Maryland House of Delegates District 14

A: Maryland’s structural deficit requires a balanced, disciplined approach that protects core services while improving how we raise and spend revenue. First, we need greater accountability in spending. With nearly two decades of experience managing over a billion dollars in taxpayer funded programs, I support regular, independent audits of major programs to ensure funds are being used effectively and delivering results. Second, we should pursue targeted, fair revenue options rather than broad-based tax increases on working families. That includes closing corporate tax loopholes, strengthening enforcement to reduce tax avoidance, and evaluating modest increases on the highest earners. Third, we must focus on economic growth that expands the tax base. Investing in workforce development, small businesses, and key sectors like clean energy and technology will create jobs and generate sustainable revenue over time while creating environmentally friendly energy sources. Closing the deficit isn’t about one solution, it’s about making smart choices, prioritizing impact, and ensuring government works effectively for all Maryland families.

A: Maryland faces several urgent, interconnected challenges, but three stand out. First is affordability. Families are struggling with the rising costs of housing, childcare, groceries, and healthcare. Without action, we risk pushing working and middle-class families out of the state. We must expand access to affordable housing, support good-paying jobs, and ensure essential services are within reach. Second is education and workforce readiness. With major investments underway, the priority now is effective implementation, making sure resources reach classrooms, supporting educators, and preparing students and the unemployed workforce for a changing economy. Third is public safety and community well-being. That means not only addressing crime, but investing in prevention through mental health services, youth programs, and community-based solutions. This also includes continuing to oppose any programs like the 287(g) agreements that undermine trust and exacerbate fear in the community.

Across all of these is a critical throughline: climate and environmental resilience cannot be an afterthought. From flooding and extreme heat to energy costs and public health, climate impacts are already affecting Maryland families, especially the most vulnerable. We must integrate sustainability and resilience into how we build housing, grow our economy, and protect our communities.

A: Lowering the cost of living requires targeted action across the biggest drivers of household expenses. First, housing. I would expand the supply of affordable housing by incentivizing mixed-income development, streamlining permitting, and supporting transit-oriented development. We should also strengthen renter protections and expand assistance for homebuyers so more families can build stability. Second, childcare, eldercare, and healthcare costs. I support increasing access to affordable childcare and eldercare by investing in providers, implementing a universal pre-k, and expanding subsidies for working families and caregivers. On healthcare, we should build on Maryland’s cost-control model to lower premiums, increase transparency, and expand access to preventive and mental health services. Third, everyday costs and wages. We need to expand support to small businesses, invest in workforce development, and create pathways to good-paying jobs so incomes keep pace with costs and to reduce unemployment exacerbated by the decimation of the federal workforce. I also support targeted tax relief for educators and working/middle-class families, while closing loopholes that benefit large corporations. Finally, energy and transportation. Investing in clean, reliable energy and public transit can lower utility bills and commuting costs over time, while also strengthening resilience.

A: I support continuing to fund the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future paired with strong, regular oversight. Given the scale of this investment and its impact on taxpayers and the whole education system, implementing a comprehensive audit every few years is both reasonable and necessary.

In my experience managing large, complex programs funded by taxpayer dollars, regular assessments were essential to staying agile and ensuring funds were used effectively. Audits allowed us to evaluate what was working, identify gaps, and make timely adjustments to better meet community needs. That same approach should apply here, ensuring that funding is not only sustained, but also delivering the intended outcomes for Maryland’s students and families.This isn’t about limiting the Blueprint, it’s about strengthening it. Regular audits promote transparency, accountability, and public trust, while giving policymakers the data needed to course-correct and maximize impact. By combining sustained investment with consistent evaluation, we can ensure we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars and that the Blueprint fulfills its promise and truly serves every community across Maryland.

A: Elections are essential, but they shouldn’t be the only moment of accountability. I believe constituents should be able to regularly and clearly evaluate my performance while I’m in office. I would provide transparent, accessible updates including quarterly reports that outline the legislation I’ve supported, votes I’ve taken, funds secured for the district, and progress on key priorities. I would also hold regular town halls and community forums, both in-person and virtual, to hear directly from residents and answer questions in real time. Accountability should be a two-way conversation. Lastly, I would maintain an open-door approach to constituent services, tracking response times and outcomes so people can see how effectively my office is helping them navigate state services. Public service requires building and maintaining trust. My goal is to make my work visible, measurable, and responsive so constituents can hold me accountable every step of the way, not just on Election Day.

A: Budgets reflect our values. My top 3 priorities: 1) Education, from robust K-12 funding to accessible higher education; 2) Protecting the vulnerable, specifically supporting kids with special needs, educating foster youth, protecting the LGBTQ+ community, and ensuring government truly works for people; and 3) Quality of life, by investing in a clean environment, healthcare, and public resources. I will fight for programs that uplift the least among us while securing Maryland’s future prosperity.

Often, cutting programs like early education or mental health is a “false saving” that leads to much higher costs later. By choosing preventative investment over austerity, we protect our economy and ensure a more stable, compassionate future for everyone. We also need to modernize our tax base to match our current economy.

A: 1) Affordability: I have supported policies that lower the cost of living by reducing utility rates. I have been the prime sponsor of legislation to expand tax credits for working families as well as legislation to ensure state benefits reach every Marylander who qualifies through better outreach and modernizing our delivery systems. My goal is to continue advancing similar legislation.

2)Education: I am committed to fully funding the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. My focus is on making higher education truly accessible and expanding vocational training so our students are prepared for high-paying careers in a changing economy.

3)Federal recklessness: I have worked to shield Maryland’s economy and federal workforce from Washington’s instability by protecting state-level funding for critical services. I am committed to ensuring Maryland remains a stable harbor, which is why I supported 2026 legislation to protect all Marylanders, including our immigrant communities, from federal overreach.

A: My record reflects support for energy policy that provides direct ratepayer reductions and enhance oversight of utility spending. I support modernizing our grid with advanced technology to lower transmission costs, cap executive bonuses, invest more in renewable energy, and ensure large energy users pay their fair share for infrastructure upgrades.

I have been the prime sponsor of laws that are designed to better connect residents to long-standing benefits and to enhance property tax credits. I played a strong role this past legislative session in expanding child care opportunities for families. I support efforts to enhance affordable housing.

A: The education of our children is paramount. There is no greater investment we can make as a state. The Blueprint was designed to give every Maryland student an opportunity to succeed, no matter their zip code. While some parts of the Blueprint might be scaled back or adjusted, I think the state can consider redirecting other funds to help the Blueprint.

A: I believe the role of a Delegate is to be a bridge between our community’s shared values and the halls of power. I hope my neighbors judge me by my accessibility and the tangible work my team, Senator Zucker, Delegate Mireku-North, and our new teammate Matt Post, and I, do every day to deliver results. Beyond the legislation we pass, I want to be known for making government more human and less of a hurdle. For me, success is defined by how effectively we help our neighbors navigate the system and ensure their voices are truly heard.

A: My starting point is protecting the investments that are working: the Blueprint, the Child Care Scholarship Program, community schools, and more. Cutting these programs just shifts the costs of our structural deficit onto working families who are already stretched thin.

On revenue, we need an honest conversation about whether our tax structure is asking enough from those who have the most capacity to contribute. We need to ensure that everyone is paying their fair share to ensure these critical programs don’t erode.

A: Affordability: rent, child care, energy costs, and groceries. When I meet with constituents, the rising cost of living is the number one pain point they bring up.

Education: The Blueprint is a generational commitment that we must live up to.Protecting against the Trump administration: Federal workforce cuts, immigration enforcement, and Medicaid threats are an existential threat. Maryland has to stand up to protect our communities.

A: As Chair of the Child Care Subcommittee, I championed legislation to keep qualified educators in the workforce and ensure families receiving government assistance or experiencing homelessness can’t be locked out of the Child Care Scholarship Program during enrollment freezes. In my next term, I plan to expand access to affordable quality child care and afterschool care for more families.

On energy costs, I voted for the Utility RELIEF Act, which will deliver at minimum $150 in annual savings to Maryland households. I will continue fighting for legislation and budget items that address rising energy costs for working families and businesses.On housing, I co-sponsored the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act to expand affordable units near transit, and voted in the FY2027 budget to increase funding for low-income rental assistance, homeless services, and down payment assistance. I plan to keep fighting for resources to address housing affordability and respond to localities’ requests for more support for the unhoused.I also introduced HB745 to make the senior tax credit fully refundable, so older Marylanders on fixed incomes actually see that relief. I plan to continue exploring more tools to make life more affordable for seniors.

A: Raise new revenue in ways that are fair and efficient. I won’t support rolling back the Blueprint. It’s a promise we made to Maryland’s children, and the families in my district, particularly Black and Brown families who have faced systemic discrimination and underinvestment, are counting on it.

A: Look at my voting record. I have consistently voted for healthier, safer and stronger communities and when I’ve had to make tough decisions I have always done so transparently and openly. I show up across the district at community events year-round and I have an open door policy for anyone who wants to meet. I or members of my office also respond to calls and emails from my constituents in thoughtful ways. If I’m doing my job well, people should feel it in their child care bills, their school funding, and knowing their communities are protected.

A: The tough budget years ahead will demand that Maryland grow our economy, reduce waste, and ensure public dollars are spent wisely.

First, Maryland can no longer rely so heavily on the federal government for economic opportunity. We must support industry here: cutting permitting delays and unnecessary paperwork for our small businesses, attracting emerging industries like biotech that benefit our whole economy, and ensuring former federal workers can find good-paying jobs in Maryland. Second, we need to lower the cost of government itself. We can build infrastructure cheaper by transitioning to best-value procurement on more projects. We must rebuild state capacity through in-house expertise, instead of relying on consultants that cost taxpayers more in the long term. Each state agency should designate an existing employee as a Chief Savings Officer, tasked with annually identifying waste and reporting savings options before asking taxpayers for more. Only after those steps should Maryland consider new revenue. We should start with corporations externalizing costs onto Marylanders: social media companies profiting from addictive products targeting children, polluters damaging our air and water, gun manufacturers profiting while taxpayers bear the cost of gun violence, and ultra-wealthy individuals and corporations that have benefited from loopholes for too long.

A: 1) Our democracy is under attack.

Maryland must use every ounce of power we have to fight back against the Trump administration and its campaign of terror in our neighborhoods. As Delegate, I’ll fight to stop and penalize ICE agents who hide behind masks, empower prosecutors to criminally charge ICE agents who use excessive force, prevent ICE detention facility expansion by restricting utility hookups to such facilities, and strengthen state protections against book bans.

2) Our schools need more support. We should set our sights no lower than having the best public schools in the country. As Delegate, I’ll fight to lift educator pay, expand career education, mandate financial literacy, and provide universal free meals to all children. I’ll push to better assist families navigating special education supports and reduce state-imposed paperwork requirements that take time away from educators’ teaching and planning.

3) Our economy is failing working families. The cost of living in Maryland is too high. As I describe in greater detail below, I’ll fight to lower utility bills by requiring data centers to bring their own clean energy and pay for grid improvements and prohibiting utilities from charging us for speculative costs.

A: We can lower our energy bills by taking on big tech and the utilities. Data centers account for 74% of the spike in regional electricity costs, which is passed to our utility bills. We should not be subsidizing some of the wealthiest corporations in the history of the world. I’ll fight to require data centers to A) bring their own clean energy to cover their power needs, B) pay for grid improvements, and C) hire local workers. I’ll push to ban forecast test years, which let utilities charge us for projects they haven’t started. And I will fight to ban the utility companies from donating to state political candidates.

We can lower the cost of housing by supporting home repair grants to enable seniors to age in place and continue contributing to the communities they helped build and legalizing more kinds of homes without parking within walking distance of transit. We also have to fight for workers to win higher wages. I support legislation establishing a state Worker Protection Unit to prosecute wage theft and other violations of workers’ rights. And we must lift educator and public safety pay so those who serve our community can afford to live here.

A: Every dollar we invest in public education pays enormous dividends for our state and community: attracting top-tier employers, increasing individual earning power, decreasing reliance on social services, and fueling our local institutions.

Maryland can and should again have the best public schools in the country. I oppose efforts to water down the Blueprint, which is our state’s plan to get us there. I believe we can meet our funding obligations by growing our state’s economy, delivering programs and infrastructure more efficiently, and holding bad corporate actors in our state accountable.

A: I want the people of District 14 to judge me by what I deliver, how accessible I am, and how responsive I am when they need help.I’ve called this community home my whole life. I’m a product of our public schools, libraries, fields, and small businesses. As Delegate, I will continue to show up, not just during campaign season, but throughout the year, listening and working together to solve problems.I’m proud to be endorsed by Senator Craig Zucker, Delegate Anne Kaiser, and Delegate Bernice Mireku-North, and to run together as a team for District 14. Over the years, the District 14 team has set a strong standard for collaborative constituent service and delivering results that I will work hard to continue.Together, our team has delivered millions of dollars for nonprofits, schools, economic development, and infrastructure in every corner of the district. That’s the kind of performance I want constituents to measure: results they can see, service they can count on, and a representative who has always been rooted in the community.