Lee Havis
RepublicanQ1 Maryland residents are facing sharply rising electricity bills driven by a combination of power plant retirements, surging market prices, and rapidly growing demand (including from the proliferation of data centers across the region). If elected, what specific steps will you take to address the causes of high energy costs for Maryland residents and businesses, including data centers?
“Remove state from RGGI (Greenhouse Gas Initiative); free up local energy generation through low-cost, reliable energy, especially through natural gas. Work to speed up and facilitate nuclear power plant development. Repeal legislation that restricts and limits gas-based energy use, such as by mandating elimination of gas-fueled cars. Restrict bad energy generation through large-scale taxing for solar and wind. Reject the whole “climate change” crisis argument against CO2.”
Q2 Since early 2025, Maryland has lost nearly 25,000 federal jobs (more than any other state) as funding cuts to federal agencies including the NIH, NASA, and NIST take effect. How would you approach strengthening Maryland’s economy, and what steps would you take to ensure that workers across different roles and education levels benefit from those efforts?
“The key to job growth and a healthy economy begins with proper education for independent thinking, self-reliance, and basic skill knowledge in reading and math. For this, the whole system of public education needs to be transformed away from “social engineering”, and towards basic academic skills. Offer more choice and opportunity for practical trade skills that prepare for useful, productive life in society. Restrict student loan debt without credible accountability for repayment through the involvement of private banks.”
Q3 Maryland faces public health challenges ranging from stark socioeconomic health disparities, a behavioral health and opioid crisis that disproportionately impacts communities of color, gaps in rural mental health access, and a strained public health infrastructure. What evidence-based policies do you support to improve community health for your constituents?
“Strong support for concept of “my body, my choice”, which means that all public policy should enable individual choice of doctor and medical services. Again, proper early learning for self-reliance and practical life skills will remove need for extensive medical intervention for mental health and chronic disease therapies later on. Schools need to support only helathy, natural food programs. Choice and competition in public education is important component to support parental involvement and responsibility to assure guidance in making wise medical and personal health decisions later on.”
Q4 Across the state of Maryland, science and STEM education cultivate interest at a lower rate than intended, too few community-college students successfully transfer and complete bachelor’s degrees, and college affordability remains vulnerable to shifts in federal student aid and support. What evidence-based policies do you support to build a strong science and STEM pipeline from public schools and K-12 programs through colleges and universities for the next generation of Marylanders?
“Support free tuition to state institutions of higher education for in-state students who show highschool academic ability to succeed in STEM major in college. Contingent on continued success in completing degree once enrolled. More students will qualify through sufficient high SAT scores, for example, as choice and competition at the K-12 level is assured for those skilled in STEM to excel at their own pace at that earlier level. Alternatives need to be made available for individualized learning in mixed aged groups, rather than separated by age-determined curriculum mandated by state.”
Q5 What policies, if any, do you support or envision for managing land-based resources in your district (i.e. water, open-space preserves, parks)?
“Local zoning needs to avoid crowding people into single locations. Transportation needs to facilitate movement through private, personal means, such as car and bicycle, rather than just public transportation. Government needs to secure and preserve open space for natural park and wild life habitat.”
Q6 What advisory mechanisms will you implement to ensure that evidence and scientific findings play a crucial role in your policymaking process?
“Support and encourage private organization to have a seat at the table of public policy decisions wherever possible. Expanding charter schools, home schooling, and choice in non-public education is a critical component of this non-government involvement in public policy decision-making.”
Q7 What initiatives will you take to support investment in innovation via federal science funding?
“Limit tax-based funding in science to only projects and programs that have strong support for practical value in society. Basis of this support is best assured by private funding and initiative already invested in such study and research.”