In preparation for the July primary election, the Maryland Farm Bureau Political Action Committee (PAC) announces its endorsement of candidates for the MD General Assembly. Each election, the MDFB PAC looks at incumbent voting records, reviews candidate questionnaires and solicits recommendations from county Farm Bureau organizations to determine candidates who are friends of MD agriculture.

“There is very real support needed to run for office, so when a candidate who wants to do what’s best for farmers steps up, we need to help them get elected,” said Michael Calkins, MDFB PAC chair. “Protecting a farmer’s ability to farm is part of Maryland Farm Bureau’s mission. These candidates have a track record of standing up for laws preserving our rural or agricultural livelihoods.”

As agricultural production, processing and distribution contribute greatly to our state’s economy, tax base and workforce, MDFB endorses the following candidates in order to help preserve agricultural and rural careers and ways of life:

Senate:

District 1, Mike McKay

District 2, Paul D. Corderman

District 3, Jay Mason

District 4, William “Bill” Folden

District 5, Justin Ready

District 6, Johnny Ray Salling

District 7, J.B. Jennings

District 8, Katherine Klausmeier

District 9, Katie Fry Hester

District 10, Ben Brooks

District 11, Shelly Hettleman

District 13, Guy Guzzone

District 14, Craig J. Zucker

District 15, Brian J. Feldman

District 16, Susan C. Lee

District 20, Will Smith

District 23, Ron Watson

District 26, C. Anthony Muse

District 27, Michael A. Jackson

District 29, Jack Bailey

District 30, Sarah Elfreth

District 31, Bryan W. Simonaire

District 32, Pamela Beidle

District 33, Dawn D. Gile

District 34, Mary Ann Lisanti

District 35, Jason C. Gallion

District 36, Stephen S. Hershey Jr.

District 38, Mary Beth Carozza

District 39, Nancy J. King

District 41, Jill P. Carter

District 42, Chris West

District 43, Mary Washington

District 45, Cory V. McCray

District 46, Bill Ferguson

House:

District 1A, Jim Hinebaugh Jr.

District 1B, Jason C. Buckel

District 1C, Terry L. Baker

District 2A, William Valentine

District 2A, William Joseph Wivell

District 2B, Brenda J. Thiam

District 3, Ken Kerr

District 4, Barrie S. Ciliberti

District 4, April Fleming Miller

District 4, Jesse T. Pippy

District 5, April Rose

District 5, Scott Jendrek

District 5, Sallie B. Taylor

District 6, Robin Grammer Jr.

District 6, Bob Long

District 6, Ric Metzgar

District 7A, Joseph C. Boteler III

District 7, Kathy Szeliga

District 9A, Trent Kittleman

District 9A, Natalie Ziegler

District 10, Adrienne A. Jones

District 10, Jennifer White

District 11B, Jon S. Cardin

District 11B, Dana M. Stein

District 13, Vanessa Atterbeary

District 14, Anne R. Kaiser

District 14, Eric Luedtke

District 14, Pamela Queen

District 15, Linda Foley

District 15, David Fraser-Hidalgo

District 15, Lily Qi

District 16, Marc Korman

District 17, Kumar P. Barve

District 23, Remi Duyile

District 23, Marvin E. Holmes Jr.

District 27A, Susie Proctor

District 27B, Rachel Jones

District 27C, Mark N. Fisher

District 28, Debra Davis

District 28, Edith J. Patterson

District 28, C.T. Wilson

District 29A, Matt Morgan

District 29B, Brian Crosby

District 29C, Todd B. Morgan

District 30A, Doug Rathell

District 30B, Seth Howard

District 31, Brian A. Chisholm

District 31, Nicholaus R. Kipke

District 31, Rachel Munoz

District 33B, Stuart Michael Schmidt Jr.

District 33C, Heather Bagnall

District 34A, Teresa Walter

District 34A, Steve Johnson

District 34B, Susan K. McComas

District 35A, Mike Griffith

District 35A, Teresa Reilly

District 35B, Kevin B. Hornberger

District 36, Steve Arentz

District 36, Jeff Ghrist

District 36, Jay A. Jacobs

District 37A, Sheree Sample-Hughes

District 37B, Christopher T. Adams

District 38A, Charles James Otto

District 38B, Carl L. Anderton Jr.

District 38C, Wayne A. Hartman

District 40, Marlon D. Amprey

District 40, Melissa Wells

District 41, Bilal Ali

District 42A, Nino Mangione

District 42B, Michele Guyton

District 43A, Regina T. Boyce

MDFB PAC will also meet in August to endorse candidates for statewide office: governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller and attorney general. It may also make additional endorsement of candidates for General Assembly.

Maryland has hundreds of PACs. There are a handful that are bipartisan and even fewer that focus on agriculture. MDFB PAC is uniquely run by a bipartisan board of directors comprised of working farmers from across the state. It is the leading farm-related political action committee in MD supporting a diverse range of candidates who fight for farm families.