Roy Dyson

Roy Dyson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 1st district
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1991
Preceded by	Robert Bauman
Succeeded by	Wayne Gilchrest
Member of the Maryland Senate from the 29th district
In office January 11, 1995 – January 14, 2015
Preceded by	Bernie Fowler
Succeeded by	Stephen M. Waugh
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
In office 1975-1980
Personal details
Born	November 15, 1948 Great Mills, Maryland
Political party	Democratic

Royden Patrick (Roy) Dyson (born November 15, 1948), is an American politician. He is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland.

Born in Great Mills, Maryland, Dyson attended private schools and graduated from Great Mills High School in 1966. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Baltimore in 1968, 1969, and 1970. He also served as a legislative assistant in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1974.

Dyson was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, serving from 1975 to 1980, and was a delegate in 1978 to the Democratic National Issues Conference. Dyson ran for Congress in the Eastern Shore-based 1st District in 1976, losing to two-term Republican Robert Bauman. However, he defeated Bauman in 1980 after Bauman suffered a sex scandal in the weeks prior to election day.

In the 1988 election, his Republican opponent was Wayne Gilchrest, a high school teacher who had never run for office before. Dyson barely held onto his seat, winning by only 460 votes. In 1990, Gilchrest defeated Dyson 57% to 43% despite again being badly outspent by Dyson, who received substantial PAC contributions in all of his later campaigns.

In 1995, Dyson was elected to the Maryland Senate, representing District 29 (St. Mary's County and southern Calvert County). As of 2014, he resides in Great Mills.

References

• Roy Dyson at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Maryland Senate biography