=Maryland Matters |date=May 30, 2023}}</ref>
==Personal life== Roberson is married to his wife, Jamii.<ref name="NewDelegate" /> Together, they have three children.<ref name="Successor" /><ref name="Corn" /> Roberson is a social justice minister at the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Washington, Maryland.<ref name="msa">{{cite web |title=Kent Roberson, Maryland State Delegate |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa18545.html |website=Maryland Manual On-Line |publisher=Maryland State Archives |access-date=June 27, 2023 |date=June 21, 2023}}</ref>
==Electoral history== {{Election box begin no change | title = Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee District 23 election, 2014<ref>{{cite web | title = Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Prince George's County | website = elections.maryland.gov | publisher = Maryland State Board of Elections | url = https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2014/results/primary/gen_results_2014_1_by_county_170.html | date = July 16, 2014}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Cheryl S. Landis (incumbent) |votes = 56,024 |percentage = 78.3 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Kent A. Roberson |votes = 15,571 |percentage = 21.7 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change | title = Maryland House of Delegates District 25 Democratic primary election, 2018<ref name="2018house">{{cite web | title = Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates | website = elections.maryland.gov | publisher = Maryland State Board of Elections | url = https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2018/results/primary/gen_results_2018_1_01625.html | date = July 31, 2018}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Darryl Barnes (incumbent) |votes = 13,050 |percentage = 26.5 }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Dereck E. Davis (incumbent) |votes = 12,152 |percentage = 24.7 }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Nick Charles |votes = 8,330 |percentage = 16.9 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Wala Blegay |votes = 6,217 |percentage = 12.6 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Kent Roberson |votes = 3,126 |percentage = 6.4 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Sherman R. Hardy |votes = 2,200 |percentage = 4.5 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Stanley Onye |votes = 2,070 |percentage = 4.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Maurice Culbreath |votes = 2,041 |percentage = 4.1 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change | title = Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee District 25 election, 2018<ref>{{cite web | title = Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Prince George's County | website = elections.maryland.gov | publisher = Maryland State Board of Elections | url = https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2018/results/primary/gen_results_2018_1_by_county_170.html | date = July 31, 2018}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Kent Roberson |votes = 53,541 |percentage = 51.6 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Sherma Jack Brisseau |votes = 50,272 |percentage = 48.4 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change | title = Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee District 25 election, 2022<ref>{{cite web | title = Official 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Prince George's County | website = elections.maryland.gov | publisher = Maryland State Board of Elections | url = https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2022/primary_results/gen_results_2022_by_county_17.html | date = August 24, 2022}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Kent Roberson (incumbent) |votes = 100,319 |percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no party no change | title = Prince George's County Board of Education District 9 election, 2022<ref>{{cite web | title = Official 2022 Gubernatorial General Election results for Prince George's County | website = elections.maryland.gov | publisher = Maryland State Board of Elections | url = https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2022/general_results/gen_results_2022_by_county_17.html | date = December 7, 2022}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate no party no change |candidate = Lolita Walker |votes = 17,861 |percentage = 56.8 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change |candidate = Kent Roberson |votes = 13,390 |percentage = 42.6 }} {{Election box write-in no party no change |votes = 213 |percentage = 0.7 }} {{Election box end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Current members of the MD House of Delegates}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberson, Kent}} Category:Living people Category:2020 United States presidential electors Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century American Methodist ministers Category:African-American state legislators in Maryland Category:African-American Methodists Category:Ball State University alumni Category:Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates Category:Methodists from Maryland Category:Politicians from Memphis, Tennessee Category:Wesley Theological Seminary alumni Category:Politicians from Prince George's County, Maryland Category:21st-century members of the Maryland General Assembly Category:Year of birth missing (living people)