In the legislature

In December 2017, Hartman announced his candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates after incumbent delegate Mary Beth Carozza said she would challenge state senator Jim Mathias in the 2018 Maryland Senate elections.^[8] He prevailed in the Republican primary with 49.3 percent of the vote and ran unopposed in the general election.^[9]

Hartman was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 9, 2019. He served on the Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2020, afterwards serving in the Ways and Means Committee. Since 2022, Hartman has served as the chief deputy minority whip.^[1]

Crime

In November 2023, Hartman criticized the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, a bill that passed in the 2022 legislative session which restricted the state's ability to charge juveniles for most offenses, blaming it for an increase in juvenile crime in the state.^[10]

Environment

During debate on a bill to quadruple the state's offshore wind energy capacity in 2023, Hartman introduced an amendment that would require the state to consider marine life when approving wind farms, citing unproven claims that noise from wind farm development was responsible for whale deaths. The amendment was rejected in a 36-98 vote.^[11]

Gun policy

During debate on a bill banning privately made firearms in 2022, Hartman introduced an amendment that would require the state to produce a list of firearms dealers who provide serialization services in the state. The amendment was rejected by the House of Delegates in a 49-83 vote.^[12]

Marijuana

During the 2023 legislative session, Hartman introduced an amendment to the state's marijuana industry framework bill that would have prohibited dispensaries from being located within a mile of a school or recreation center.^[13] C. T. Wilson, the bill's sponsor, argued that the amendment would have effectively banned dispensaries in Ocean City, something Hartman said he said he wasn't "heartbroken" by. The amendment was rejected in a 37-103 vote.^[14]

Ocean City boardwalk

In October 2017, Hartman proposed privatizing parts of the Ocean City boardwalk in order to control street performers and the town's homeless population.^[15] In May 2018, the Ocean City council voted 3-1 to consult legal counsel on the proposal to privatize the boardwalk's picnic tables. The council also voted unanimously to approve of several recommendations made by the Ocean City Police Department aimed at preventing loitering at the comfort station on Caroline Street, a popular location among the town's homeless population.^[16] He would later vote against the bill, criticizing Democratic lawmakers for not working with Republicans to craft the legislation.^[17]

Redistricting

In January 2022, Hartman filed a lawsuit against the legislative district maps drawn by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2020 redistricting cycle, seeking to replace the newly passed map with one that uses only single-member districts.^[18][19] The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled 4-3 against the plaintiffs in April 2022, upholding the legislature's map.^[20][21]

Social issues

During debate on a bill on a bill creating a statewide referendum on codifying Roe v. Wade into the Constitution of Maryland in 2022, Hartman introduced an amendment that would require clinicians to notify guardians of unwed minors before providing abortion services. The amendment was rejected by the House of Delegates in a 42-84 vote.^[22]