Contributor Opinion by John Cooper-Martin: Cheryl Kagan Will Make a Great State Senator for District 17

By John Cooper-Martin:

A life-long Democrat, Cheryl Kagan won election to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1994. She proudly represented District 17 (Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park) in Annapolis, for eight years. There, she earned a reputation as an independent-minded legislator and was particularly effective in her work on the Appropriations Committee. This is the very same District she will serve, if elected State Senator.

After eight years in the House, Cheryl chose not to seek reelection. She continued advancing important issues by serving as the first-ever Executive Director of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation. Under Cheryl’s guidance, the Foundation distributed over $1,000,000 each year to deserving nonprofit organizations primarily in Montgomery County (MD) and Sussex County (DE). Grants, capacity-building programs, and leadership institutes provided support for worthy organizations working on behalf of the underprivileged, the environment, education, the elderly, and the arts. Following the untimely death of the Foundation’s Chair, Cheryl coordinated the creation of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation as well.

Over the years, Cheryl has committed her time and talents as a political and strategic consultant and spokesperson. Her candidates and causes have been at both the federal and local levels and have included electing progressive Democrats; reducing drug and alcohol dependence; and creating affordable housing for working people. Most recently, she earned the title of “Professor Kagan” for the course she teaches on State & Local Government at Montgomery College. For many years, she has been a regular Democratic commentator on CBS TV’s Washington D.C. affiliate and other media outlets.

An active volunteer, Cheryl served eight years on the Maryland State Arts Council and just completed six years as Vice President of the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County. She was appointed by the County Executive to the Charter Review Commission and by the Chancellor to the Board of Advisors of the Universities at Shady Grove. She currently serves on the boards of the American Jewish Committee and Americans for Democratic Action. She is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery (Class of 2002) and continues to volunteer with the organization. Along with her husband, David Spitzer (a career Montgomery County public school teacher), Cheryl is the founder and co-host of “Folk ‘N Great Music,” which brings nationally known acoustic singer-songwriters into an intimate performance setting. Cheryl’s commitment to supporting the artists has resulted in their series becoming the first unionized house concert venue in the country!

Twice recognized as one of Maryland’s “Top 100 Women,” Cheryl was also selected by Montgomery County’s Business and Professional Women as a “Woman of Achievement” and as both a Blaustein and Comay Fellow by the American Jewish Committee. The Greater Washington Board of Trade twice recognized her for leadership on behalf of the Intercounty Connector, and The Baltimore Sun named her as one of their “Rising Stars.”

Cheryl has been endorsed by several organizations, including NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland to the Sierra Club, Firefighters, Service Employees, and others They believe, as I do, that Cheryl will be a more effective champion for the environment, working families, or women’s reproductive choices.

We need a leader, in Annapolis, representing us; Cheryl Kagan is a leader. These are hard times, for Montgomery County, and the rest of Maryland. Cheryl will be a champion, for the causes that are important to us, as citizens of Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park. Cheryl’s legislative priorities include: focusing on our fiscal priorities, supporting public education, improving transportation options, promoting public safety, providing affordable housing, protecting our environment, defending reproductive choice, delivering on health care issues, disclosing and limiting campaign finances, and celebrating diversity. These are some of the reasons why so many organizations and people have endorsed Cheryl. For all of these reasons, and many more, I urge you to vote, for Cheryl Kagan, Democrat for State Senate, representing District 17, which is Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park, in the Primary Election, September 14th. Also, you can learn more about Cheryl, including how to support her to win this election on her website: www.CherylKagan.org.

John Cooper-Martin

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to [email protected]. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Share and enjoy:

Hide Sites