Meet the Democratic Senate candidates not named Trone or Alsobrooks

Tired of the skirmishes between the leading Democratic contenders for the U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks? Looking for alternatives for the May 14 primary?

Democratic voters have other choices – eight to be exact. While their messages have been largely overshadowed by the millions spent by the two frontrunners, here are a few things to know about other Democrats seeking to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D):

Michael Cobb Sr.

Cobb, a roofer, said he is running to change the Democratic Party, which he says has become “too progressive.”

The Middle River native criticized the party’s position of slowing oil drilling and banning fracking for natural gas. He also wants to prevent the use of wind farms.

As senator, Cobb said he would aim to increase the number of oil drilling jobs domestically and enforce gun control laws. The candidate hopes to bring “accountability” to Congress and take care of the average American.

“I never wanted to get into politics,” Cobb said. “But someone has to stand up for the ordinary working class.”

Marcellus crews

Crews, a business owner and IT specialist, said he is running because he is “fed up” with existing crime and welfare policies. Crews said none of these problems can be solved without a strong education system.

“Education is a vehicle that puts us, as a nation, back on the path to global leadership,” Crews said.

The Prince George’s County resident decided to run after joking with his wife and employees. Then his wife sat him down and convinced him to enter the race.

Crews said he hopes to establish professional certifications as a different path to jobs outside of a college degree. As senator, he will seek to improve Maryland’s education system to grow the state’s workforce. mitigate losses due to school dropout rates and rehabilitate returning convicts. Crews hopes to distinguish himself by having a clear vision guiding his policy decisions.

“It is time for our society to return to its fundamentals,” he said.

Crews has lived in Maryland for almost 37 years, residing in Upper Marlboro. He founded CREWSING Technology in 2009 and has been its CEO ever since.

Brian Frydenborg

Fryenborg said he was surprised by Cardin’s retirement last year and wondered who would replace him. Inspired by the book “Dismantling Utopia: How Information Ended the Soviet Union” by Scott Shane and his desire to shape policy, Fryenborg decided to run for Cardin’s seat.

Although he’s impressed with the favorites – Trone and Alsobrooks – he doesn’t think they have what it takes to beat Hogan. The candidate pointed to recent Baltimore Sun polls that show Trone and Alsobrooks losing to Hogan by 7 and 8 points, respectively.

Frydenborg said his top priority is preventing former President Donald Trump’s re-election and the “existential threat” the former president poses to democracy. Fryenborg said if elected, he would introduce legislation providing federal tax credits for renters earning less than $70,000, improving maternal health and resolving credit card debt.

The self-described “politics nerd” hopes to serve as a third option for voters, as he has nearly 25 years of experience researching and writing about politics, including foreign policy and humanitarian aid. He worked as a freelance journalist, founding his own site, Real Context News, and his work has been featured in other publications such as Newsweek and Business Insider. He has also been cited in NATO cyber defense reports and in reports by the international media organization Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s.

Fryenborg said he would be the kind of person a senator would hire to write policy. “I say we need to cut out the middlemen,” he said.

Scottie Griffin

Griffin is a longtime educator who believes her experience in policy development and implementation will be valuable in the Senate. Griffin was an officer of the Women’s Democratic Club of Montgomery County and an international team leader at the National Presbyterian Church, headquartered in Washington, DC. Although she is interested in politics, she said now is not the right time to run. for any elected position until she has achieved other career goals.

Griffin has over 12 years of experience as an educator in various positions, including academic coordinator for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services’ Juvenile Services Education Program. As senator, she wants to increase access to higher education for disadvantaged youth through scholarships and grants, and reduce the tax rate for those earning less than $50,000 a year. Griffin also wants the state to retrain law enforcement officers to reduce the use of deadly force and increase racial sensitivity.

Robert Houton

Houton is running to end the fentanyl crisis. Fentanyl overdoses in the state increased 108% between 2018 and 2021, Houton said. Her children have friends who died of overdoses.

Hudson says he helped politicians create legislation to combat fentanyl use, the Fentanyl Safe Testing and Overdose Prevention Act in the U.S. Senate and its companion bill, the Chronic Disease Management Act of 2021, in the House of Representatives. The Senate bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify that possession and transportation of fentanyl or xylazine tests is not illegal. The bill is co-sponsored by 10 senators, including Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D).

The Boston-born candidate also wants to address the issue of affordable housing. One of his proposals is to transform some commercial real estate properties in the state into affordable housing.

Houton decided to run after the fentanyl bill was introduced in the Senate.

“Knowing that this was a successful accomplishment amplified the urgency (of running for Senate),” Houton said.

The association’s founder also plans to continue the campaign after the primaries. Houton said he has been in contact with the Maryland State Board of Elections and believes he is qualified to go on the November ballot as an independent Senate candidate.

Joseph Pérez

Perez, a former Justice Department contractor, said he is running for Senate to reduce the public debt and government spending. One of his proposals is to require expense reporting for organizations receiving government funding, according to an article in the Frederick News-Post.

He took the same approach to combating climate change, arguing that such efforts to combat climate change require more accountability and should primarily focus national efforts. Perez said his upbringing, which included immigrating to Northern Virginia as a child, would help inform his tenure. “Maryland could benefit from a representative in the U.S. Senate who has experienced the hardships of living paycheck to paycheck, living on credit,” Perez said in his campaign biography.

Steven Scuferer

Scuferer said governments should not make medical decisions for people. His priorities include creating a council of elected doctors to be involved in policy decisions and combatting gun violence by making mental health evaluations part of the requirements for purchasing a gun.

Scuferer said he doesn’t support large amounts of money being invested in elections, which is why he chooses to talk to people in person as much as possible.

The IT specialist said he seeks to be the voice of the average American. “Their struggles were my struggles,” he said.

AJ Wildman

Wildman, a frequent job applicant, has worked as a business systems analyst and consultant for 30 years. The Carroll County resident seeks to combat bullying in K-12 schools. He also wants to limit the use of telephones by students in schools and reinstate the death penalty. He also wants to introduce rent controls and food price regulations. He hopes to eliminate “racial divisions” and create simple solutions for Maryland residents.

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