State

House of Delegates, District 31

Vote for: 3
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 6
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A delegate votes on Maryland laws and the state budget in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Candidates Compare by issue

Joan Barone Cole

Democratic

Business professional

The gist

Proposes making data centers pay for grid upgrades they require.
Supports transit-oriented development near stations.
Supports the Blueprint with strict local oversight.
Supports the Community Trust Act limiting police immigration enforcement.
Supports expanding the Maryland Access to Care Act.
Supports the ENOUGH Initiative anti-poverty program.

More about Joan

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Proposes making data centers pay for grid upgrades they require.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“a "User Pays" policy so data centers cover 100% of the infrastructure they trigger”
Supports transit-oriented development near stations.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“we must prioritize Transit-Oriented Development, building housing and shops near stations so the system pays for itself”
Supports the Blueprint with strict local oversight.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I support the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, but only with strict local oversight to ensure money reaches classrooms, not bureaucracy.”
Supports the Community Trust Act limiting police immigration enforcement.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I support the Community Trust Act to ensure local police focus on public safety, not federal immigration enforcement”
Supports expanding the Maryland Access to Care Act.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I advocate for expanding the Maryland Access to Care Act so all residents can buy health insurance.”
Supports the ENOUGH Initiative anti-poverty program.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I’ll fight for the ENOUGH Initiative to lift families out of poverty”

Heidi Buchanan Schmidt

Democratic

Small-business owner

The gist

Supports making data centers pay their own power costs.
Supports improving public transportation statewide.
Supports prioritizing education and health care in the budget.
Supports increasing and diversifying Maryland's energy generation.
Supports protecting immigrants' constitutional rights.

More about Heidi

View sources (1)

Supports making data centers pay their own power costs.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“data centers should pay their own costs with regard to power generation and overall impact on public utilities”
Supports improving public transportation statewide.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Access to reliable transportation is a key requirement for economic growth.”
Supports prioritizing education and health care in the budget.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“funding critical education programs to protect our most vulnerable learners; ensuring all Marylanders have affordable access to healthcare”
Supports increasing and diversifying Maryland's energy generation.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“increasing and diversifying our energy generation, coordinating with neighboring states to reduce costs, and ensuring utility profits are reinvested locally”
Supports protecting immigrants' constitutional rights.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“their Constitutional rights are protected, regardless of their country of origin”

Ryan Kelly Shaban

Democratic

Cyber supply chain risk analyst

The gist

Proposes a consumption fee on data centers' peak grid use.
Supports accelerating solar and renewable buildout on state property.
Supports expanding transit in suburban and rural corridors.
Proposes restructuring legislative compensation and oversight.
Supports trades training for workforce reentry.
Opposes using state resources for federal immigration enforcement.

More about Ryan

View sources (1)

Proposes a consumption fee on data centers' peak grid use.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Facilities that draw heavily on the grid during peak demand should pay a consumption fee that funds grid resilience and demand-side management programs”
Supports accelerating solar and renewable buildout on state property.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The fix is accelerating renewable buildout, particularly on state-owned properties”
Supports expanding transit in suburban and rural corridors.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Expanding access, especially in underserved suburban and rural corridors, reduces cars on the road”
Proposes restructuring legislative compensation and oversight.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“LPAA restructures legislative compensation and oversight to control runaway managerial growth”
Supports trades training for workforce reentry.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Workforce reentry turns a recurring cost center into a net fiscal positive through trades training.”
Opposes using state resources for federal immigration enforcement.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I'll oppose any effort to use state resources to enforce federal policy against Maryland residents”

Mike Jacobs

Republican

The gist

Supports requiring data centers to produce their own electricity.
Opposes closing power plants without replacement generation.
Opposes transit spending at the expense of other infrastructure.
Pledges to reduce the tax burden on taxpayers.
Supports immigration only if legal and vetted.

More about Mike

View sources (1)

Supports requiring data centers to produce their own electricity.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I believe the data centers should be required to produce their own electric needs.”
Opposes closing power plants without replacement generation.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The premature shutting down of power plants with little to no alternatives in place.”
Opposes transit spending at the expense of other infrastructure.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The sate excessively funds public transportation at the expense of failing infrastructures.”
Pledges to reduce the tax burden on taxpayers.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“My goals are to reduce the burdens placed on tax payers and give relief where possible.”
Supports immigration only if legal and vetted.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I am for immigration as long as it is done legally and well vetted.”

LaToya Marie Caldwell-Nkongolo

RepublicanIncumbent

The gist

Supports requiring data centers to supply their own power.
Supports reopening power plants to lower energy costs.
Supports audits to find fraud, waste and abuse.
Pledges to protect Developmental Disabilities Administration funding.
Supports prioritizing public services for citizens and legal residents.
Sponsored criminalizing coerced ingestion of abortion drugs.In office
Sponsored a public domestic violence offender registry.In office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about LaToya

View sources (4)

Supports requiring data centers to supply their own power.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Data centers should be responsible for securing and sustaining their own power supply, rather than placing additional strain on local infrastructure and residents.”
Supports reopening power plants to lower energy costs.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“One practical way to lower costs is for Maryland to reopen power plants”
Supports audits to find fraud, waste and abuse.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“conducting thorough audits to root out fraud, waste, and abuse”
Pledges to protect Developmental Disabilities Administration funding.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will also continue to fight to protect the Developmental Disabilities Administration, serving our most vulnerable citizens.”
Supports prioritizing public services for citizens and legal residents.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“ensure taxpayer funded services are prioritized for citizens and those here legally”
Sponsored criminalizing coerced ingestion of abortion drugs.
Delegate LaToya Nkongolo: Maryland General Assembly member page
Government record · Maryland General Assembly · mgaleg.maryland.gov
“Criminal Law - Causing Ingestion of an Abortion-Inducing Drug - Prohibition (Women's Freedom From Coercion Act)”
HB 885 (2026): Criminal Law - Causing Ingestion of an Abortion-Inducing Drug - Prohibition (Women's Freedom From Coercion Act)
Government record · Maryland General Assembly · mgaleg.maryland.gov
“Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully causing another to ingest an abortion-inducing drug”
Sponsored a public domestic violence offender registry.
Delegate LaToya Nkongolo: Maryland General Assembly member page
Government record · Maryland General Assembly · mgaleg.maryland.gov
“Criminal Procedure - Domestic Violence Offenders - Registration”
HB 1363 (2026): Criminal Procedure - Domestic Violence Offenders - Registration
Government record · Maryland General Assembly · mgaleg.maryland.gov
“Requiring a person to register as a domestic violence offender”

Brian A. Chisholm

RepublicanIncumbent

The gist

Opposes new data centers unless grid and ratepayers are protected.
Supports restoring in-state power generation and rolling back mandates.
Supports auditing spending and prioritizing safety, roads and schools.
Supports targeted transit expansion where demand is strong.
Sponsored withdrawing Maryland from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.In office
Sponsored repeal of an energy-conservation surcharge on utility bills.In office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about Brian

View sources (4)

Opposes new data centers unless grid and ratepayers are protected.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“No new data centers unless we can prove the grid can handle it and that ratepayers won’t foot the bill.”
Supports restoring in-state power generation and rolling back mandates.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I’ll address this by restoring in-state generation, increasing competition, rolling back costly mandates, and requiring reliability studies”
Supports auditing spending and prioritizing safety, roads and schools.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“audit wasteful spending, especially in underperforming programs, and prioritize funding for public safety, infrastructure, and education”
Supports targeted transit expansion where demand is strong.
VOTE411 voter guide: House of Delegates District 31
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We should expand transit where demand is strong and it reduces congestion, while prioritizing maintenance of existing systems.”
Sponsored withdrawing Maryland from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Delegate Brian Chisholm: Maryland General Assembly member page
Government record · Maryland General Assembly · mgaleg.maryland.gov
“Environment - Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative - Withdrawal (Restoring Energy Freedom Act)”
HB 66 (2026): Environment - Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative - Withdrawal (Restoring Energy Freedom Act)
Government record · Maryland General Assembly · mgaleg.maryland.gov
“Requiring the Governor to withdraw the State from participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.”
Sponsored repeal of an energy-conservation surcharge on utility bills.
Delegate Brian Chisholm: Maryland General Assembly member page
Government record · Maryland General Assembly · mgaleg.maryland.gov
“Electric Companies and Gas Companies - Customer Bill Surcharge - Repeal”
HB 521 (2026): Electric Companies and Gas Companies - Customer Bill Surcharge - Repeal
Government record · Maryland General Assembly · mgaleg.maryland.gov
“Repealing on electric and gas bills a certain surcharge used to encourage and promote the efficient use and conservation of energy”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 9 issues covered in this race.