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JoanCole4MD
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(443)261-4353
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www.instagram.com/joancole4md/
I support data centers, but only with strict guardrails. While they provide vital tax revenue to fund our schools and infrastructure, they cannot come at the expense of our residents' utility bills or water security.
I advocate for a "smart growth" approach: prioritizing brownfield redevelopment over green space, requiring on-site renewable energy, and ensuring noise mitigation for neighbors. We need progress that pays its way without compromising Maryland’s rural character.
I see three main culprits: skyrocketing capacity costs, aging infrastructure, and the massive energy demand from new data centers. Currently, everyday Marylanders are unfairly subsidizing the grid upgrades needed for these large corporations.
My plan? First, a "User Pays" policy so data centers cover 100% of the infrastructure they trigger. Second, I’ll fight to end "guaranteed utility profits" and pass direct bill credits to give families immediate relief. No more blank checks.
I support improving public transportation, but we must be smart and fiscally responsible. Expanding transit isn't just about buses and trains; it’s about economic access. Better transit connects our workforce to high-paying jobs and reduces the soul-crushing traffic that we all experience.
However, we must prioritize Transit-Oriented Development, building housing and shops near stations so the system pays for itself through a stronger tax base. We need reliability, not just ribbons to cut.
Facing a $1.4 billion deficit, we must stop budgeting by wishful thinking. My three priorities are:
Economic Growth: I’ll fight for the ENOUGH Initiative to lift families out of poverty, it’s cheaper to invest in people now than pay for social failure later.
Education: I support the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, but only with strict local oversight to ensure money reaches classrooms, not bureaucracy.
Public Safety: We must maintain record funding for public safety.
I believe Maryland’s strength is our diversity. To support our immigrant neighbors, I prioritize three areas:
Safety: I support the Community Trust Act to ensure local police focus on public safety, not federal immigration enforcement, so everyone feels safe calling 911.
Healthcare: I advocate for expanding the Maryland Access to Care Act so all residents can buy health insurance.
Workforce: I’ll fight to remove licensing barriers for foreign-trained professionals.
Campaign Phone
(240)774-0536
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instagram.com/HeidiSchmidtMaryland31
Data centers represent an opportunity for economic development both in the form of job growth and expansion of the tax base, but their potential negative impacts must be addressed by smart growth initiatives. For example, data centers should pay their own costs with regard to power generation and overall impact on public utilities. Additionally, these developments must have community support in order to proceed.
There are several factors contributing to Marylanders bearing higher energy costs: increased PJM Interconnection costs; rising demand; the need for increased local generation; and the impact of BGE’s acquisition by Exelon. Maryland needs an all-of-the-above approach, engaging both local and regional stakeholders to tackle this issue by increasing and diversifying our energy generation, coordinating with neighboring states to reduce costs, and ensuring utility profits are reinvested locally.
Yes. Access to reliable transportation is a key requirement for economic growth. Workers need to get to jobs and residents need to access healthcare and other essentials. Regional transportation connects the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area to the Mid-Atlantic and the wider Northeast Corridor. Public transit reduces congestion on our roads and highways, while opening up countless opportunities for all Marylanders.
My budget priorities include: funding critical education programs to protect our most vulnerable learners; ensuring all Marylanders have affordable access to healthcare; and providing the necessary infrastructure investments to unlock our economic potential.
Roughly 1 in 6 Marylanders are immigrants, serving as a key component of our workforce, particularly in STEM and healthcare. Maryland would be poorer - both culturally and economically - were it not for the contributions of our immigrant communities. Unfortunately, today many of our neighbors in these communities are living in fear. We have a duty to ensure that all Marylanders are treated with dignity and that their Constitutional rights are protected, regardless of their country of origin.
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4435298914
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www.instagram.com/latoya_nkongolo/
I support the growth of data centers, recognizing their importance, especially as Northern Virginia leads the world in this industry. However, we must consider the impact on the communities where they are built. Data centers should be responsible for securing and sustaining their own power supply, rather than placing additional strain on local infrastructure and residents.
Our energy bills have skyrocketed, with a large portion going toward delivery charges, program fees, taxes, and other add-ons, not just actual usage. One practical way to lower costs is for Maryland to reopen power plants, allowing us to produce more of our own energy and reduce reliance on expensive external sources.
Maryland is diverse, and transportation needs vary widely from urban, suburban to rural communities. A one size fits all approach doesn’t work. I support improving public transportation where it makes sense and is cost-effective, but we must also invest in roads and infrastructure. Local communities should have flexibility to decide what solutions best meet their specific needs.
In 2026, Maryland saw record tax and fee increases, including steep car registration hikes, even as the state faces a record fiscal year 2027 budget. My priorities are growing revenue by making Maryland more business friendly and conducting thorough audits to root out fraud, waste, and abuse. I will also continue to fight to protect the Developmental Disabilities Administration, serving our most vulnerable citizens.
Immigrants contribute to Maryland’s economy and communities, and they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. I support policies that promote legal immigration, workforce participation, and small business growth. At the same time, we must uphold the rule of law, secure our borders, and ensure taxpayer funded services are prioritized for citizens and those here legally.
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Chisholmstrong
I’m pro-growth, but I’m not going to let Maryland families subsidize massive energy users.
Data centers don’t just “plug in”, they can consume as much power as entire towns. At a time when we’re already shutting down in-state generation and importing energy, adding that kind of demand without a plan is a recipe for higher bills and greater grid risk.
So my position is simple:
No new data centers unless we can prove the grid can handle it and that ratepayers won’t foot the bill.
Utility costs are rising due to state energy mandates, plant closures, and reliance on imported power, along with surging demand from electrification and data centers. I’ll address this by restoring in-state generation, increasing competition, rolling back costly mandates, and requiring reliability studies so policies don’t drive up prices or risk outages.
Yes, but it must be targeted and cost-effective. We should expand transit where demand is strong and it reduces congestion, while prioritizing maintenance of existing systems. Maryland isn’t one-size-fits-all, so we must also support roads and local flexibility. The goal is better mobility without wasting taxpayer dollars or ignoring how most residents actually travel.
My top priorities are lowering costs, restoring fiscal discipline, and protecting core services. I will fight to rein in energy mandates and reduce utility costs, audit wasteful spending, especially in underperforming programs, and prioritize funding for public safety, infrastructure, and education. Government should live within its means while delivering results for taxpayers.
Immigrants are an important part of our communities and economy. I support policies that promote opportunity, legal pathways to work, and access to education and essential services. At the same time, we must uphold the rule of law and ensure resources are used responsibly. My focus is on safe communities, economic growth, and fairness for all Marylanders.
I am troubled with the amount of electricity these data centers will demand. Which will ultimately raise the utility bills on its current customers. I believe the data centers should be required to produce their own electric needs.
The premature shutting down of power plants with little to no alternatives in place. They were closed due to poorly thought out bills passed in Annapolis.
The sate excessively funds public transportation at the expense of failing infrastructures.
Maryland has one of the most expensive budgets in the country. My goals are to reduce the burdens placed on tax payers and give relief where possible.
I am for immigration as long as it is done legally and well vetted.
Data centers represent real economic opportunity, but that opportunity has to be weighed against real costs to the grid, water supply, and land. My answer is conditional: yes, with binding requirements that internalize those costs rather than passing them to residents or the environment. Facilities that draw heavily on the grid during peak demand should pay a consumption fee that funds grid resilience and demand-side management programs: operating here shouldn't come subsidized by residents.
Aging infrastructure, grid strain from data centers, and continued investment in fossil generation when solar is now cheaper to build and faster to deploy. The fix is accelerating renewable buildout, particularly on state-owned properties, so Maryland stops paying the fossil premium. Ratepayers shouldn't subsidize yesterday's energy choices. Every dollar we delay costs them more and solar and wind provide a far cheaper levelized cost of electricity (LCOE).
Yes. Maryland's population is growing and road capacity isn't. Without meaningful investment in public transit, congestion gets worse, commute times climb, and vehicle emissions follow. Expanding access, especially in underserved suburban and rural corridors, reduces cars on the road, cuts transportation emissions, and connects workers to jobs. Congestion is also an economic drag. Transit investment pays for itself in productivity and air quality alone.
My top three: the Legislature Public Accountability Act, the Maryland Energy Independence Corporation, and workforce reentry. LPAA restructures legislative compensation and oversight to control runaway managerial growth that costs taxpayers more than the reform itself. MEIC puts solar on state-owned properties, cutting energy costs without raising rates. Workforce reentry turns a recurring cost center into a net fiscal positive through trades training. Spend smart now, save more later.
Maryland residents are Maryland residents. Full stop. Where you were born doesn't change your right to safe housing, access to services, or equal treatment under state law. My job as a delegate is to represent the people of this state, and that means all of them. I'll oppose any effort to use state resources to enforce federal policy against Maryland residents in line with the Constitutional Anti-Commandeering Doctrine, and I'll support equal access to state programs regardless of origin.
