State Delegate District 16 (three seats)

February 13, 2018 3:51 p.m.

REPUBLICAN

Bill Day

- Advertisement -

• Where you live: Bethesda

• Date of birth: Aug. 14, 1972

• Current occupation and employer (may also list up to two other jobs you’ve held); if retired, list your last job and employer: Attorney, William Day Law Group LLC; Navy veteran.

• Political experience (public offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years): None.

• Campaign information:

Sponsored
Face of the Week

1 – Why are you running for this office? (75 words max)

I am running to represent the residents of D-16 and to help Governor Hogan. He has demonstrated how government can be competent, have common sense, be practical and humane while advancing an agenda that improves education, creates jobs and improves the economy. As an independent voice in the Montgomery County Delegation, I will speak out against bills that enable our County Council to spend, tax and advance social agendas for their special interest groups.

2 – What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it? (100 words max)

The report by EmpowerMontgomery should be a wake-up-call for all residence of our county. Our county is underachieving economically. The county’s debt and taxes continue to rise to pay for the Council’s agenda, while the tax base decreases. Wealthy residents are moving out of the county and poorer residents are moving in. Companies are not opening or relocating here. Without the creation of new jobs and growth of the tax base, the services that our residents have grown accustomed to will not be sustainable. We need to streamline regulations, incentivize businesses to locate in MoCo and reduce taxes.

3 – What is one major issue the current House has handled poorly and what would you have done differently? (100 words max)

- Advertisement -

Montgomery County’s government owned liquor monopoly is a relic of the era of prohibition. Bethesda restaurants and caterers are suffering from an antiquated system that requires them to purchase liquor from the county government. Those businesses in D.C. and Virginia do not have the same constraints. They attract consumers with more selection and cheaper prices. Attempts to do away with system through legislation in Annapolis failed, mainly because of the interference of the county executive. I would review legislation introduced by Delegate Bill Frick and give top priority to getting it passed to benefit all residence of MoCo.

4 – What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (100 words max)

As a MoCo attorney representing businesses in the county, I am aware of issues and challenges they face. Every day, I interpret and advise on Maryland laws. As a Naval officer and soccer coach, I know how to lead and to build teams to work together to achieve a common goal. I majored in political science at the Naval Academy and worked at the Pentagon. I attended law school at night while working full time at WTOP. Today, my wife and I both work full time and are raising three children. We, like many in D-16, balance work and children.

DEMOCRAT

Jordan Cooper

• Where you live: Bethesda

• Date of birth: May 13, 1985

• Current occupation and employer (may also list up to two other jobs you’ve held); if retired, list your last job and employer: host, Public Interest Podcast (current; www.PublicInterestPodcast.com); Management analyst, D.C. Medicaid (previous); project manager, Kaiser Permanente (previous)

• Political experience (public offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years): ran for delegate in District 16 in 2014. Area coordinator in District 16 for Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and member of the District 16 Democratic Club Board.

• Campaign information:

1 – Why are you running for this office? (75 words max)

I’m running to create savings every month on your healthcare premiums by providing universal access to a public option. I’m also running to address overcrowding by reducing teacher-to-student ratios in the classroom in order to give your children the education they deserve. Learn more at CooperForMaryland.com.

2 – What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it? (100 words max)

Much like we provide universal access to public education we need to create universal access to a public option for basic health insurance coverage. My H.E.A.R.T. Act (Healthcare, Equity, Access, Reliability, and Transparency Act) will:

• Create a large risk pool by enrolling 500,000 public employees in this plan

• Gain economies of scale to generate savings

• Leverage purchasing power to negotiate down drug and medical device prices

• Benefit from the significantly lower administrative costs associated with publicly administrated plans as compared to comparable commercial plans

• Allow Marylanders to buy into this public option through means-testing premium rates

3 – What is one major issue the current House has handled poorly and what would you have done differently? (100 words max)

The House of Delegates continues to authorize large tax subsidies of large corporations at taxpayer expense under the auspices of economic development. 96% of businesses in Montgomery County have 50 or fewer employees. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, yet tens of millions of dollars of tax credits (including a proposal multi-billion-dollar deal for Amazon) are allocated to corporations that would choose to locate here anyway. Incentives aren’t keeping Discovery Communications here and aren’t the reason Marriott has chosen to remain here. I would oppose these massive and ineffective corporate gifts.

4 – What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (100 words max)

I have worked as a healthcare expert at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, and DC Medicaid and in the Maryland House of Delegates. I have a master’s degree in health policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Vassar College. I am the host of Public Interest Podcast. I served as the President of the Luxmanor Citizens Association and the Chair of the WSSC CAB and as a Democratic Party AC. I also served on the WMCCAB, District 16 Democratic Club Board and the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee.

Nuchhi Currier

• Where you live: Chevy Chase

• Date of birth: Aug. 26, 1951

• Current occupation and employer (may also list up to two other jobs you’ve held); if retired, list your last job and employer: President of the Woman’s National Democratic Club

• Political experience (public offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years): First time running for office

• Campaign information:

1 – Why are you running for this office? (75 words max)

I am running for Delegate to answer a call to service. I moved to the U.S. 32 years ago; Montgomery County is my chosen home. Our country provided me with opportunities I am grateful for, and if elected, I will work to provide opportunities for others in our District and State. As a strong business leader, with experience building coalitions and tackling challenging issues, I will bring unique skills and diverse perspectives to Annapolis.

2 – What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it? (100 words max)

Montgomery County has tremendous untapped economic potential. The pervasive belief that Maryland is anti-business limits the growth of industry in the state, and creates opposition to progressive legislation that supports workers.

As Delegate, I will:

• Streamline the regulatory and financing process for businesses

• Ensure local economic revitalization schemes have a state funding stream

• Evaluate and track business tax credits, and simplify the existing system of investment and R&D credits so that businesses — large and small — are incentivized to set up and stay in Maryland

• Identify opportunities to advance technology, research, and biotech

3 – What is one major issue the current House has handled poorly and what would you have done differently? (100 words max)

Links between constituents and representatives are not as strong as they should be, and this affects a range of different issues. Many important measures — recent transportation projects (including the Purple Line), the recently passed crime bill, or even the incentive package to Amazon — happened with inadequate information to, and consultation with, our community.

If elected, I will ensure that legislative initiatives include greater participation from the people and communities that these bills will eventually impact — including with stronger communication, and creating partnerships and coalitions with constituents in District 16.

4 – What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (100 words max)

I hold a master’s degree from Columbia University in International Affairs and Business and have international business experience.

I am President of the Woman’s National Democratic Club, a position to which I have been re-elected six times. I have a consistent record of bringing people together around important initiatives and have restored the organization, one of the nation’s oldest institutions for Democratic women, to its former prominence as a force for progressive action.

If elected to the House of Delegates, I will bring decades of professional experience and a record of communicating and negotiating with a wide range of stakeholders.

Joseph Aloysius Hennessey

• Where you live: Chevy Chase

• Date of birth: March 11, 1965

• Current occupation and employer (may also list up to two other jobs you’ve held); if retired, list your last job and employer: Attorney, The Law Office of Joseph Hennessey, LLC

• Political experience (public offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years): First-time aspirant to public office. Other political contributions include serving on the staff of the John Glenn presidential campaign, 1983-84; staff of the Dukakis/Bentsen campaign, 1988; international election observer in Pakistan (1990) and Zambia (1991); volunteer, Chris Van Hollen for Congress, 2001-02; voter security attorney, Kerry/Edwards, Columbus, Ohio, 2004; poll monitor for Frank Kratovil, 2008; volunteer, Chris Van Hollen for Senate, 2016; volunteer, Clinton/Kaine, 2016; voter security attorney and poll monitor for the DNC in Hampton, Virginia, 2016.

• Campaign information:

1 – Why are you running for this office? (75 words max)

I want to strengthen our democratic institutions, end gerrymandering, and stop supply-side, trickle-down economics. Gerrymandering further polarizes our society and makes us weak as a political party. We cannot excoriate Trump and the Republicans for massive tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans and then turn and run headlong to the most valuable company, Amazon, and Jeff Bezos, the richest American, to provide $8.5 billion in tax breaks. We cannot be hypocritical in our political philosophy.

2 – What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it? (100 words max)

The Democratic Party must decide if it will continue in the direction of catering to the wealthiest in our society in exchange for campaign contributions. Our party is being neutered by the deep pockets of developers, Marriott, and Amazon. The consequence is out-of-control development, overcrowded schools, congested roads, and an obscene $8.5 billion “incentive” to Amazon. I would introduce public financing of elections at the state level, expand the crime of extortion to include the threat of economic calamity, and establish independent, nonpartisan commissions to draw electoral maps to diminish the influence of boss politics in gerrymandering.

3 – What is one major issue the current House has handled poorly and what would you have done differently? (100 words max)

Incumbents Korman and Kelly deserve criticism for cosponsoring “The PRIME Act of 2018,” which provides $8.5 billion in government concessions to Amazon to move to Bethesda. Bethesda is already bursting at the seams with the current rate of development. Independent of the issue of corporate welfare, our schools are already overcapacity, our classrooms already overcrowded, our roads already congested, and our quality of life already diminished from existing out-of-control development. What is shocking is that Marc Korman both sponsored this legislation and serves as an attorney at Sidley and Austin, which highlights Amazon as one of its clients.

4 – What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (100 words max)

I served as a paid staffer for Glenn ’83-84 and Dukakis ’88, legislative aide in the Massachusetts Senate, international election observer and a democratization activist at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, legal extern in the Clinton White House, and judicial clerk in the D.C. Court of Appeals. I have pursued a private practice of law that holds wrongdoers to account for violations of human trafficking laws, false claims to the government, and violations of international law. I know how important it is to work as a team member, yet I am not afraid to speak truth to power.

Ariana Kelly (incumbent)

• Where you live: Bethesda

• Date of birth: Dec. 7, 1976

• Current occupation and employer (may also list up to two other jobs you’ve held); if retired, list your last job and employer: President, Women Legislators of Maryland; former executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland; former executive producer of PBS’ “To The Contrary” 

• Political party: Democrat

• Political experience (public offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years): Maryland delegate (2010-present)

• Campaign information:

1 – Why are you running for this office? (75 words max)

It has been a privilege to represent our community for the past eight years. I have a proven track record on issues that matter to Montgomery County, including healthcare, the environment, and education. I want to continue building on to the work I have done in Annapolis including expanding access to healthcare, improving family economic security, and protecting civil rights for all Marylanders.

2 – What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it? (100 words max)

We are an optimistic and generous community with shared values of opportunity, education, caring for the vulnerable and respect for our environment. We face challenges with economic security issues — which significantly impact quality of life — and with economic growth. Paying for housing, education, elder care, childcare and health care is especially challenging in our high cost of living communities. We must continue to advance economic policies that help everyone, like paid family/medical leave, debt-free college, universal pre-K, and eliminating the wage gap. We must also leverage our greatest asset — our people — by investing in entrepreneurship and business development programs.

3 – What is one major issue the current House has handled poorly and what would you have done differently? (100 words max)

I am incredibly proud of the work of the Maryland General Assembly, and I think we provide a much needed contrast with Congress because we work together in a bipartisan way to address the issues important to the state. However, I would like to see us do more to mitigate the increased tax burden imposed on high cost of living areas with the changes in the federal tax code, which disproportionately affects Montgomery County residents.

4 – What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (100 words max)

During my eight years representing our community in Annapolis, I have learned critical skills, passed important legislation, and built key relationships. As Chair of the Health Occupations and Long-Term Care Subcommittee, I developed expertise in health insurance and public health issues. I also Chair Montgomery County’s Economic Development Committee and the Joint Committee for Children, Youth, and Families and have served as President of Maryland Women’s Caucus. In each role, I have learned more about the policy issues important in our community, and how to get things done. Professionally, I have worked in advocacy and journalism at NARAL, MomsRising, and PBS.

Marc Korman (incumbent)

• Where you live: Bethesda

• Date of birth: Sept. 21, 1981

• Current occupation and employer (may also list up to two other jobs you’ve held); if retired, list your last job and employer: Delegate; attorney, Sidley Austin LLP

• Political experience (public offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years): Member of Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, 2007-14

• Campaign information:

1 – Why are you running for this office? (75 words max)

I am running to continue the work I have started. We have made progress in increasing our county’s share of school construction dollars, but we need more. We have started to get Metro back on track with dedicated funding and reform, but we now need to make sure the money is spent wisely. We addressed environmental challenges by increasing our renewable energy goals and banning fracking, but there is much more to do.

2 – What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it? (100 words max)

Infrastructure is an incredibly important issue to District 16. Infrastructure includes increased school capacity, a functioning transit system, a flowing network of roads, a 21st century electric grid, and more. The state plays a significant role in funding and regulating the various elements of infrastructure that significantly affect our quality of life, economy, and environment. I have been at the forefront of these issues and want to continue the fight, using legislation and the budget process to ensure Montgomery County and District 16 have the resources necessary and the policies in place to address our significant and wide-ranging infrastructure needs.

3 – What is one major issue the current House has handled poorly and what would you have done differently? (100 words max)

Overall, I have been impressed with how functional the House of Delegates is. One may not always appreciate the outcome of the process, but the process does work and we are not plagued by the complete gridlock and dysfunction of Washington, D.C., and many states. That said, I would like to see the House engage in much deeper reviews and reforms of the existing government agencies. For example, in 2016 I introduced the Public Service Commission Reform Act and wish legislation like that, which attempts to reform our agencies for the 21st century, received further consideration.

4 – What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (100 words max)

My four years in the House of Delegates have been an enjoyable and rewarding experience for me, but I also think I have added value to District 16. On the Appropriations Committee, I have been at the forefront of the successful effort to increase school construction funding. I sponsored the bipartisan, regional legislation to provide dedicated funding and reform for Metro that awaits the Governor’s signature. I have also always tried to remember that the job of a Delegate is not only to pass bills, but also to provide oversight and constituent service.

Marc Lande

• Where you live: Chevy Chase

• Date of birth: Nov. 14, 1973

• Current occupation and employer (may also list up to two other jobs you’ve held); if retired, list your last job and employer: Freelance journalist and certified nursing assistant. Current: Certified nursing assistant, Corewood Homecare; Previous: freelance journalist for the Sentinel Newspapers, 10/16-8/17

• Political experience (public offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years): None

• Campaign information:

1 – Why are you running for this office? (75 words max)

I believe in the government’s ability to help end suffering. I am entering politics because there are people suffering throughout this District, 16, in Montgomery County and in Maryland, and I can do my part to help end their suffering. From influencing national policy on issues like immigration and gun control to matters like education and housing, the ‘‘Kindness Campaign’’ is about using big government to help attain an equitable society.

2 – What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it? (100 words max)

The culture of violence is one of the major issues confronting our society. Whether a rise in domestic violence, gun violence in schools and neighborhoods that our increasingly unsafe, this is our ultimate crusade for Maryland and America. We need leaders who are working every day to find solutions to this violence. My main proposal is getting peace and conflict resolutions classes for every student k-12 grade in Maryland public schools. We must be giving students critical thinking skills to alternatives to violence. Furthermore, led by the charge of the Stoneman students, we need leaders fighting for gun control.

3 – What is one major issue the current House has handled poorly and what would you have done differently? (100 words max)

When it came to the Kirwan Commission, there was no mention of how to deal with unsafe schools. We need both technologies like door jams, so shooters cannot get into classrooms and pass cards, but we also need to arm teachers with curriculum to confront violence. It is time to teach peace — the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King — at all levels of school. The legislators are doing a poor job on this issue. Conservative critics argue that gun control promotes crime when guns kill people. This issue is confronting every American on some level.

4 – What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (100 words max)

I am a newcomer to politics, but I will bring a unique perspective to Annapolis. I did grow in District 16.  After graduating from a Quaker college, studying abroad in Ghana, living in Israel and being accepted into the Peace Corps, I had the onset of schizophrenia. This first few years after my diagnosis, I was mostly volunteering, learning to live with this disease. Through the years, I have put the disease in remission and now I am a speaker for NAMI Maryland, a support group facilitator, a journalist (recently with the Montgomery Sentinel) and a Certified Nursing Assistant.

Sara Love

• Where you live: Bethesda

• Date of birth: April 6, 1967

• Current occupation and employer (may also list up to two other jobs you’ve held); if retired, list your last job and employer: currently not employed; former public policy director, ACLU of Maryland

• Political experience (public offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years): N/A

• Campaign information:

1 – Why are you running for this office? (75 words max)

I am running because I want to make the world a better place. It may sound corny to some, even naïve to others, but it is truly why I am running. I have spent my life fighting for social justice, and serving as a Delegate is the next, best way to continue working for the values of equality and fairness that I — and the District 16 residents I have spoken with — believe in.

2 – What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it? (100 words max)

I don’t think there is any one issue that is the most important in this race or to our district. Having knocked on thousands of doors, I know that our residents are concerned about many issues, from civil rights and liberties to the environment to education to traffic to health care to taxes and more. My priorities are the first three listed here, and the specific plans to address them include not only what is listed on my website, but most importantly bringing together interested parties to move good policies forward.

3 – What is one major issue the current House has handled poorly and what would you have done differently? (100 words max)

This year, we saw good environmental legislation that has broad public support defeated by corporate lobbying — including cleaning up our energy grid and clearing polystyrene from our streets and streams. As someone endorsed by the Sierra Club of Maryland and the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, these issues are a priority for me. I would help build support among progressive legislators to overcome corporate opposition. In particular, we must do more to build a clean energy grid in Maryland and I support strengthening our renewable energy standards for a solar and wind powered future.

4 – What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (100 words max)

I have experience as a litigator on civil rights cases, as General Counsel of NARAL Pro-Choice America working on federal and state reproductive rights policy, and as the Policy Director for the ACLU of Maryland. I spent years immersed in the Maryland legislative process: drafting bills, building coalitions, lobbying legislators, negotiating amendments, devising floor strategies, working with leadership to pass bills, and even working veto overrides. I spent many years bringing together unlikely partners and forging relationships with diverse groups and legislators for progressive causes. I know the process and the players, and have built a solid reputation in Annapolis.

Samir Paul

• Where you live: Bethesda

• Date of birth: 29 years old as of the primary and general election dates

• Current occupation and employer (may also list up to two other jobs you’ve held); if retired, list your last job and employer: Computer science teacher, Montgomery County Public Schools; consultant in advanced analytics/optimization, IBM; field organizer, Obama for America

• Political experience (public offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years): First-time candidate. I am a Democratic Party precinct official and an executive board member of Montgomery County Young Democrats.

• Campaign information:

1 – Why are you running for this office? (75 words max)

Every young person should have the same kinds of opportunities my brother and I had after my parents came to this country as Indian immigrants. Maryland can be the best place in the country to go to school, raise a family, start a business, and retire in comfort and dignity. And we can make it so by modernizing our schools, growing our private-sector economy, investing in infrastructure, and leading the nationwide fight against climate change.

2 – What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it? (100 words max)

We have a chance to overhaul Maryland’s school funding for the first time since 2002. As an award-winning computer science teacher, I can help create real educational progress. Specifically, I will close our $3 billion school funding gap; deliver more school construction money; recruit/retain the best teachers; advance arts and STEM; fund universal pre-K; and rebuild our vocational programs.

The first proposal included a $354 million cut in state funding for us.  We need pro-equity, pro-Montgomery funding that helps us meet the needs of our growing community.  I’ll go to Annapolis and stand up for Montgomery County kids.

3 – What is one major issue the current House has handled poorly and what would you have done differently? (100 words max)

The Assembly failed again to clean up our renewable portfolio standard, which governs how much of our electricity comes from clean sources (like wind and solar) and how much comes from dirty sources (like coal and natural gas). The problem is that we still provide state subsidies for some shamefully dirty power: most notably, for power generated by burning garbage and black liquor, a waste product from the state’s paper mills. Both release CO2 and other noxious gases. If we are serious about fighting climate change, we need to be honest about where our energy comes from.

4 – What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (100 words max)

My experience stands out in key ways. The first is my tech/computer science experience. At IBM, I used technology to save taxpayers millions of dollars. I’ll grow our private-sector knowledge-economy and cybersecurity industry.

I was a successful field staffer on the 2012 Obama campaign, where I organized dairy farmers, correctional officers, teachers, and small business owners in rural Wisconsin.

As 2016’s Rising Star Teacher of the Year, I have helped organize efforts like reclaiming casino revenues promised to our kids. With big changes coming to education in Maryland, we need an experienced teacher-leader-activist to sustain and modernize our schools.

Digital Partners

Enter our essay contest