Maryland Senate District 17

A: I would look at the budget line by line to see if there are any possible spending reductions and make sure that all funds are being spent efficiently. I would look at tax incentives for businesses. We have a booming biotech corridor in Montgomery County and we should be welcoming more biotech companies to the area. This will bring more jobs and more people and businesses paying taxes to Maryland.

A: Housing Affordability, Need for Healthcare, Need for affordable child-care/pre-K

A: I would support rent stabilization legislation for renters. I would also support legislation banning private equity from buying single family homes. This will lower the cost of housing and allow actual families to buy these homes.

A: Raise new revenue by implementing a wealth tax.

A: By seeing how many bills I can pass and by seeing how hard I will fight for them in Annapolis.

A: Maryland’s structural deficit reflects a pattern of short-term budgeting rather than long-term planning. I would focus on disciplined, forward-looking fiscal management: aligning spending with realistic revenue projections, maintaining adequate reserves, and ensuring that new programs are sustainable before expansion.

I would protect core investments in education, healthcare, and transportation while controlling cost growth through efficiency and better implementation. This includes adjusting timelines for large programs when necessary rather than making abrupt cuts.On accountability, I support stronger transparency in state spending, including the creation of a centralized system to track grants to nonprofits, monitor how funds are used, and ensure tax and reporting compliance.Finally, Maryland must grow and diversify its economic base by attracting and retaining businesses, which is essential to stabilizing revenues over time.

A: The most pressing issues facing Maryland are the rising cost of living, economic competitiveness, and fiscal sustainability.

First, the cost of living—particularly energy costs—has become a major burden on families. Second, Maryland must strengthen its economic competitiveness to attract businesses and expand its tax base rather than relying on fees and short-term fixes. Third, the state must improve fiscal discipline to avoid recurring budget instability that creates uncertainty for residents and businesses.Education also remains critical. Maryland has strong schools overall, but we must ensure continued investment while addressing disparities and maintaining flexibility in implementation.

A: To lower the cost of living, Maryland must address energy costs, limit cost-shifting to families, and improve long-term supply.

On energy, I support stronger oversight of the Public Service Commission to ensure utility companies operate transparently and that rate increases are justified. We also need to closely monitor large energy users, such as data centers, to ensure their demand for new infrastructure is not passed on to residential ratepayers. Where appropriate, they should be required to contribute to or offset their own energy needs. Over the longer term, Maryland must increase in-state energy generation to improve reliability and reduce dependence on external supply. This includes a balanced approach that considers expanding capacity where feasible and maintaining grid stability. On housing, major changes to increase supply have already been adopted at the local level. The priority now is to evaluate their impact and ensure they deliver real affordability before pursuing additional expansion.Finally, the state should avoid repeated increases in fees and indirect costs that accumulate and put additional pressure on families.

A: The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is an important long-term investment, but current projections show that its costs will exceed available funding in the coming years. The solution is not to roll back its core goals, but to implement it in a fiscally responsible and realistic way.

The state should adjust implementation timelines to align with available resources rather than commit to spending levels that create ongoing deficits. In particular, the expansion of programs such as universal pre-kindergarten should be phased in gradually, potentially starting with income-based eligibility. The priority should be to preserve the Blueprint’s core objectives while ensuring that it remains sustainable over time and does not undermine the state’s broader fiscal stability.

A: Constituents should be able to evaluate my performance through clear communication and real results. I would keep residents informed about my votes, positions, and major decisions, and remain accessible through community meetings and direct outreach.At the end of the day, my performance should be judged on whether I make a difference—especially in lowering cost pressures for families and ensuring that policies are practical and responsibly managed. Accountability should not happen only at election time, but throughout my time in office.