What’s the job: One of Maryland’s eight members in the 435-member U.S. House of Representatives. Responsible for introducing and voting on legislation, approving federal spending and providing oversight of federal government operations. Elected to a two-year term.

Find your congressional district here.

Democratic

Name: J.D. Kumar

J.D. Kumar.
J.D. Kumar. (Courtesy of J.D. Kumar)

Age: 56

Education: Bachelor’s degrees, international finance and marketing, and Spanish languages and literature, University of Maryland; attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico; MBA MTech studies in the United Kingdom.

Experience: Founder and national president, MQAPITAL.

Questionnaire

Name: Stephen Leon

Stephen Leon.
Stephen Leon. (Courtesy of Stephen Leon)

Age: 45

Personal: One child, Colin.

Education: Attended Northern Virginia Community College, focusing on Computer Science

Experience: Entrepreneur, intellectual property law.

Questionnaire

Name: Rep. Jamie Raskin

Jamie Raskin.
Rep. Jamie Raskin. (Courtesy of Jamie Raskin)

Age: 63

Personal: Married, two daughters.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, arts in government, with a concentration in political theory, Harvard College; juris doctor, Harvard Law School.

Experience: Member, U.S. House of Representatives, Md. 8th District (2017-present); ranking Democrat, House Judiciary Committee; Maryland state senator (2007-2016); founder, Democracy Summer.

Questionnaire

Name: Boris Velasquez

Boris Velasquez.
Boris Velasquez. (Courtesy of Boris Velasquez)

Age: 35

Personal: Married.

Education: Associate’s degree, computer science, Northern Virginia Community College; bachelor’s degree, computer science, George Mason University; master’s degree candidate, artificial intelligence, Johns Hopkins University.

Experience: Technologist, Rothinzil (2023-present); independent consultant supporting classified work across the national security apparatus; advanced data scientist and researcher, Booz Allen Hamilton (2019-2023); noncommissioned officer, U.S. Marine Corps.

Questionnaire

Republican

Name: Anita Mpambara Cox

Anita Mpambara Cox.
Anita Mpambara Cox. (Neighbors For A.M. Cox)

Age:

Personal: Married mother of two children who attended faith-based schools. Rooted in Montgomery County with deep community ties across generations and demographics. Speaks six languages at various levels of fluency. Finds joy at both ends of life’s spectrum: tutoring children who need a champion, some several grade levels behind, some hospitalized, and sitting with the elderly to learn from their stories and wisdom. Formerly taught English to adults seeking to assimilate and understand American life, a passion born from living and working across nine countries. Committed advocate for children, the disabled and the elderly — the communities she believes are most often overlooked by their representatives. Founded an educational nonprofit supporting children in Africa, partnering schools across continents to expand children’s horizons authentically and without filters aiming for genuine child-to-child personal connections that no textbook or media narrative can replicate. Loves to sew, cook and discover new cuisines — always happy to support local restaurants.

Education: B.Sc Joint Honors, economics and international strategic studies, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth; joint MBA, international business and entrepreneurship, Georgia State University and Cairo University.

Experience: Chief diplomatic officer, Institute for Women’s Health; chair, Gaithersburg Multicultural Affairs Committee; charter review commissioner, Montgomery County; board member, Montgomery County Community Action; employee, U.S. Department of State, 20+ years; founder and president, educational and cross-cultural nonprofit.

Questionnaire

Name: Donald L. Lech

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.

Name: Cheryl Riley

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.

Name: Michael Yadeta

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.