US Congressional District 5

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: Mark Arness

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

Name: Rushern Baker

Age: 68

Personal: Engaged, fiancée Katherine de Barros; father of three children with late wife Christa Beverly.

Education: Bachelor’s degree and juris doctor, Howard University.

Experience: Prince George’s County executive (2010–2018); member, Maryland House of Delegates (1995–2003).

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Quincy Bareebe

Age: 37

Personal: Married with children.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, accounting and finance, Northeastern University; MBA, Mount St. Mary’s University.

Experience: Founder & CEO, Royal Home Care and Royal Assisted Living (current); financial manager, U.S. Department of Defense.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Wala Blegay

Age: 41

Personal: Daughter of immigrants and a proud resident of Prince George’s County.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, government and politics, University of Maryland, College Park; Juris Doctor, American University Washington College of Law.

Experience: At-Large Member, Prince George’s County Council; Councilmember, District 6, Prince George’s County Council.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Adrian Boafo

Age: 32

Education: Bachelor’s degree, government and public policy, University of Baltimore; MBA, American University.

Experience: Maryland State Delegate, District 23; District 3 councilmember and mayor pro tem, City of Bowie; campaign manager, Hoyer for Congress; senior director of government affairs, Oracle.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Reuben B. Collins, II

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

Name: Ellis D. Colvin

Age: 65

Personal: I live in Upper Marlboro Maryland with my wife Dr. Cynthia Colvin and children Caroline and Ellis (EJ) Colvin.

Education:

B.A., government, Wofford College; M.A., healthcare administration, Central Michigan University; M.A., industry studies, The Eisenhower School of Strategic Studies at the National Defense University; Master’s, business administration, Hawaii Pacific University; J.D., Charleston School of Law; Ph.D, critical infrastructure security and protection, Capitol Technology University.

Experience: Chairman and Founder of the Major Capabilities Alliance; CEO of Colosseum Enterprise LLC, focused on semiconductor manufacturing, humanoid robotics production. Doctor chair at Capitol Technology University. Spent 4 decades in the U.S. Intelligence Community and the Army.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority?

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Harry Anthony Dunn

Age: 42

Personal: Father of one daughter, Daphne.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, public health education, James Madison University.

Experience: Capitol Police Officer who protected the Capitol on January 6th

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Arthur Ellis

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

Name: Elldwnia English

Age: 50

Personal: Married, husband Dr. Michael English, a retired Air Force veteran, children and grandchildren.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, family and consumer sciences; bachelor’s degree, business administration, marketing concentration; master’s degree, human resources.

Experience: Founder and CEO, Elldwinia Innovations LLC; health technology invention portfolio, including the SICK CALL ecosystem; Founder, Qtorpia.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Terry A. Jackson II

Age: 47

Personal: Married father of four daughters.

Education: Associate’s degree, liberal studies; bachelor’s degree, political science; bachelor’s degree, criminal justice, all from American Military University.

Experience: GS-13 physical security specialist, U.S. Department of Justice; civilian security staff, Department of the Navy; U.S. Navy veteran.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Harry Jarin

Age: 37

Personal: Married, two children.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, economics, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Experience: Volunteer firefighter, Anne Arundel County; small-business owner.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Walter Kirkland

Age: 68

Personal: Father of two adult sons.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, education, Rutgers University.

Experience: Business and marketing consultant; sales; founding president, 100 Black Men of Prince George’s County.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Jerry Lightfoot

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

Name: Heather Luper

Age: 54

Personal: Married with a stepson.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, social work, Eastern Washington University; master’s degree, social work, West Virginia University.

Experience: Clinical social worker, Department of Veterans Affairs, 23 years; chief of social work service in Arizona for several years prior to working in the VA National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships at VA Central Office in 2016; Maryland LCSW-C in good standing since 2003.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: James Anderson Makle, Jr.

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

Name: Leigha Messick

Age: 44

Personal: Single mother of two children.

Education: Extensive professional training and continuing education in nonprofit management, business ownership, and community development, with certificates across multiple fields.

Experience: Small-business owner (2015–present); founder and former president, local nonprofit animal rescue (2015–2018); manager, Humane Society of Charles County (2008–2015).

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Keith Salkowski

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

Name: Kenneth Simons

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

Name: Alexis S. Solis

Age: 35

Personal: I am an Afro-Latina, fourth-generation Marylander with deep roots in Prince George’s County.

Education: Graduate studies (master’s degree coursework), positive psychology and health sciences, Life University; Bachelor’s degree, biology, Bowie State University.

Experience: CEO, Empress Consulting International; vice president, Technology Consulting Firm; board member, NAMI Prince George’s County Chapter; board member, American Red Cross Southern Maryland Chapter; appointed member, Prince George’s County Latino Advisory Board.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority?

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Tracy Starr

Age: 45

Personal: Mom of three.

Education: Master’s degree, diplomacy, Norwich University; bachelor’s degree, political science, American University.

Experience: Served in the Maryland General Assembly; federal roles with the United States Agency for International Development, the United States Department of Commerce, and policy institutions like Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Dave Sundberg

Age: 56

Personal: Married, two children.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, outdoor education, University of New Hampshire; MBA, Fordham University.

Experience: Career public servant who spent nearly 23 years as an FBI agent and senior executive whose final role in the FBI was as the Head of the Washington D.C. Field Office.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

Name: Harold Tolbert

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

Republican

Name: Chris Chaffee

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

Name: Bryan DuVal

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

Name: Michelle Talkington

Age: 45

Personal: Married with six children. Charles County resident for over 20 years.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, UMD College Park, MD. Virginia Class A Residential Remodeling Contractor.

Experience: Small business owner in construction and renovations. Homeschool parent and Community Director. Non-profit board member and community advocate.

Questionnaire

Candidate provided biographical information but did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.

Unaffiliated

Name: Jonathan Burruss

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