Maryland Senate District 9

A: Maryland has a constitutional obligation to pass a balanced budget, and I have voted to meet that responsibility every year since my first election. Closing our projected shortfall will require a disciplined and balanced approach combining targeted spending restraint with responsible, limited revenue measures.

This year, we made nearly $2 billion in targeted cuts and reduced general fund spending while preserving more than $2.4 billion in reserves. At the same time, we protected core priorities like education, public safety, and health care because maintaining a strong social safety net is essential, especially amid economic uncertainty.Going forward, I am committed to limiting the tax burden on working families and small businesses and would continue a rigorous, data-driven review of state spending. Broad-based tax increases should be a last resort, and I have historically opposed them. Instead, we should focus on improving how the government operates. That includes strengthening oversight of spending, cracking down on cost overruns in major state projects, and ensuring agencies are effectively managing federal programs, including effective accounting and tracking of reimbursements.

A: 1) Affordability is my top concern. This year, we passed the Utility RELIEF Act to lower energy costs. Short term, we paused the EmPOWER surcharge, saving households over $150 annually. We strengthened oversight of inflated utility spending, blocked ratepayer-funded executive bonuses, and curbed gaming of multi-year rate plans. Longer term, we must address rising energy demand from data centers, as we are already paying $10–$20 per month to subsidize their costs. I led efforts to require data centers to pay their fair share. At the same time, we need PJM to act to ensure data centers pay for costs outside of State control.

2) Maryland’s economy has lagged because costs are too high, and we have been overly reliant on the federal government. We need to grow high-paying jobs in sectors like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence; cut red tape and support small businesses; and invest in workforce development.

3) We must continue to push back against unlawful federal overreach. This year, we protected immigrant communities by strengthening trust with local law enforcement, ending cooperation with ICE, limiting data sharing without a warrant, banning the use of face coverings, and more.

A: Lowering the cost of living starts with tackling the biggest line items: housing, health care, childcare, and energy bills.

We need to continue expanding housing supply so people can afford to live where they work. We must cut unnecessary red tape, accelerate permitting, and build more housing near job centers and transit. Too many young people and families are being priced out, and we have to reverse that trend. Health care is another major driver of costs. No one should have to choose between getting care and putting food on the table. I will continue working to protect coverage, give the state tools to hold down prescription drug prices, and invest in mental and behavioral health so families can access care earlier and avoid more costly crises.We need to lower everyday expenses like childcare. That means expanding access, reducing waitlists, and capping costs for working families so parents can stay in the workforce and keep more of what they earn. Finally, we must drive down energy costs. I will continue pushing to hold utilities accountable, invest in more in-state energy generation, and ensure data centers pay their fair share so costs aren’t shifted onto residents.

A: The Blueprint is a long-term investment in Maryland’s students and workforce, and we should not roll back its core commitments. However, we must be honest about the fiscal challenges ahead.

I believe the right approach is to focus and balance. We should protect the most impactful parts of the Blueprint, like early childhood education, teacher recruitment, support for struggling schools, and career readiness standards, while remaining willing to adjust timelines and allow flexibility to ensure sustainability within our existing resources. This year, I sponsored the AI-Ready Schools Act, which will ensure our students are AI-literate when they graduate, help our teachers use AI to reduce time-consuming tasks, and explore how AI can help meet the Blueprint goals. I do not support broad-based tax increases on working families to close this gap. Rather, we should focus first on improving efficiency. This includes strengthening oversight, identifying cost overruns, and ensuring funds are being used effectively. Through the annual legislative audit, oversight, and appropriations processes, I am confident we can make responsible, data-driven decisions that will continue to improve our schools, keep our promises to students, and ensure the Blueprint’s long-term sustainability.

A: Residents of District 9 deserve someone who is fighting for them every single day. I want constituents to judge my performance based on what I deliver, how I show up, and whether their lives are improving.

Looking at my record, you’ll see someone who’s taking on out-of-control prices for energy, housing, and groceries. That’s why I voted to crack down on predatory utility companies, invest in building more housing near transit and jobs, and block surge pricing from grocery stores.They also deserve someone who is accessible and makes government work for regular people. That’s why I communicate what I’m working on, how I’m voting, and how those decisions impact our community through newsletters, town halls, and one-on-one conversations.Most importantly, my office is here to serve. That means responding to concerns, helping constituents navigate state agencies, and staying present in the community. My office assists residents every day with issues like energy affordability, tax support, Medicaid waivers, federal matters, septic systems, unemployment insurance, EZ Pass charges, and more. When you reach out, I will make sure you get a clear answer and do all I can to make a real difference.

A: Maryland faces a structural deficit growing from $1.5 billion today to nearly $4 billion by 2031. The primary driver is the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a $30 billion education spending program passed without a funding mechanism. Its dedicated trust fund runs dry in 2028, dumping billions onto the general fund. Rising state employee costs and shrinking federal employment in Maryland compound the problem.

We cannot tax our way out. Maryland already ranks 46th in business tax climate, and 49% of young professionals are considering leaving the state. More taxes accelerate the exodus and shrink the revenue base.My approach starts with spending discipline. I would slow the Blueprint’s implementation timeline, giving local school systems flexibility while demanding measurable results before expanding programs. I’d require sunset provisions on all regulations, cap administrative overhead growth across state agencies, and restore farmland preservation funding that actually saves money long-term. On revenue, I’d grow the base — not the rates. Repeal the IT services tax, raise business expensing caps, and reduce energy import dependency to keep spending in-state.You match commitments to resources. That’s how I managed budgets at the Pentagon, and that’s what Annapolis needs.

A: A Structural Deficit That Threatens Everything. Maryland’s budget gap grows from $1.5 billion today to nearly $4 billion by 2031. Without spending reform, every priority — schools, roads, public safety, farmland, gets cut or funded by yet another tax increase on families already stretched to the limit.

Affordability and Cost of Living. Maryland families are being squeezed from every direction. Property taxes in Howard County are more than double the national median. Residential electricity rates have jumped 44% since 2020. The state imposed $1.6 billion in new taxes and fees in 2025, and the deficit returned within months. Nearly half of young professionals are considering leaving. When working families can’t afford to stay, communities lose the people who built them. Education Spending Without Accountability. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future commits $30 billion in new education spending over ten years, but was passed without a sustainable funding mechanism. Its trust fund runs dry in 2028. Counties report it as “unrealistic and unfunded,” with local costs running $3.7 billion over projections. Teachers are still leaving for better pay in neighboring states. Parents feel shut out of decisions. We’re spending more and getting less because the money flows to bureaucracy instead of classrooms.

A: Taxes. I’d expand the Homestead Tax Credit to protect homeowners from assessment-driven tax shock, with enhanced caps for seniors. I’d create a $500 per child tax credit for families earning under $150,000 and raise the standard deduction to put more money back in working families’ pockets. I’d oppose every new tax increase and require plain-language cost summaries on every spending bill so voters know what Annapolis is doing with their money.

Energy. Maryland imports over 40% of its electricity because politicians shut down power plants without replacements online. I’d halt premature closures, fast-track modern natural gas and small modular nuclear generation, and require rate impact statements before any energy mandate takes effect. Lower supply costs mean lower bills.

Housing. I’d reform permitting to cut approval times from 120 days to 30, reduce construction costs by streamlining building codes, and expand down payment assistance for essential workers like our teachers, nurses, police, and firefighters.

A: The Blueprint was a $30 billion promise made without a plan to pay for it. Its trust fund runs dry in 2028. Projected local costs have already overrun initial estimates by $3.7 billion. And the structural deficit it’s driving will reach nearly $4 billion annually by 2031. Raising new revenue to cover this gap would mean another round of tax increases on families already paying some of the highest rates in the country — in a state ranked 46th in business tax climate where half of young professionals are already considering leaving.

I would not raise taxes. I would reform the program.That means slowing the implementation timeline by three to five years so costs don’t outpace revenue. It means giving local school systems flexibility to spend Blueprint dollars where they actually improve outcomes instead of forcing compliance with rigid mandates that don’t fit every district. It means auditing the administrative overhead and pausing expansion of programs that haven’t demonstrated measurable results. The goal of the Blueprint — stronger schools, better-paid teachers, career readiness — is right. But a goal without a funding plan is just a wish.

A: In the military, we didn’t wait four years to find out if a leader was doing their job. Performance was measured constantly against clear standards. I’d bring that same discipline to Annapolis.

First, I’d publish an annual scorecard tracking every vote I take, every bill I sponsor, and how each one connects to the priorities I campaigned on — affordability, schools, safety, infrastructure, and energy. No spin. Just the record, in plain language, available on my website for anyone to review.

Second, I’d hold quarterly town halls in every part of District 9 — Howard County and Montgomery County — open to all voters regardless of party. Not scripted events. Real conversations where constituents ask hard questions and I give direct answers.

Third, I’d publish a constituent service report showing how many cases my office handled, what agencies we engaged, and what we resolved. If someone contacts my office with a problem, they deserve follow-through — and the public deserves to know whether their senator is actually working.Finally, I’d welcome any community organization or local media outlet to grade my performance independently.You trusted me with your vote. You deserve to see exactly what I did with it.