Ralph Hughes is a lifelong Baltimorean and longtime resident of Greater Mondawmin. Hughes attended Morgan State University before continuing on to receive his master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and J.D from Howard University. He practiced law in Baltimore before representing the city in Annapolis. Hughes was first elected as a Delegate in 1982 and later as a State Senator in 1991 until his retirement in 2007. In the senate, Hughes was a strong advocate for criminal justice reform and a vocal opponent of the death penalty. He also introduced some of the earliest gun control legislation in Maryland, handing the NRA their first major defeat in the state, and passed first-of-its-kind legislation banning the advertising of liquor on billboards. During much of his time in the House of Delegates and Senate, Hughes also served as the president of the Greater Mondawmin Coordinating Council. He held the post from 1981-1999, by far the longest tenure of any GMCC president. In his role as President, he helped build a sense of identity around the Greater Mondawmin community, including constructing the iconic Greater Mondawmin signage at the entrance to the community on Gwynns Falls Parkway. Following his retirement from the Senate, he became a professor at Coppin State University’s Department of Criminal Justice. In 2017, Hughes join the Community Oversight Task Force for the City of Baltimore’s historic Consent Decree to reform the police force. Ralph Hughes lives in the Panway neighborhood with his wife.