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Maryland House
District 46
Augusta Yeager Christensen
Democratic
32
Federal Hill, Baltimore City
I work with Democratic candidates – predominantly women, and more than a dozen Maryland legislators – to ensure they have the resources they need to run successful campaigns.
Diploma: Bel Air High School BA in Political Science: Swarthmore College Also attended: Portland Community College
Although I am a first time candidate, I have worked behind the scenes in politics for the last ten years, serving in my most recent role as a consultant to more than a dozen legislators currently serving in the Maryland General Assembly. Prior to my consultant work, I worked as a field director and organizer on state and federal campaigns from Virginia to upstate New York – including Donna Edwards’ US Senate race – organizing and overseeing volunteers and campaign teams to reach voters in the community directly.
Why are you running for office?
I’m running because I love Baltimore, and I want to fight to make life here better for everyone. I’ve loved Baltimore since I was a teenager and one of my closest high school friends, Matt, would whisk me into the city to take my mind off the grief I was struggling with following the death of another close friend. We spent countless days discovering record stores, hole-in-the-wall restaurants with incredible food, and new music acts playing in basement apartments.When Matt died years ago of an opioid overdose, I was shattered. I even questioned whether I would ever move home to Baltimore. But after coming to terms with this incredible loss, I am more determined than ever to fight for the city I love, and to work as hard as I can to make sure we do not lose any more of our Matts to addiction, suicide, or violence.
What is the most pressing issue in your district?
The issue I hear about every single day when I’m knocking on doors in the district is crime. With feelings of helplessness and frustration building in the face of rising incidents of violent and property crimes, Baltimore is losing both population and tourism revenue that we desperately need to turn this situation around. This fear is affecting residents and businesses alike, and it is essential that the state, local, and federal governments work together to ensure that everyone feels safe in their neighborhoods, and invest in community-based violence prevention programs to interrupt the cycle of violence. It is also important that we invest heavily in early childhood education to provide opportunities for every child in Maryland that do not end in violence.
How will you help your constituents deal with inflation?
The last two years have been incredibly challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent rise in prices due to inflation have added an additional burden for Marylanders. I support the recent targeted tax relief passed by the legislature to disburse $2 billion to provide relief and resources to working families, seniors, and small businesses struggling here in Maryland. Additionally, I have long been a proponent for a state-level property tax rebate for Baltimore residents; our city provides the entire state with world class hospitals, universities, museums, and non-profits, many of which operate on land that cannot be taxed. We need all Marylanders to help pay for these assets so that city residents do not have to shoulder the cost alone.
What do you see as the top transportation priority in your district, and how would you address it?
The lack of reliable public transportation is without a doubt the top transportation priority in District 46 and the city at large. For the many carless residents of Baltimore – including students – it is nearly impossible to get to work or school reliably and on time. Additionally, we need to move away from a car-centric city and state if we are going to truly tackle the effects of climate change. The city’s lack of a regional rail system has held back Baltimore’s growth and accessibility for decades. We are at an inflection point here in Baltimore, and set to receive an influx of infrastructure funding from the federal government. It is long past time that we invest in a regional rail system in Baltimore, expand commuter train options across the state, and establish a Baltimore regional transportation authority to make the bus system more efficient and reliable.
What should schools do differently during the next pandemic to help students, families and teachers?
Schools did an admirable job of providing students with resources, instruction, and even meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, but in the future we must take steps to prevent students from falling through the cracks, provide teachers with reliable and consistent guidance, and work to close the digital divide long before the next pandemic strikes. Baltimore students often missed virtual classes without their guardians’ knowledge. Statewide, teachers were often given just a few days to plan for a return to school, a hybrid system, or for going virtual again. When I was tutoring remotely with Adelante Latina, my student’s hotspot internet connection was choppy, unreliable, and impossible to use if her siblings also needed to be doing schoolwork online. Fixing these problems and the crumbling school infrastructure is not just on schools, however – this preparation must remain a priority for the state and city governments as well.
How equitably do police officers treat people of color?
The treatment of people of color by police, especially here in Baltimore, is reprehensibly inequitable. This issue has been a subject of research for more than 50 years, and all data consistently shows that Black and Hispanic people are disproportionately policed, arrested, and targeted with use of deadly force by the authorities. This was also borne out by the DOJ’s 2016 inquest into the BPD following Freddie Grey’s murder in police custody. The DOJ found that Black residents are stopped at nearly three times the rate of white residents, regardless of neighborhood. The racial bias is stark, undeniable, and has led to a complete breakdown between the police and the residents they are meant to protect and serve. This distrust ripples through communities, cases go unsolved because residents do not feel safe cooperating, and the cycle of violence continues unimpeded.
What would you do to make sure Maryland’s voting system is secure and accurate?
I have seen no evidence that Maryland’s voting system is anything but secure and accurate, but I would like to see improvements to the voting system. Maryland should implement the same automatic voter registration system that has been used for years in neighboring DC, and should also move to the kind of universal vote by mail system that has been successfully implemented for years in Washington and Oregon. These measures massively increase voter turnout, making elections more representative.
What are the right goals and deadlines for Maryland to reduce carbon emissions and develop renewable energy sources?
The dire importance of addressing the climate crisis is a matter of fact, not opinion. We need to act quickly and decisively to protect our natural resources, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and move to renewable energy sources and nuclear power. I support the Climate Solutions Act that passed in the most recent legislative session, and agree with the goal of reaching net neutral emissions by 2045 (with a 60% reduction by 2030). I also support expanding our public transportation to include a robust regional rail system, and electrifying our MTA and school buses while moving our electrical grid to clean and renewable energy.
What’s Maryland’s best use of federal COVID relief money?
With nearly $12 billion coming to Maryland from the American Rescue Plan, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in our schools, local businesses, and infrastructure. First, we should allocate funds to replace the HVAC systems in the nearly 60% of Baltimore schools that do not have working air conditioning, as well as to closing the digital divide that left our most vulnerable students behind during the pandemic. Then, funds should be allocated to the local small businesses that are still struggling to survive after two brutally difficult years. Finally, any infrastructure projects (sewers, public transportation, roads and bridges) that need supplemental funding after the funds from the infrastructure bill are allocated should be supported with COVID relief funds.
Baltimore Sun Media’s voter guide allows candidates to provide their background, policy and platforms on issues, in their own words. Any questions or feedback can be sent to elections@baltsun.com, or read more about the questionnaire process here.