Montgomery County Council District 6

A: As chair of the Economic Development Committee, I have been actively responding to the economic strain caused by federal layoffs and budget cuts by focusing on diversifying its economic base, supporting displaced workers, and accelerating private-sector growth. I recently introduced the Job Creation Project Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA 26-05), which aims to attract major employers in strategic industries, spur job creation projects and boost economic development. I believe we must remain laser-focused on attracting new jobs and private-sector investment to the county, and that means evaluating and improving every touch point between county government and businesses. ZTA 26-05 provides an expedited and predictable approval process for projects that are in strategic industries, as defined in the county’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, or generate at least 200 jobs. Cutting the time in half or more, qualifying projects would be guaranteed a Planning Board hearing within 60 days of the acceptance of an application. This new tool would help support the development of buildings that have identified anchor tenants and would bring jobs immediately, which is also why these projects would benefit from predictable regulatory timelines and processes. The county has a similar expedited review process for certain projects, including office-to-residential conversions.

A: I will continue following closely what the elected members of the Board of Education do on this area, including replacing major systems (HVAC, roofs, plumbing) as a cost-effective way to address aging infrastructure.

A: Yes, and I’m proud to have led the compromised rent stabilization bill. This law has provided significant stability for existing tenants; this segment of the population is part of the workforce and needs our help to have a stable home that they can afford. In fact, the law has successfully reduced displacement risks for tenants in older buildings by preventing exorbitant rent hikes, and I am absolutely proud of that. Furthermore, this law has made improvements in housing code compliance. Properties designated as “Troubled” or “At Risk” are barred from raising rents until violations are corrected. County inspectors reported a 69% reduction in units classified as troubled and a 57% reduction in at risk units compared to the previous year.

A: Yes, we must increase the housing supply for people of every income level. In fact, on housing affordability, I led the council to a compromise law that caps rent increases to protect tenants as explained above. I also championed the conversion of half-vacant office buildings into homes, increased homeownership assistance, and allowed building more housing types on corridors with an affordability requirement.

A: As data centers have continued to proliferate, some communities across the region have chosen to give the industry carte blanche to build wherever they want, while others try to ban them entirely. I reject that false choice. That’s why I am leading the way with a couple of my colleagues on a zoning amendment that establishes clear standards for data center development, including limiting their location to industrial areas, utilizing 100% clean energy, creating buffers from residential areas, noise mitigation and environmental protections. At the same time, I am working closely with our state partners and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen at the federal level to regulate data center energy consumption and protect consumer electricity rates.

A: The future of trash disposal is a once-in-a-generation decision, and a robust, countywide, deliberative, and equitable community outreach process must inform this enormous decision. As council president, I am committed to schedule a series of full-council meetings with the Department of Environmental Protection this fall to discuss our path forward regarding waste disposal in the county.

A: The county has the duty of protecting all our residents regardless of where they were born. As an immigrant, I take that commitment seriously. I’m proud to have led the council on the passage of the Trust Act to strengthen transparency, safety, and civil rights, limiting county employees, including Montgomery County police officers, to inquire about the immigration status of residents, and established that ICE cannot enter areas of county buildings without a warrant signed by a judge. I am incredibly proud of all my colleagues for working together in passing several pieces of legislation that protect our immigrant communities, and so proud of our residents, nonprofits, local businesses, faith leaders and our Montgomery County public school system for stepping up to protect our immigrant neighbors. These efforts show why Montgomery County is such an amazing place.

A: My team and I always go the extra mile to protect and improve our community in many ways. I have proven to be a champion for families’ well-being, working to improve public safety, advocating for strong transportation infrastructure, and making Montgomery County more affordable. In my second term, I will keep working to ensure that every family has the opportunity to succeed.

A: As someone directly impacted by federal layoffs, I understand firsthand what it means to lose a stable government career overnight. Montgomery County’s vulnerability stems from a structural over-reliance on federal and government-adjacent employment. When federal jobs decline, our economy lacks the private-sector depth to absorb that shock.

Bouncing back requires a multi-front approach. We must protect the small businesses and local jobs that are the backbone of our district and county — they cannot be an afterthought in this recovery. We must streamline permitting and reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers so small businesses can start, grow, and stay here. We must better leverage our proximity to world-class institutions like NIH to build a broad, resilient life sciences ecosystem — not a narrow slice of research, but a wide range of biohealth companies across multiple disciplines. We must expand workforce retraining programs and partner with local colleges and employers to help displaced workers transition into new careers. And we must align workforce development with high-growth industries while evaluating policies pushing businesses to neighboring regions like Northern Virginia. A stronger, diversified economy will expand our tax base and create real opportunity for the working families who call Montgomery County home.

A: As a proud product of Montgomery County public schools, I know firsthand the difference a well-resourced school makes in a child’s life — and I am committed to protecting that for every student in District 6 and across the county.

Addressing rising costs requires a transparent, honest budget process that prioritizes classrooms over administration. The county should conduct a rigorous audit of vendor contracts and administrative overhead before cutting anything that directly impacts students. One example: Montgomery County’s school bus camera program has generated over $100 million in tickets since 2016, yet the county has retained only about 33% of that revenue while the private vendor walked away with the majority — with no public data showing it has meaningfully improved student safety. That recovered revenue must be redirected where it matters most — filling the gaps that are directly impacting our students. The numbers are telling us something is wrong. Test scores are down. Enrollment is declining. Crime in our schools is rising. We cannot ignore that. Every dollar we recover through smarter contracts and accountability must go toward student safety, academic support, mental health resources, and keeping our best teachers in the classroom.

A: Rent stabilization exists because Montgomery County residents — particularly working families, seniors, and immigrants — are facing real displacement pressure due to rising costs, and housing stability is foundational to everything else: school enrollment, employment, health, and community cohesion.

Has it been effective? Partially. It has provided some relief for existing tenants, but many residents in District 6 are still facing rising costs. Before taking a firm position on expanding, modifying, or repealing the law, the county needs a careful, data-driven review- drawing on tenant experiences, property owner feedback, cost-of-living pressures, and the county’s own housing production data. We are still in the early stages of understanding the law’s full impact. I also take seriously the concerns that the current structure may be discouraging new investment and construction. Good housing policy must work on both ends — keeping existing residents housed while growing supply of actual affordable homes. Those goals are not mutually exclusive, but they require honest analysis. What I am clear on: Multilingual outreach must be expanded so every renter knows their rights, and any path forward must prioritize those most at risk of losing their homes.

A: Yes — but only when done right, and what this county council has done is not right.

I believe increased development can be part of the solution, but it must produce housing that working families can actually afford. Instead, the current council pushed More Housing N.O.W., where “affordable” is defined using planning department math that can price a unit at $900,000 — completely out of reach for teachers, police officers, first responders, and service workers who keep this county running. At the same time, the council is rezoning and demolishing naturally occurring affordable housing — the most accessible housing stock we have for working-class families — without replacing it with anything genuinely affordable. Then they moved forward with the University Boulevard Corridor Plan with no meaningful affordability plan attached, even after the county’s own Office of Legislative Oversight warned it would disproportionately displace Black and Latino homeowners and residents. That is not a housing affordability strategy — that is displacement dressed up as progress. Development must come with real affordability requirements, anti-displacement protections, and binding accountability, not loopholes. Growth should benefit the people already here, not push them out.

A: As a scientist, I believe policy must follow evidence — and the evidence on data centers is serious and cannot be ignored.

Data centers bring tax revenue, but they carry real public health costs. Diesel backup generators and fossil-fueled power plants emit nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter, increasing rates of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, and elevating cancer risk in nearby communities. A single large data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water daily, straining local water supplies. Noise pollution from HVAC systems and generators disrupts sleep, causes headaches, and reduces quality of life for residents. These burdens disproportionately fall on communities of color and low-income residents — the same pattern we have seen with the Dickerson incinerator. Montgomery County must not repeat that mistake. Before approving any data center development, the county must require comprehensive environmental and public health impact assessments, mandate renewable and clean energy sources, ensure meaningful multilingual community input, and prioritize environmental justice. I am against any data center development that does not meet these conditions. If developers cannot demonstrate innovative, health-protective solutions that eliminate these risks — not just minimize them — then the answer is no. Residents’ health is not a bargaining chip for revenue.

A: I support closing the Dickerson incinerator and transitioning to the zero-waste strategies that Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has already developed and is ready to implement. I am proud to support Zero Waste Montgomery County, the community advocates who have been pushing for this transition.

DEP has a robust plan — including expanded curbside composting, a Save As You Throw program shown to reduce waste by 25%-35%, mattress recycling, and food waste diversion — that is more sustainable, more cost-effective, and better for public health than continuing to operate a 30-year-old facility requiring an estimated $365 million in upgrades. This is also an environmental justice issue. The current system dumps toxic ash near a minority community — that is unacceptable. DEP has done the work, briefed council members, held public open houses and received viable bids for long-haul landfill contracts. This topic and decision has been ignored and delayed, costing us money, increasing our carbon footprint, and continuing to harm vulnerable communities. Montgomery County should close the incinerator and invest those savings into the zero-waste programs our residents and future generations deserve.

A: Protecting immigrants is not just a policy position for me, it is personal. I am the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants and have spent years doing bilingual outreach ensuring immigrant neighbors know their rights. Montgomery County must be a place where every resident can access services, seek help, and participate in civic life without fear.

I support legislation that limits ICE coordination and restricts county resources from being used to enforce federal immigration policy. I am glad those protections exist. But protecting immigrants cannot stop at legislation. Real protection means keeping immigrant families safe AND keeping them housed. The county cannot claim to stand for immigrant communities while simultaneously advancing policies like More Housing N.O.W. and the University Boulevard Corridor Plan that displace those same families from their homes. The county’s own Office of Legislative Oversight found that the proposed rezoning could disproportionately displace existing Black and Latino homeowners for the development of market-rate housing ($1.4 million). In the plan area, Latinx residents have a 34.5% housing cost-burden rate and Black residents 32.4%, the highest of any group, meaning these families are already the most financially vulnerable to displacement. Immigrant families in District 6 deserve a representative who fights for them.

A: District 6 deserves a representative who is working with residents, not against them. I was born and raised in Wheaton, educated in our public schools, and am the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants who built their lives here. I know what it means to stretch a dollar, navigate systems in a second language, and fight to stay in the community you love. That is not a talking point for me, it is my life. I bring a rare combination: a PhD in molecular medicine (cancer research) and federal program management experience that makes me a rigorous, data-driven thinker who can read a budget, challenge a vendor contract, and hold agencies accountable. I specialize in turning complex ideas into structured, actionable programs that keep collaboration, communication, and community at the core. And I bring deep roots in the Latino, immigrant, and working-class communities of District 6 that ensure every voice has a seat at the table. I have already been doing the work, helping families of all backgrounds navigate the Veirs Mill Road BRT property acquisition process, mobilizing hundreds of residents to show up before decisions were made, and connecting neighbors to support when they needed it most.