Retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) gave Montgomery County leaders a glowing review during his last official visit to the county at Montgomery College’s Rockville campus on Friday morning.
“I owe so much to Montgomery County,” Cardin said, specifically citing the efforts of county officials and nonprofit organizers to help and promote local businesses and entrepreneurship programs and to increase diversity and racial equity.
Cardin, who is retiring after 18 years in the Senate, held a roundtable discussion with county elected officials and nonprofit and community leaders at the community college. Among those in attendance were state Dels. Bernice Mireku-North (D-Dist. 14), Lily Qi (D-Dist. 15), Ryan Spiegel (D-Dist. 17) and Teresa Woorman (D-Dist. 16); County Councilmember Evan Glass (D-At-large), Board of Education member Rita Montoya; Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Chief Corey Smedley and several members of the county’s Democratic central committee.
Cardin was also expected to make an appearance at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville and visit Prince George’s County later in the day.
“I don’t even mind that probably two-thirds of the letters that come to my office come from Montgomery County,” Cardin said to the laughter of the group at Montgomery College. “You all are amazing because you really are engaged.”
The Baltimore native announced his decision to retire in May 2023, opening the field to a hotly contested race in which Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) emerged victorious, beating former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Alsobrooks will officially replace Cardin when she is sworn in Jan. 3. Cardin has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 2007.
Montgomery College President Jermaine Williams introduced Cardin and thanked him for his support of the community college and for investments in education across the state.
“We have access to high-quality, affordable education here in Montgomery County and Sen. Cardin has been championing that throughout his career, understanding just the importance of affordable education and all the difference that makes to our residents,” Williams said.
In an interview with MoCo360 following the roundtable, Cardin said Montgomery County is a role model for jurisdictions across the country.
“The activism in this county is really admirable. They are concerned about the environment, they’re concerned about schools, they’re concerned about governance, they even are concerned about foreign policy,” Cardin said. “All the meetings I have [here] are well attended. People are knowledgeable, their advice is helpful … Montgomery County should be used as a national model.”
During the roundtable, local leaders had the opportunity to ask questions of the senator, most of which focused on upcoming potential challenges the county may face once President-elect Donald Trump takes office Jan. 20.
Glass asked about how congressional Democrats were planning to address Trump’s proposed changes to the federal workforce. County officials have shared concerns about the status of federal agencies in the county as well as the county’s thousands of federal employees. County Executive Marc Elrich (D) has said he is concerned that cuts to the federal work force could increase county budget constraints, and that he would have to consider the possibility of proposing tax increases.
“That scares me as a County Council member the most because if that falls apart, our housing, our economy, our schools, everything else suffers,” Glass said.
Cardin said the issue is the “No. 1” priority for the state’s congressional delegation, and that he doesn’t think challenges to the current status of federal agencies and jobs will go down without a fight. He said he believes there would be challenges in the national legislature and “maybe even in the courts” to any substantial proposed changes to federal agencies, particularly those that would not mesh with the checks and balances under the U.S. Constitution.
“I know the Supreme Court is problematic right now with its membership, but I think they’re going to also draw a line here and speak out about this,” Cardin said.
Jackie DeCarlo, CEO of Manna Food Center, asked what the nonprofit community could be doing differently and how to adapt to changing leadership locally and nationally. Manna is a county-based food bank with centers in Silver Spring and Gaithersburg.
“We have a climate in Maryland that’s very positive. The nonprofit community has a lot of credibility in our state. You’ve used that credibility for state policies and federal policies that have been extremely effective,” Cardin said. “The nonprofit community does not have [that reputation] around the nation … we live in a bubble here. We don’t realize the hostilities in this nation … you need to work together to see how you can try to break the mistrust that’s out there.”
Cardin also shared some more light-hearted anecdotes from his long career, which included representing District 3 in the U.S. House of Representatives and serving as a delegate and as House speaker in the Maryland General Assembly. When asked by Woorman how he balanced his political career and personal life, he joked about frequenting the Annapolis bars after work as a young member of the General Assembly.
“You make sacrifices in public service, no question about it, I haven’t eaten dinner at a reasonable hour since I can’t remember when,” Cardin said. “But I made it to almost every one of my granddaughter’s soccer games.”
Cardin told MoCo360 that heading into the next four years, Montgomery County leaders need to show the rest of the country how effective the county has been with its programs in order to continue to receive federal support and resources.
“I think they have to demonstrate what has happened in this county has not only benefited the people of Montgomery County, but our entire nation,” Cardin said. “[County leaders] need to put a spotlight on that, so that our national leaders recognize how important these programs have been and these partnerships have been, not just for the local community, but for our country.”
At the conclusion of the event, Rockville Mayor Monique Ashton and councilmembers Barry Jackson and Adam Van Grack presented Cardin with a special proclamation on behalf of the city of Rockville.
