I am passionate about ensuring that vulnerable communities have a seat at the table. As a delegate, I have championed legislation to support access to affordable health care, protect victims of sexual assault, expand recovery options for seniors who have been defrauded and expand nutrition assistance programs for children and seniors throughout the state. If reelected, I hope to build on this work while protecting our state’s most vulnerable communities from the ongoing threats by the current federal administration.

A public leader I admire is my former boss, now-retired US. Rep. Ed Towns. A social worker by training, he instilled in me the importance of public service as a vehicle for supporting the most vulnerable in our communities. I learned from him the importance of working to build coalitions across parties and jurisdictions and that the lived experiences shared with us can often become the most powerful vehicles for change.

I support the governor’s strategy of providing mixed solutions, including generating revenue from our highest income earners paired with narrow cuts to programs when needed. I also support targeted, data driven revenue generation that could achieve positive policy outcomes, for example, a small $0.02/oz tax on sugary beverages would generate $500M annually. This tax alone could support universal school meals for all children in our state, fully fund our child care scholarship program and provide significant relief to our budget, while also improving public health.

Energy costs have risen significantly across the country due to a combination of factors. To reduce costs for consumers, we must address short, medium and long-term pressures on our grid. We must continue to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, expand investments in clean energy and reduce demand during peak times. Data centers have also caused significant added pressures to grids. I support requiring data centers to fully cover the costs of their energy needs.

Housing affordability is a significant challenge across our state, and especially so in Montgomery County, where 23% of renters are paying over 50% of their income for housing alone. While we are a county with incredible schools, access to transportation and a strong job market, prices for housing have continued to rise and become unaffordable for so many. To address this, I have supported numerous efforts to reduce red tape to lower costs for building more affordable units and helped lead investments by our state into programs that provide first-time homebuyer support, eviction prevention and funding to support stable housing for our lowest-income tenants. If reelected, I would work to expand access to these programs and services.

I support the DECADE Act as well as additional efforts to incentivize job creation throughout our state across a variety of sectors. Maryland is home to exceptional talent and important infrastructure that supports a variety of economic sectors. I have supported efforts to strengthen entrepreneurship and boost investments in our university systems to continue to grow talent.

I very proudly voted to ban ICE from deputizing our local law enforcement as agents to assist in the cruel deportation efforts by the federal administration. I believe that if we had not done so, public safety would be compromised by thwarting efforts of local law enforcement to investigate violent crimes. When members of the community fear our law enforcement officers, they are less likely to report crimes, less likely to serve as witnesses and less likely to cooperate.

One of the biggest challenges facing our state over the next year is the full implementation of HR 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will immediately restrict access to Medicaid and other needed supports to our most vulnerable residents. With this change, our emergency room wait times will increase significantly, adding pressures onto our already strained hospital systems. If reelected, I would continue to work to ensure that we protect access to Medicaid and strengthen our social safety net.