This is no time for business as usual. The Republicans have taken over the Governorship and Lieutenant Governorship in Maryland, captured the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court – and they are now threatening to take Paul Sarbanes’ Senate seat with millions of dollars of special-interest cash. We need to revitalize the Democratic Party from top to bottom and take back Maryland. I will not be a machine politician. I’ll stand up to the “pay for play” contributors and the backroom deal-makers and power-brokers. That means ending special-interest giveaways, such as the utility deregulation that is leading to massive increases in electricity, gas, and cable bills for all of us.

I do not solicit or accept money from gambling interests. I do not solicit or accept money from corporations or partnerships, and I will introduce legislation to ban them during my first week in office.

As District 20’s State Senator, I pledge to:

• Hold regular town hall meetings in every corner of District 20 to solicit the opinions of the community on important issues ranging from the ICC and Beltway widening to universal health coverage and environmental protection for all Marylanders to and the death penalty.
• Be an active and articulate leader for revitalizing the Democratic Party and making the State Senate transparent, accountable and progressive.
• Work with community groups, civic associations, unions and progressive policy specialists to develop a sweeping agenda for real progressive change in our state.