ST. MARY’S COUNTY, Md. – Brian Crosby[D] is running as the incumbent candidate for State Delegate of District 29B in St. Mary’s County. Crosby is a 39-year-old contractor for the Navy.
“After serving five years on active duty as an Army Ranger with three deployments, I chose to live in St. Mary’s County,” Crosby told TheBayNet.com in an interview.
He went on to discuss why he wanted to run for office.
“My life has been dedicated to service. I served in the Army as a Ranger, completing three tours to Afghanistan, and then served Maryland in the National Guard,” he said. “I now support the Navy and serve my district and the state in my role as the Delegate from district 29 B and the Vice Chair of Economic Matters. I truly enjoy helping people find practical solutions to complex problems, and I am hoping to win another four years working for my district in Annapolis.”
Crosby lives with his wife and daughter in Great Mills. He considers being a father, a husband, a U.S. Army Ranger, and getting his bachelors for Drexel University and his J.D. degree from Western Michigan as some of his greatest accomplishments
Crosby talked about some of the issues facing his recently redrawn district.
“The first is ensuring that we create a diverse economic environment that provides stability for our local economy as we move into the future. We need to continue supporting the Patuxent River Naval Air Station while also encouraging other industries, as well as small businesses,” he explained. “I am also very concerned with the pockets of extreme poverty we see in Lexington Park and Great Mills, as well as in other areas of the county. We need to ensure that it is possible to live and prosper in our area by supporting affordable housing initiatives, job creation, healthcare, and mental health options, and world-class schools.”
Crosby named three things he would like to change in Maryland, touching on the environment, the economy, and infrastructure.
“I will continue to encourage Maryland to be a nationwide leader in the creation of clean energy jobs, veteran-friendly economic and living conditions, and complete the Route 5 and Great Mills Intersection,” he said. “I am not against coal-fired energy explicitly, but it is clear that, nationwide, we are moving toward generating clean energy options. Not only is this an important environmental issue, it is also common sense that if we do not jump in and create solutions in Maryland, our workers could be left out of an incredibly important economic engine.”
“Second, our close proximity to Washington makes Maryland home to over 332,000 veterans. As a veteran myself, I feel it is incredibly important to honor these citizens by continuing to expand veteran benefits and incentives in our state.”
“Finally, I want to ensure that Maryland keeps its promise to fully fund the Blueprint to ensure Maryland’s schools are the best in the country. Nothing is more important than ensuring our children have the best education and are prepared for tomorrow’s economy to compete at a global level.”
When asked what would be the easiest and hardest parts of the job if elected, Crosby responded, “As the first freshman delegate in Maryland history to ever have been nominated to a leadership position, the easiest part of the job for me will be bringing state dollars home. When I talk about St. Mary’s, people listen. I don’t say that to be arrogant– I say it to help people understand the benefit of re-electing a Delegate who is in state-wide leadership.”
“It’s simple: my leadership position brings attention, money, and resources to our area,” Crosby stated.
“It can be challenging to balance the politics of my diverse district. I am absolutely a moderate,” he said. “Sometimes I vote with the Republicans and sometimes with the Democrats. Of course, many will try to paint me as a left-wing radical because there is a D behind my name, but that is far from the truth. Being a moderate in today’s political climate is never easy, but I feel it is appropriate in my case, as I hail from such a “purple” area.”
“My father always told me, “Step lightly so you don’t tread on someone else, but step firm so no one treads on you.” My dad is absolutely my hero, and I think about those words daily. “
Crosby had several reasons why he feels the community should vote for him.
“From 2014-2018, when my opponent served, our district did not have a voice in Annapolis. Other than county-courtesy bills, she brought back $0 in resources to our community,” he said. “I devote myself to working tirelessly to ensure that I am bringing resources to our county. In my first term, I brought home over $250 million in resources to St. Mary’s County, which was one of the highest per-capita returns of any delegate in the state. It’s simple: if you want your tax dollars to flow back into our county, vote Crosby.”
“This race is vitally important to ensure St. Mary’s County receives resources from Annapolis,” he continued. “In four years, I became the vice chair of Economic Matters – the first-ever freshman to hold a leadership position in the House of Delegates– the most powerful committee in Annapolis. Along with Chair CT Wilson from Charles County, Southern Maryland has a strong voice in how Maryland’s economy is shaped over the next 50 years. In the next four years, we want to continue to grow our airport, work with the CDC on economic development initiatives in Lexington Park, continue to ensure the next administration completes the 5 and GMs intersection, and continue to ensure schools are adequately funded and students and teachers get the resources they need to provide a world-class education.”
“Having a representative in leadership is valuable and we want to continue to serve, as truly, we’ve only gotten started,” Crosby concluded.
For more information on Brian Crosby, visit www.briancrosbymd.com to learn more.
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
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What Crosby doesn’t say is the of the $4Billion funding for the Blueprint for Maryland schools (Kirwin Commission), ZERO dollars are guaranteed for St. Mary’s county. He is voting the Democratic line but not looking out for his own district. Sad.