Former Maryland State Sen. Paula Hollinger dies at 85

Hollinger, a Democrat, sponsored major health care and abortion rights legislation during her 30-year career in Annapolis.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:24am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Former Maryland State Senator Paula Hollinger, who sponsored the state's abortion rights law and several major health care bills during her more than 30-year career in Annapolis, has died at the age of 85 after a battle with leukemia. Hollinger, a Democrat, served in the state Senate from 1986 to 2007 and was a longtime chair of the powerful Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.

Why it matters

Hollinger was a trailblazing legislator who played a key role in advancing reproductive rights and health care policy in Maryland. Her passing marks the end of an era for the state's Democratic party and leaves a significant void in the fight to protect abortion access and expand health care coverage.

The details

Hollinger sponsored several landmark bills during her tenure, including the nation's first Patient Care Advisory Committees, a law prohibiting mandatory overtime for nurses, and measures to ease the organ donation process and provide automatic defibrillators in public places. She is best known for sponsoring the 1990 Freedom of Choice Act, which enshrined the abortion rights protections of Roe v. Wade into Maryland law. Voters later approved the law in a 1992 referendum, and in 2024 they voted to enshrine it in the state constitution.

  • Hollinger was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1978.
  • She was elected to the state Senate in 1986 and served until 2007.
  • Hollinger sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act in 1990, and it was approved by voters in a 1992 referendum.
  • In 2024, Maryland voters approved a state constitutional amendment to protect the abortion rights established in the Freedom of Choice Act.
  • Hollinger died on March 26, 2026 at her home in Florida after a battle with leukemia.

The players

Paula Hollinger

A former Democratic state senator in Maryland who sponsored major health care and abortion rights legislation during her more than 30-year career in the state legislature.

Melvin 'Mickey' Steinberg

The former Maryland Senate President whose seat Hollinger won in 1986.

Ben Cardin

The U.S. Representative whose seat Hollinger unsuccessfully ran for in 2006.

John Sarbanes

The Democratic candidate who won the U.S. House seat that Hollinger had unsuccessfully sought in 2006.

Ilene

Hollinger's daughter who announced her mother's passing.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Women have to stand up. I have daughters, I have granddaughters, I can't go backwards.”

— Paula Hollinger

What’s next

Funeral services for Hollinger are scheduled for noon on Sunday at Sol Levinson & Bros. in Pikesville, Maryland. Following the burial, the family will receive visitors at the Marriott Owings Mills Metro Centre. The family has requested that memorial donations be made in Hollinger's honor to the Seed School of Baltimore.

The takeaway

Hollinger's passing marks the end of an era for Maryland's Democratic party and the loss of a trailblazing legislator who played a pivotal role in advancing reproductive rights and health care policy in the state. Her legacy will continue to shape the political landscape in Maryland for years to come.