Maryland House of Delegates District 40

A: Maryland’s structural deficit is a product of major commitments made with the expectation our economy would grow more rapidly with a competent administration in Washington. The gap has grown due to Trump firing thousands of Marylanders, shutting down departments and refusing to fund hundreds of millions in projects previously promised.

To close the gap there should be strategic reductions in government agencies, without jeopardizing public safety or our environment. We must limit government support for institutions that have large endowments or other sources of large incomes. During these strained economic times as a result of Trump, private institutions who previously received state support have to understand and step up. We must remain committed to investing in our children, but we have to consider spreading the costs of the blueprint out to ensure the burden of new taxes and fees do not fall on the working and middle class. We should explore new progressive revenue sources that will ensure the ultra-wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes. Any new taxes or fees should be on luxury items or services that are not necessities such as alcohol, cannabis, events and game tickets, sit-down restaurants, food delivery etc.

A: The three most pressing issues facing Maryland are the Trump administration, costs of living and our housing shortage.

The Trump administration

The Trump administration has harmed Maryland more than any other state. Federal cuts have damaged our economy, with Black women and women of color suffering disproportionately. Attacks on civil rights, voting rights, and DEI undermine our greatest strength: diversity. The assault on science, a major Maryland industry, compounds this harm further. We must remain vigilant in thoughtful policy to counteract this dangerous administration.

Rising costs of living

Between utility costs, groceries, gas and prescriptions, the cost of living is out of control. While some increases stem from wars and tariffs, we can still act. I co-sponsored legislation to lower utility costs, stop predatory grocery price-fixing, and control prescription costs. We must also raise wages beyond just increasing the minimum wage.

Housing and Transit Accessibility

Housing is expensive and scarce. This is because we have a supply deficiency. We must fast-track new housing to increase supply and lower costs, while ensuring transit connects people to jobs, schools, and houses of worship affordably. We must also focus on making new housing available at every entry point and turn vacants into value.

A: Lowering costs for residents requires addressing two things, the costs of things like housing and utilities, and increasing income.

To lower costs, I would continue working with the PSC and PJM (agencies that control utility rates) to rework the energy system we have here in Maryland to lower the costs of energy. I would require the costs of infrastructure changes for energy providers to be placed on shareholders and executives, not the ratepayers. I will work to get more solar programing and other renewable energies available to all to lower utility costs. To combat childcare costs, I would explore more tax credits for childcare through age 5 to support working families. I would combat the rising costs of housing by getting more housing online as soon as we can. We need to explore more changes in our permitting and zoning processes that slow down and scare away developers. Rent and housing is high in Maryland because we make it hard to build here through challenging laws. Lastly, people need higher wages to match rising costs. We need more jobs and wages tied to the rate of inflation, so families are not caught flatfooted when costs rise.

A: We must not choose an either or, we must do a combination of pausing or spreading portions of the blueprint plans that are least harmful to student growth while finding progressive ways to bring in new revenue. We made a commitment to our students, and we must try our hardest to deliver for them.

Our deficit is a product of a flat economy which is the result of an unforeseen Trump administration that will strip billions away from our budget. We cannot go backwards for our students, but we also can’t place the burden of new revenue with regressive taxes and fees that the working class and poor pay while the ultra-wealthy avoid them. We must ask the wealthy to pay their fair share and raise taxes and fees on luxury items like certain-sized houses, alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, restaurant dining, cooked food delivery, sporting events and concerts etc. We also need to explore how to use Combined Income Reporting to ensure large multinational companies are paying their fair share to support our students.

A: I want my constituents to review my job performance based on the results of bills passed in Annapolis, money brought back to support the 40th District and the partnerships to solve real-time issues.

During my six years in office, I have brought back almost $175 million to the 40th District and have passed more than 20 bills, and co-sponsored or led on too many more bills to count. However, some of my most important work is solving things in real time with community leaders in the district. When a fire took five homes in my neighborhood, I was on the scene at 3 a.m. and helped several families get temporary housing that night. When the Hogan administration refused to provide more Covid-19 vaccines to Baltimoreans, I partnered with local pharmacies and organizations to do a vaccine clinic to save lives. This is the work I want to be measured by now and moving forward if given the opportunity to continue serving the 40th District.

A: I support closing Maryland’s LLC tax loopholes implementing progressive tax reform in order to bring us closer to filling the budget gap. At the same time, I want to work with our labor unions throughout the state to identify where we can find efficiencies and eliminate bureaucracy in order to reduce costs.

A: Affordability in housing, energy, and food costs; education funding; and transportation.

A: We must hold BGE accountable to providing energy at affordable rates. We should not be facing an affordability crisis in energy while BGE simultaneously claims record profits for its shareholders. I believe it has become necessary to provide a public power option in the State of Maryland. I also believe we need to aggressively invest in green energy production to meet the growing electricity demands of the state and keep costs down. Separately, to alleviate the high cost of housing and housing shortages, rehabilitating vacant housing and building new housing of all types in Baltimore is one of my highest priorities.

A: The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a transformational education reform that guarantees our state’s competitiveness across multiple sectors on the global scale for decades to come. I fully support finding new and creative ways to raise revenue to support the blueprint, while ensuring that we protect low- to moderate-income families from cost increases.

A: My constituents can expect me to show up regularly to neighborhood meetings and events, host town halls, and knock on doors to keep them constantly informed about the work I am doing for them in the General Assembly. My progress will be measured by the legislation I introduce on their behalf, and dollars saved in their bank accounts because of it.

A: I. Reform Tax Policy to Shift Burdens Off Working Families

Maryland’s high costs are compounded by inequitable tax structures. Options I would look to include are:

• Closing corporate tax loopholes so large institutions contribute fairly

• Exploring progressive revenue tools, such as higher brackets for top earners, to fund affordability programs

II. Health and Medicaid cost management

Target: $250–$350M/year

• Value-based purchasing and managed-care improvements to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and high cost utilization

• Aggressive drug price management using Maryland’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board and multi-state purchasing

• Eligibility and program integrity investments (better data matching, modernized systems) to reduce improper payments

III. Personnel, pensions and procurement

Target: $250–$350M/year

• Slow FTE growth in central administration through attrition and hiring controls, while protecting frontline roles

• Pension and OPEB tweaks for new hires only — slightly higher employee contributions and updated assumptions — so savings grow over time without breaking promises to current workers

IV. Suggestions for the REVENUE side

High-income personal income tax reform

Target: $500–$700M/year

• Add new brackets above current top rate for taxable income over, say, $500k–$600k (higher for joint filers), with a modest rate increase at the very top (e.g., 6.25–6.5% on income above $1M)

A: Affordability, public safety, education

A: Build more affordable units

• Expanding rental assistance and strengthening tenant protections to prevent displacement
• Increasing homeownership access through down-payment support and community land trusts, especially in historically disinvested neighborhoods

Reduce Utility Costs and Strengthen Oversight

• Stronger regulation of utility companies to prevent excessive rate hikes

• Accelerating energy efficiency upgrades for homes, including weatherization and appliance rebates

• Expanding community solar and renewable energy access to stabilize long term costs

Transportation Affordability

• Invest in reliable public transit, especially in Baltimore and surrounding counties

• Expand discounted transit passes for low-income riders, students and seniors

• Build safer pedestrian and bike infrastructure

Food Costs

• Support local agriculture and urban farming

• Expand SNAP matching programs at farmers markets

• Strengthen school meal programs to reduce family expenses

Lower Healthcare Costs

• Increase transparency in hospital and insurer pricing

• Expand access to community health centers and preventive care

• Support prescription drug affordability boards to cap excessive price increases

6. Raise Incomes and Reduce Inequality

Maryland’s cost of living is 17% higher than the national average, driven largely by housing and food. To help families keep up:

• Strengthen labor standards and support unionization.

• Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

• Invest in workforce development for high-growth industries.

A: Our children and our teachers are suffering. The state has to find ways to raise new revenue. Our young people need multiple levels of services and our teacher’s need support. The future of our children can’t support a service rollback.

A: I want constituents to be vigilant about holding me accountable. I want them to provide a quarterly if not yearly report card. My plan is to implement wellness checks to find out how we are doing. Finally, I want constituents to see themselves in the legislation. This only happens if they are at the table frequently.

A: Maryland’s structural deficit requires honest budgeting and tough choices. I would prioritize a full review of state spending, including consolidating duplicative programs and scaling back underperforming tax credits and incentives that do not deliver measurable job growth so we can reinvest in education and workforce development, while protecting the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, public safety, and essential services.

I also support closing corporate tax loopholes, strengthening enforcement, and modernizing the tax code to include digital goods and services without increasing the burden on working families. This approach ensures fiscal discipline, fairness, and long-term sustainability.

A: Maryland’s biggest challenges are our structural budget deficit, ensuring education funding actually delivers results, and addressing ongoing public safety concerns. We can’t afford to ignore the fiscal reality that tough decisions are ahead, but we also have to demand accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent and focus on real outcomes. That means safer communities, stronger schools, and a government that is honest, efficient, and results-driven.

A: Lowering the cost of living in Maryland requires bold, practical action on housing, energy and taxes. We must expand housing supply by reforming zoning and fast-tracking development because we cannot lower costs without building more housing.

I support targeted relief for working families, including expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and reducing regressive fees. We should also lower utility costs by scaling community solar, investing in energy efficiency, and stabilizing rates. Affordability won’t improve with small fixes - we need to reduce structural costs and deliver real relief so working families can thrive.

A: We should not roll back the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future but we do need to fundamentally rethink how we fund and deliver it. The real question isn’t whether we can afford this investment, it’s whether we can afford to keep spending without results.

This is a generational commitment. We should tie a portion of funding to measurable outcomes especially in literacy and career readiness with clear benchmarks and intervention when goals are consistently not met, while strengthening oversight and phasing implementation where necessary to remain fiscally responsible. I support identifying fair, sustainable revenue, like closing corporate tax loopholes, while protecting working families. If we’re asking taxpayers to invest more, then we have a responsibility to deliver more. Maryland doesn’t need bigger promises, we need better results.

A: Elections shouldn’t be the only time constituents evaluate their elected officials. I believe in real-time accountability through regular public updates, consistent town halls, and a simple constituent dashboard where residents can track progress on key issues. Trust isn’t built every four years - it’s earned every day.

A: Maryland should close corporate tax loopholes and require corporations doing business out of state to pay their fair share through combined reporting, so companies cannot shift profits out of state to avoid taxes. Additionally, Maryland should continue exploring responsible asset recycling strategies. Since fiscal 2022, the Maryland Department of Transportation has sold nearly $20 million worth of excess property, with those funds going directly back into supporting Maryland’s transportation infrastructure. The state should continue identifying underutilized public land and assets that can be strategically sold and leased. Maryland must also take a serious look at reducing waste and inefficiency at the state level. Taxpayer dollars should be spent responsibly, with regular reviews of programs, contracts and agencies to ensure funds are producing real results for residents.

A: Affordability, economic development, crime

A: To lower the cost of living I will focus on the everyday expenses that are putting the most pressure on working families: housing, utilities, and rising fees.

I will support stronger oversight of regulated utility costs to stop unreasonable rate increases while still ensuring reliable infrastructure. Families should not have to choose between electricity and groceries. Maryland must increase the supply of affordable and workforce housing while also addressing costs that are pushing longtime residents out of their communities. I will prioritize the redevelopment of vacant properties and underutilized land into housing opportunities. I also will encourage the state to review excessive fees and hidden costs that continue to burden residents, especially low- and middle-income families.

A: Maryland should remain committed to the goals of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future while also ensuring that our schools are effectively meeting the needs of students and families. We must be accountable for how resources are used.

The state must be creative and responsible in how it raises revenue. Our first option to fund programs cannot be on the backs of working families and residents already struggling with affordability. I support exploring fair revenue strategies with accountable spending practices so we can protect educational investments without placing an unfair burden on everyday Marylanders.

A: I believe in being accessible and having an open-door approach where residents can reach me directly to share concerns, and expect honest communication in return.

I am committed to creating a district advisory committee made up of residents and stakeholders from across the district whose role is to provide feedback and help keep me accountable to the decision I make.

A: Maryland’s projected structural deficit demands honest leadership, not political convenience. I support a balanced approach, but let me be clear about why.

We cannot cut our way out of this. If we cut too deeply, we remove the services and investments that make Maryland a place where people want to live, work, and build businesses. These cuts have consequences - for schools, for infrastructure, for the working families in District 40 who depend on state services most. The path forward is long-term economic growth. That means doubling down on organic industries where Maryland already leads, such as cybersecurity, defense, biotechnology, and our building trades. These sectors create good-paying jobs, grow our tax base, and strengthen our workforce pipeline without waiting for outside industries. It also means investing in the infrastructure and affordable housing that attract and retain workers. A state that cannot house its workforce cannot grow. New residents mean new revenue, organically generated, without punishing the middle class. Where new revenue is necessary, it should come from those with the greatest ability to contribute. Asking working families who are already stretched thin to absorb both service cuts and tax increases is not a balanced approach, it’s a burden shift.

A: Beyond housing, energy and economic growth, several other issues demand urgent attention in Annapolis, and I am already working on them.

Criminal justice and second chances matter deeply to District 40. I championed laws providing automatic expungement for non-convictions, giving individuals a real chance at a second start. Re-entry is an economic issue as much as a justice issue - when people can’t work because of their record, everyone loses. I will continue pushing to remove barriers that keep returning citizens from full participation in our economy. Education funding must be protected at all costs. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future represents a generational commitment to our children. As the federal government threatens to pull back from public education, the state must hold the line and ensure every child in District 40 attends a well-resourced school. Defending Maryland from federal overreach is now unavoidable. Whether it’s protecting workers’ rights, immigrant communities, or our state’s investments, I will use every tool available as chair of the Government, Labor and Elections Committee to shield Marylanders from policies that threaten their livelihoods and dignity. District 40 deserves a delegate who shows up for all of it, and I always will.

A: Energy costs are a real strain for families and small businesses across Maryland, and bringing them down requires both immediate relief and a long-term approach. We need stronger oversight of utility rates to ensure any increases are transparent, justified, and not placing an unfair burden on ratepayers. Maryland should also continue diversifying its energy supply and modernizing the grid to create a more stable and resilient system that protects consumers from price spikes over time. And we should expand access to community solar and shared energy programs so that renters and others who can’t install solar panels can still benefit from lower-cost energy options. Taken together, these steps can help make energy more affordable and predictable for Maryland households. Additional steps we can take are to reduce energy use through efficiency — expanding programs that help residents weatherize their homes, improve insulation, and upgrade outdated appliances can lower utility bills month after month.

Auto insurance fairness is a pocketbook issue. I introduced legislation to stop insurers from using credit scores to set rates, a practice that unfairly penalizes lower-income Marylanders for being poor, not for being bad drivers. I will bring that fight back until it crosses the finish line.

A: The blueprint is a historic and essential investment in our children’s education. Upfront and meaningful investment in our children is the best and most effective way to ensure every child has an opportunity to success. For Baltimore City this is so necessary because the city has faced decades of underfunding and concentrated poverty, and the blueprint directs additional resources to the students and schools that need them most. It expands access to high-quality early childhood education, increases funding for schools with high needs, raises teacher pay, and strengthens college and career pathways — especially through career and technical education. We have already seen measurable improvement in our children’s educational progress in the first couple years of the investment. I believe strongly in data-driven policy, and we should be guided by this principle moving forward. Additionally, the concentration of poverty grants, as well as the investment in community schools and special education is essential to ensuring core program funding that ensures our students have the resources needed to succeed in District 40 and across Baltimore City.

A: District 40 deserves a bold fighter in Annapolis, and I am up for the fight and have the track record! I am guided by the voices and concerns of my constituents; everything I do is in direct partnership and consultation with the communities and people I represent. Since 2018, I and Team 40 have secured more than $300 million in capital projects for the district and awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships to local students. We have introduced and supported legislation to improve the stability, health, education, and economic growth of residents, businesses, and institutions that call District 40 and Baltimore City home. But our work isn’t finished. As a labor leader and advocate for financial security, l’ve fought to protect workers’ rights, keep families in their homes, and ensure our community has the economic tools to thrive. I have also fought to expand access to healthy food through urban farming initiatives. As the former chair of the Baltimore City Delegation and now chair of the Government, Labor and Elections Committee, I’m in a stronger position to deliver for every neighborhood in our district. I’m running because District 40 deserves a delegate who always shows up, and I always will.