Maryland Senate District 39

What’s the job: One of 188 members of Maryland’s General Assembly, split between the House of Delegates and the Senate. Responsible for introducing and voting on legislation, approving state spending and providing oversight of Maryland government operations. Elected to a four-year term.

Democratic

Name: Nancy King

Age: 77

Personal: Mother, three children and five grandchildren.

Education: I attended public schools in Niagara Falls New York and Niagara Community College.

Experience: Maryland State Senator, District 39; Senate Majority Leader; Maryland House of Delegates; Montgomery County Board of Education, including two years as the body’s President; president of the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations.

Questionnaire

Q: Maryland’s state government is facing a structural deficit in future years. Please describe how you would approach closing the gap. Be specific about any spending cuts or revenue increases you propose.

Q: What do you consider the three most pressing issues facing Maryland?

Q: What would you do to lower the cost of living for Maryland residents?

Q: The cost of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan will exceed the money available in the Blueprint’s fund over the next few years. Should the state raise new revenue for the programs, or should the programs be rolled back or adjusted?

Q: Besides an election, how do you want constituents to review your job performance?

Name: Amar Mukunda

Age: 33

Personal: Born and raised in Montgomery County; son of immigrant parents from India and Pakistan.

Education: Master’s degree, energy and infrastructure engineering, Stanford University; Fulbright Research Fellow, machine learning; bachelor’s degree, computer science, Amherst College.

Experience: U.S. Army Reserve combat engineer. Former leader at Roca Maryland, the state’s largest community violence prevention program. Started two Maryland-based technology companies.

Questionnaire

Q: Maryland’s state government is facing a structural deficit in future years. Please describe how you would approach closing the gap. Be specific about any spending cuts or revenue increases you propose.

Q: What do you consider the three most pressing issues facing Maryland?

Q: What would you do to lower the cost of living for Maryland residents?

Q: The cost of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan will exceed the money available in the Blueprint’s fund over the next few years. Should the state raise new revenue for the programs, or should the programs be rolled back or adjusted?

Q: Besides an election, how do you want constituents to review your job performance?

Name: Destiny Drake West

Age: 40

Personal: Married, mom of five.

Education: Master’s degree, criminology, law and society, University of California Irvine; bachelor’s degree, public relations, California Baptist University.

Experience: Senior policy associate, Children’s Defense Fund; founder and CEO, Drake Institute of Women’s Policy; senior program specialist, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; senior legislative analyst, Health Resources and Services Administration; legislative director, Maryland State Senate (Prince George’s County Delegation); legislative officer, Office of County Executive Angela Alsobrooks; congressional staffer, U.S. House of Representatives.

Questionnaire

Q: Maryland’s state government is facing a structural deficit in future years. Please describe how you would approach closing the gap. Be specific about any spending cuts or revenue increases you propose.

Q: What do you consider the three most pressing issues facing Maryland?

Q: What would you do to lower the cost of living for Maryland residents?

Q: The cost of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan will exceed the money available in the Blueprint’s fund over the next few years. Should the state raise new revenue for the programs, or should the programs be rolled back or adjusted?

Q: Besides an election, how do you want constituents to review your job performance?