Progressive Maryland is a grassroots community organization that acts for social and economic justice by developing civic leaders and cultivating allies in order to advance economic, racial, and environmental equity, and to change our economic system for the benefit of all people in Maryland. Learn more at www.ProgressiveMaryland.org

Progressive Maryland supports candidates who will work to build a society and economy that works for all Marylanders, with special emphasis on traditionally marginalized groups – low and moderate income residents, people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and all oppressed and exploited people. Elections can have an enormous impact on our work to reduce inequity and to improve the lives of residents all over the state. It is our responsibility not only to advocate for residents but also to empower them to engage in the political process at every level, from member-led canvasses to trainings for our members who wish to run for office. 

To be considered for Progressive Maryland’s endorsement, please complete the survey below. Your responses will be available to the public at www.ProgressiveMaryland.org

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Candidate Information

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Campaign Contact Information

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Treasurer Contact Information

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1. Do you support an equitable legalization of marijuana? How should the implementing instructions on the Commission be drafted so that people of color and those impacted by the war on drugs have priority, subsidies, and training for opening dispensaries, growing / testing, and other aspects of the marijuana industry? How will you ensure that records are expunged?

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2. Do you support ending the war on drugs and reducing mass incarceration through the decriminalization of all drugs for personal use by adults over the age of 18?

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3. Do you support the legalization of overdose prevention sites?

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4. Do you support retroactively expunging the criminal records of non-violent drug offenders in Maryland?

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5. Do you support balancing state, county and municipal budgets so economic development and social services receive greater funding instead of continued disproportionate funding of police departments?

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6. Do you support ending the money-based bail system?

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7. Do you support state funding to assist Maryland counties in establishing one-stop service centers for citizens re-entering our communities after serving jail and prison terms, and how do you intend to show support?

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8. Do you support legislation mandating the centralized aggregation of data about individuals incarcerated in Maryland, with respect to demographics (age, race, gender), education prior to and at during incarceration, crimes/charges, length of sentences, job skills, religious affiliation, health diagnoses and treatment services during incarceration (ie. dementia, HIV, etc.), communities where they are released, and providing easy public access to this information, and how do you intend to show support?

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9. Do you support public financing of State Senate and Delegate races?

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10. Will you support corrective legislation to include all workers, including tipped and agricultural workers, in our state’s minimum wage law? Would you also support indexing the minimum wage to inflation?

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11. Do you support increased protections for workers in terms of scheduling practices? In particular, will you support requiring employers to give 3 weeks’ notice to employees of their shift schedule, requiring employers who call employees into work only to send them home before the end of their shift to provide a certain percentage of the pay that the employee would have made that day, and prohibiting employers from scheduling an employee to work back-to-back shifts or shifts scheduled only a few hours apart without the employee’s consent?

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12. Do you support requiring employers to provide at least 12 weeks of paid family leave when an employee welcomes a new child into their family?

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13. We believe that the financial security of women is a moral imperative. Do you feel that legislation ensuring the equal treatment of men and women in the workplace is appropriate? If so, what legislation will you support as a member of the General Assembly to bring women to parity with their male colleagues?

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14. Do you believe that employers should be required to make reasonable accommodations for employees and applicants for employment who have known limitations due to conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth?

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15. Do you support workers’ rights to organize in the private and public sectors? Will you make it a priority that all public employees be covered by a public employees relations act, similar to the National Labor Relations Act, which has governed work in the private sector for over 80 years?

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16. Home and community-based services are primarily delivered to Marylanders by Residential Service Agencies, over a thousand of which operate throughout the State. The direct caregivers employed by these agencies struggle with low wages and high turnover. Many have experienced poor infection control training practices and a lack of PPE during the pandemic. Additionally, many workers have reported being misclassified as 1099 independent contractors rather than employees by RSAs. Would you commit to enacting stricter oversight of the Residential Service Agencies, enforcement of our laws to prevent the misclassification of workers?

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17. Since Maryland Medicaid’s independent provider program ended in 2015, home and community-based caregivers such as patient care assistants have experienced lower wages and increased transportation costs, on top of the daily challenges of providing assistance to the clients they serve. Meanwhile, many consumers have struggled with securing the care they need through the Residential Service Agencies charged with providing home and community-based services. If elected, would you favor restoring the independent provider program that would allow home care workers to receive higher wages and benefits?

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18. States such as New York have recently increased minimum standards for staffing at nursing homes and imposed stricter penalties for bad actors. If you are elected, would you direct the Secretary of the Department of Health to mirror this policy?

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19. Many states—including New York, Washington State, Oregon, Maine, New Jersey, and Connecticut—are enacting labor standards for renewable energy projects. These labor standards include prevailing wage, participation in apprenticeship programs, committing to a goal of a certain percentage of project work hours to be performed by people of color, women, veterans, or people with disabilities, and entering into a PLA in lieu of the above. Will you support legislation that establishes labor standards for renewable energy projects located in Maryland?

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20. Virginia has been rapidly expanding rail transit offerings over the last few years. How would you expand rail transit in Maryland? Do you support the use of Public Private Partnerships (P3s) for public transit projects? What are your thoughts on the Baltimore Red Line & Southern Maryland Rapid Transit Project?

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21. Do you plan to introduce or support legislation to provide protection for the Potomac, Chesapeake or other shared environments that have had federal funding for protection removed?

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22. Do you support excluding dirty fuels like trash incineration, biogas, and carbon capture from any clean energy standard that the state promotes?

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23. Do you support a moratorium on water shutoffs and help for residents in paying their water bills through assistance programs?

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24. Do you support broadening access to public housing to reduce the number of homeless people in Maryland?

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25. Will you support the creation of a state sponsored retirement security program that any Marylander can opt into to save for retirement?

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26. Will you support single-payer health care in Maryland? If so, how would you pass it and how would you pay for it?

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27. Are there any instances in which the state should place restrictions on a patient seeking abortion care, such as stage of pregnancy, access based on age, or the type of abortion care that state funding should cover?

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28. In general, do you support charter schools?

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29. Do you support school vouchers that would allow public school students, K-12, to attend a private school instead of their local public school? Please explain your support or opposition.

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30. Will you support making state colleges and universities free for all in-state students?

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31. Will​ ​you​ ​support​ ​closing​ ​corporate​ ​tax ​ ​loopholes​ by​ ​requiring​ ​combined​ ​ reporting,​ ​as​ most​ ​other​ states​​ have​ ​done?​ ​


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32. Will​ ​you​ ​​support​ ​bringing ​​back​ ​Maryland’s​ 6.25​ %​ tax rate​ ​on​​ income​ of​ ​more​ than​ ​$1​ ​million​ ​to​ ​allow​ ​upper​ ​income​ residents​ ​to​​ ​contribute​ ​more​ ​to​ ​Maryland?

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33. Do​ ​you​ ​support​ ​the​ ​creation​ ​of​ ​a​ ​progressive​ ​caucus​ ​in​ ​the​ ​state​ ​legislature that will work hand-in-hand with community and labor organizations to advance a collective agenda?

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34. If workers in your District needed your help in their fight to join a union, which of the following would you be willing to take to help their cause? (Check all that apply.)

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35. For the measures above that you have agreed to support would you be willing to (check if you would be willing, leave blank if you would not):

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36. Would you be willing to engage with Progressive Maryland members and their communities by (check if you would be willing, leave blank if you would not):

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37. Will you attend a Progressive Maryland member meeting and share your vision and priorities?

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38. Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for healthcare through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. Do support expanding healthcare coverage so that ALL Marylanders, regardless of their status, are included?


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39. What would you do to support federal immigration reform and relief, including a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, rights for immigrant workers, family reunification and permanent relief for those with TPS or DACA?


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40. Do you support limiting police cooperation and partnership with ICE and local/state government? Including ending 287(g) programs that deputize police as federal agents?


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41. Do you agree that police officers accused of violence and misconduct must appear before empowered civilian review boards to decide on their removals from the force? Do you support outlawing coercive surveillance practices (facial recognition technology and gang lists) that violate the privacy of people of color in particular?


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