Mark Edelson

Mark Edelson (born September 12, 1985) is a South African-born American politician and attorney who is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for District 46 in Baltimore.

Background In 1999, Edelson's family moved from South Africa to Atlanta, Georgia, where he attended Georgia State University, where he earned degrees in philosophy and criminal justice.

In June 2015, Edelson announced that he would run for the Baltimore City Council in District 1, seeking to succeed outgoing city councilmember Jim Kraft. He ran on a platform that included creating "transit hubs" within the city and streamlining the city permitting process. Edelson came in third place in the Democratic primary with 17.3 percent of the vote. The lawsuit was dropped on June 28, 2017, after Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh pledged not to demolish the bike lanes.

In 2018, Edelson became the president of the Canton Community Association. While president, the group evaluated how to make the neighborhood more welcoming, including the removal of the statue of John O'Donnell, opposed a proposal to expand Boston Street in southeast Baltimore, and advocated for the revival of the Red Line.

In 2020, Edelson worked on the transition team for Baltimore Mayor-elect Brandon Scott, serving on its transportation and infrastructure subcommittee.

In 2022, Edelson ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 46, seeking to succeed outgoing state delegate Brooke Lierman. During the primary, he received endorsements from councilmember Zeke Cohen, former state delegate Carolyn J. Krysiak, and former councilmembers Jim Kraft, Ed Reisinger, and Rikki Spector. Edelson won the Democratic primary on July 19, 2022, coming in third place behind incumbents Robbyn Lewis and Luke Clippinger with 19.0 percent of the vote.

Political positions During the 2026 legislative session, Edelson supported a bill that would create oversight boards in the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) to oversee the state's public transit systems as well as review and approve the MTA's budget and major capital projects.

Personal life Edelson lives in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore.