David Trone
Party: Democrat
Age: 68
Residence: Potomac (Montgomery County)
Education: Furman University (B.A.); Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (M.B.A.)
Current/Most Recent Position: Member, U.S. House of Representatives/Maryland Dist. 6 (first elected, 2018)
Past Elected Office/Campaign Experience: Candidate for Democratic Nomination, U.S. House of Representatives/Maryland Dist. 8 (2016)
Campaign Website: https://davidtrone.com/
What experience (work, political or other) has best prepared you to be a U.S. senator?
I grew up on a working farm – cleaning hog pens and trekking to an outhouse in the middle of the night. When we lost the farm, I stepped up to support my family by starting a small business. We grew to become a national retailer with one idea: Put people first.
That idea is how I’ve been able to pass legislation that improves mental health care and reforms our racist criminal justice system with Republican support through a divided House and Senate. And it’s why I don’t take money from PACs, lobbyists or corporations. I represent your interests, not theirs.
What is the most important issue currently confronting our nation as a whole, and what specific plans do you have to address it legislatively if elected?
The fight against the opioid crisis is personal to me. We lost 110,000 people to overdoses last year. And if it wasn’t for Narcan, that number would have been 200,000.
I understand how opioids, mental health, and criminal justice intersect, and I’ve delivered solutions to tackle all three. I know that to be successful in a divided Senate– you’ve got to reach across the aisle. And I know what it takes to do that because I’ve done it already to pass 26 bills with my Addiction and Mental Health Task Force last Congress.
What is one major issue the current Senate has handled poorly, and what would you have done differently?
Our leaders aren’t thinking long-term. Career politicians are more focused on serving their donors and chasing easy votes than having tough conversations across the aisle about long-term solutions. The result? Government shutdowns and month-long budgets that leave critical programs–and people’s livelihoods–in limbo.
I’m not afraid to have tough conversations, and I know how to deliver results, regardless of which party is in charge. I don’t take money from PACs, lobbyists, or corporations because I’m not running to fight for them, I’m focused on fighting for you.
What is the state of Maryland’s current greatest need in terms of assistance from the federal government, and what are your plans for obtaining increased aid in that area?
The Key Bridge collapse will change Baltimore City forever. I was there hours after the collapse with Secretary Buttigieg, Gov. Moore, and our brave first responders. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I’m working with President Biden, Secretary Buttigieg, and our federal delegation to get the job done—not just for the port but to rebuild Baltimore’s economy back stronger than ever. Most importantly, we must honor the six Marylanders who lost their lives. They hailed from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, working the toughest jobs during the toughest hours of the day in the shadows with little recognition.
