Malcolm Ruff ’02, a Maryland state delegate and attorney with the Murphy, Falcon & Murphy law firm, recently announced his candidacy for a Maryland state senate seat. Del. Ruff is running to represent District 41, a seat currently held by Sen. Dalya Attar.

The Senate race will be Ruff’s first major political campaign. He was appointed by Gov. Wes Moore to the Maryland House of Delegates on June 17, 2023, filling a vacancy in the 41st House District created when the incumbent, Tony Bridges, resigned to assume the role of assistant secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation. The 41st district includes neighborhoods in Southwest, West, and Northwest Baltimore.

All 188 seats (State Senate and House of Delegates, combined) in the Maryland General Assembly are up for election in 2026, with the primary elections in June and the general election in November. According to a Baltimore Banner article covering his announcement, Ruff said he sees the Senate role as a better opportunity to advocate for his constituents (47 senators, compared to 141 delegates). “I know that I am a powerful voice already on the House [of Delegates] floor,” Ruff said. “But being one of 141 is much different from being one of 47 — being able to set the agenda for what the 41st District needs and wants to happen.” 

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