Laurie Halverson’s Campaign for State Delegate in LD 15 is Focused on Common Sense Solutions for Maryland’s Problems

By Deborah Lambert

Laurie Halverson’s campaign for State Delegate in LD 15 has increased voter awareness of how valuable her experience would be, especially in the field of education. (Her website at LaurieHalversonforDelegate.com contains a detailed rundown of her experience and goals.)

During a recent campaign event hosted by Nancy Griffin and Annette Wolf, GOP Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga spoke about the importance of electing Governor Hogan and candidates like Halverson with community leadership experience who will support his plans to move Maryland forward. 

At this event, Halverson told the audience that Democrat opponents such as Lily Qi, David Fraser-Hidalgo and Kathleen Dumais who all support Ben Jealous for governor, want to take our state in the wrong direction, one that would lead to sanctuary state
status. She added that “these candidates support pot money for universal pre-k, single payer health care, Medicare for all and tuition-free college. Also, gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous wants to free dangerous criminals from our state jails.”

“How will Maryland and District 15 thrive with these fiscally irresponsible and crime-inducing policies? No wonder Governor Hogan is racking up many of the union endorsements. Voters recognize that our governor is doing a good job as a responsible steward and representative of all parties in Maryland.”

Halverson’s campaign was recently given a nod by the Bethesda Magazine: "One of Qi’s opponents, former state Board of Education member Laurie Halverson, is one of only a couple of Republicans given a chance of success this year in a county that has not elected a Republican to office since 2002." (Bethesda Magazine's "Political Roundup" article, October 8, 2018.)

Although Maryland has the unfortunate distinction of being the second least accountable school system in the country, the recently enacted federal plan to determine school accountability actually made the problem worse by implementing a set of “feel good” standards based on weak academic factors.

As a Maryland State Board of Education member in 2017, Halverson worked with fellow board members to develop a comprehensive plan that complied with federal ESSA law, as vetted by the public. However, legislators undercut that work and the General Assembly lowered the academic criteria used to determine school accountability by implementing the“Protect Our Schools Act”that passed the General Assembly in 2017.

Throughout her campaign, Halverson has stated that if she is elected as a state delegate, she will be committed to helping all students succeed through a sensible accountability plan that helps to identify struggling schools and is dedicated to helping all students succeed.

A rundown of Laurie Halverson’s background and expertise includes the following:

1. Passionate education advocate with numerous accomplishments as a former Maryland Board of Education Member and local and county PTA leader.
2. Nation-wide recognition as an Obama administration "White House Champion of Change" for defending children.
3. Depth of experienceas a community leader on a variety of issues for over 15 years.
4. Demonstrated that safety always comes first. Laurie worked with MCPS and the County Council to restore School Resource Officers when they were cut from the budget in the 2011 budget year. She supports fully backing our police force using all legal tools available as they work to eliminate gangs like MS-13.
5. A mom, single parent/widow who understands single parenting, health issues, and financial issues that Maryland families face.
6. Positive relationships already built. Laurie knows how to work with community leaders and elected officials to get things done.
7. Proven bi-partisan leader as a problem solver and unifier, stepping in to lead our communities when government and politics are not working well.
8. Trusted by top elected officials. Appointed to positions by Governor Hogan and County Executive Leggett.
9. Experience in the private sector as a senior benefits analyst for a benefits consulting firm and human resources generalist for a Fortune 500 company. 
10. Committed to strengthening families through policy changes that improve education, bring jobs, shorten commute times, halt rising health care costs, combat the opioid crisis, and more. 

You can find out more about Laurie Halverson’s campaign at LaurieHalversonforDelegate.com