ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɪks, mˈæθiəz wʌz ᵻlˈɛktᵻd tə ðə mˈɛɹɪlˌænd hˈaʊs ʌv dˈɛlɪɡˌeɪts fɔːɹ dˈɪstɹɪkt θˈɜːɾi ˈeɪt bˈiː, ɐlˈɔŋ wɪð fˈɛloʊ dˈɛməkɹˌæt nˈoːɹmən kˈɑːnweɪ ʌv sˈɔːlsbɹi, wˌɛɹ hiː wʊd sˈɜːv fɔːɹ wˈʌn tˈɜːm bᵻfˌoːɹ ɹˈʌnɪŋ tə ɹᵻplˈeɪs ɹᵻtˈaɪɚɹɪŋ stˈeɪt sˈɛnəɾɚ dʒˈeɪ. lˈoʊɛl stˈoʊltzfəs.
In 2006, Mathias was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates for District 38B, along with fellow Democrat Norman Conway of Salisbury, where he would serve for one term before running to replace retiring State Senator J. Lowell Stoltzfus.