Maryland State Senate District 38 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Maryland, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Maryland State Senate District 38 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

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• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Maryland State Senate District 38

Incumbent Mary Beth Carozza defeated Michele Gregory in the general election for Maryland State Senate District 38 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Beth Carozza (R)	66.4	32,277
		Michele Gregory (D)	33.5	16,273
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	45

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 48,595
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

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Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Michele Gregory (D)

Healthcare

Education

Environment

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Michele Gregory (D)

Michele is running to ensure that all Marylanders have easy access to quality health care and medications without having to worry about incurring devastating medical debt that currently impacts one in five Americans. As a councilperson, she has worked on efforts to end medical debt, increase paid sick leave, and support prescription affordability. In the Senate, she is committed to capping the costs of life-saving medications, revisiting the Commission on Universal HealthCare’s recommendations, and restricting medical debt. Recognizing that the Chesapeake Bay watershed, larger coastal ecosystem, and biodiversity of the Eastern Shore are national treasures worthy of sustaining for future generations, she has served on the Environmental Policy Task Force and the Sustainability Committee for the City of Salisbury; worked to pass the Community Healthy Air Act; lead the effort to pass Environmental Policy Task Force recommendations; opposed offshore drilling and the Delmar pipeline; supported offshore wind, solar, and alternative energy sources; and championed the development of green energy employment opportunities. In the Senate, she will prioritize the creation of more green energy jobs on the Lower Shore, support efforts to improve climate mitigation and protect our coastal communities from flooding, and work to reduce lead levels in school water and improve municipal water.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Michele Gregory (D)

Politically, I would say Elizabeth Warren, however, my aunt and uncle had a massive impact on my interest in politics. My uncle had worked in politics for decades, including for President Kennedy, while my aunt was a legislative aide on the Hill.

Senator Warren has been a tireless champion for those who are left behind by the system, working to improve our public policy long before she was elected. I admire her advocacy for those who are often left behind.

My aunt and uncle always made sure to provide me with experiences I would never have otherwise. They kept me connected withand educated me on other cultures through the arts, while exposing me to deep discussions on politics.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Michele Gregory (D)

Empathy should be first and foremost. Being able to understand the struggles our constituents have is key. I also believe a spirit of cooperation while having a moral center that doesn't bend from what is right for all.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Michele Gregory (D)

Constituent services!! Being responsive to those we are representing is honestly the most important job a legislator has.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Michele Gregory (D)

I was living in the UK at the time the then Prince Charles married Princess Diana. As the daughter of an immigrant, my father always worked to make me acutely aware of my family's culture while learning to look at the inequalities in the system.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Michele Gregory (D)

My first job in my chosen career was as a senior staff of a local childcare that served mainly underprivileged children, close to 95% of which were on purchase of care vouchers Prior to that I worked in various retail jobs.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Michele Gregory (D)

Foundations by Issac Asimov. I'm an old school scifi nerd.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Michele Gregory (D)

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Michele Gregory (D)

I believe an ideal relationship is one where cooperation is key, and no issue is left unaddressed.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Michele Gregory (D)

Our struggling infrastructure, whether our water treatment or healthcare, our farms or

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Michele Gregory (D)

It is beneficial to an extent. Having some experience working with government through advocacy and representing smaller regions like county or municipal governments is the ideal. When someone has never worked at a micro levels, they often don't have a perspective of how their legislative actions impact people on the ground level.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Michele Gregory (D)

Absolutely. Both as a community organizer and municipal leader, I've already established very good relationships with state legislators from around the state. Being able to work with other legislators is the most effective ways to represent a district, because it will allow for getting legislation passed that benefits the constituents of the district.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Michele Gregory (D)

I favor the process we recently went though in the city of Salisbury, where we brought in an impartial third party that made all the districts as equitable by as many metrics as possible.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Michele Gregory (D)

Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee Finance Committee

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Michele Gregory (D)

No, I prefer to work at the state level at most.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Michele Gregory (D)

Yes, and I believe it is possible to compromise while making progress and significantly impacting the lives of our region for the better.

See also

More about these elections:

• Maryland State Senate elections, 2022

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