Before serving in the House of Delegates, Carey worked as the chief administrative officer at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. He was also a former member of the Anne Arundel County Spending Affordability Committee, where he served two terms as chairman, and on the boards of MedStar Harbor Hospital, the Chesapeake Arts Center in Brooklyn Park, Opportunity Builders Inc. and other local institutions.[4]
In the legislature
Carey was elected to the House of Delegates in the 2014 General Assembly elections, succeeding former delegate Steve Schuh. He has been described as one of the most conservative Democrats in the House,[3] earning a score of 26 percent in an analysis from American Conservative Union, the highest among other Democrats in the Maryland General Assembly.[5][6]
Shortly after being sworn into office in 2014, Delegate Carey joined the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus as a means of expressing his commitment to protecting and promoting pro-sportsmen legislation at the capitol.[7] During the 2015 legislative session, Carey cosponsored House Bill 464, which would allow for reciprocity in honoring out-of-state concealed carry permits.[8] He also introduced House Joint Resolution 5, which would extend the goose hunting and duck hunting season on the Eastern Shore to run through February of each year.[9]
In April 2022, Carey announced that he would not seek re-election to the House of Delegates in 2022.[10]