League of Women Voters hosts remaining Democratic candidates for Congress at forum

Three weeks ahead of the 2024 primary election, the Frederick County League of Women voters hosted one last virtual forum on Tuesday for candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to represent Maryland's 6th District in Congress.

The League previously hosted two other forums for Democratic candidates, of which there are 13, and one forum for Republican candidates, of which there are six.

All are trying to win the U.S. House seat currently held by Rep. David Trone, who is hoping to succeed outgoing Sen. Ben Cardin in the opposite chamber.

Participants in Tuesday's online forum included Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, state Del. Joe Vogel (D-17) and Kiambo "Bo" White, a union organizer who has never before run for office.

During the forum, the three candidates outlined different approaches to addressing the problem of gun violence.

Vogel said he would advance "the kinds of policies that have overwhelming support," including universal background checks for prospective gun owners and a ban on assault weapons.

In addition, Vogel called for overturning the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a 2005 law that largely shields manufacturers and distributors of firearms from liability when their products are used in crimes.

Sayles suggested a multifaceted approach to the gun violence issue involving public schools, the health care system, and the criminal justice system. She referred to a recent incident in which a Montgomery County student was arrested after police discovered a plan to carry out a school shooting.

"We cannot continue to just incarcerate people," Sayles said. "We need to ensure that we are investing in positive youth development to be proactive in our efforts to combat gun violence."

White said members of Congress need to stop claiming that putting "measures in place that protect all of us" is a threat to individual rights.

"Ever since before President Obama was elected, lies were spread that the Democrats or the left were gonna take away all your guns," White said. "This has not happened. Unfortunately, there are more guns being sold legally and illegally."

Each candidate also answered questions about other matters under the purview of Congress, including immigration, climate change and reproductive health care.

Asked how the federal government should respond to the influx of people seeking asylum in the United States, Vogel said the immigration system should be reformed to prioritize "the human dignity of those asylum seekers."

"This is personal for me. My great grandparents escaped Eastern Europe right before the Holocaust, and they weren't able to seek refuge in the United States," Vogel said. "I believe that the United States has to be a country that welcomes refugees."

On the relationship between extreme weather and climate change, Sayles voiced support for President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" plan, which includes initiatives such as developing a "pollution-free" power sector by 2035 and improving public infrastructure.

Sayles said Congress needs to allocate funding to "make sure that we actually have infrastructure in place to withstand hundred-year floods that we're seeing all across the country," including in Maryland's 6th District.

Asked whether Congress should pass a national law on access to reproductive health care, White said Roe v. Wade — a now-overturned Supreme Court decision that limited the ability of states to restrict abortion — should be codified.

"I come from a family that has some health issues that come with pregnancies, and a lot of these medicines that are helpful are now trying to be utilized as weapons for a certain side," White said.

In addition to the congressional forums, the Frederick County League of Women Voters plans to host two forums for candidates running for the Frederick County Board of Education.

The school board candidates will be split up between two forums, both of which will begin at 6:30 p.m. The first forum will be on Thursday, while the second will be on April 30.

All registered voters in Frederick County, regardless of their political affiliation, may vote in the Board of Education primary. Other offices are partisan. The 2024 primary election is May 14 and the general election is Nov. 5.