More News

This story was corrected on June 18, 2010. An explanation of the correction follows the story.

Dr. Dana Beyer is campaigning for the District 18 delegate seat as an unapologetic progressive, mainly because she thinks the Maryland government could do a better job representing the ideological views of its people.

The Chevy Chase resident and former physician is taking leave from her role as a senior legislative aide for County Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg to challenge the three current District 18 delegates, all of whom Beyer said are shifting right as their constituency moves left.

"The government should reflect the will of the people, and it doesn't," Beyer said in an interview with The Gazette this week. " ... I want to make progressive solutions the default solutions."

If elected, Beyer would represent a diverse constituency. District 18 encompasses much of Wheaton, Kensington, Chevy Chase and slivers of Silver Spring. It's one of Maryland's most progressive districts, and her policies seem to reflect that.

Among her top initiatives are instituting a statewide public option in health care, supporting women's equality and re-instituting a millionaire's tax bracket.

More than anything, Beyer said her first concern is the economy. The county has raised its taxes to the limit, often with results that tie up the middle class instead of the wealthy, Beyer said. The only other "pot" of money lies in Annapolis, and thanks to its stereotype as the richest county in the state, Beyer said Montgomery County isn't always the first to reach it.

"The state is starving the county," she said. "We get treated as if our streets were paved with gold, and the [Montgomery County] delegation really hasn't done anything to change that."

Beyer said she'd like to improve the county's image in Annapolis by improving the District 18 delegation's image in the county.

The County Council and its state delegation are infamous for failing to communicate with each other, she said.

"I feel like I've learned how dependant the county is on what's going on in Annapolis," Beyer said. "It's one of the reasons I'm running for District 18 instead of the County Council. If you can't communicate, then you're really in trouble."

If elected, Beyer would be the first transgender to take state office in Maryland. It's a role she's downplaying this election season in favor of championing progressive economic policies. But when Beyer first ran for the House of Delegates in District 18 in 2006, she effectively outed herself to voters. Despite a lack of endorsements and a thin campaign budget, Beyer said she was pleasantly surprised with her showing: The newbie came in fifth, 1,100 votes behind the leader.

The next day Trachtenberg called with a job offer, and Beyer set to work switching from her advocacy background (she founded the Progressive Working Group in 2008 and is well-known in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender circles) to the government side.

Trachtenberg said she hired Beyer for her "expansive experience" in health issues. Together, the two helped push forward the 2007 ban on trans fats in Montgomery County, one of the first times in the nation a local jurisdiction passed such a sweeping health regulation, Trachtenberg said.

Trachtenberg said Beyer's decades-long background as a physician uniquely positions her to lead the charge in Annapolis to reform health care and bring key social services to local nonprofits that support needy families.

"She's got a great amount of energy, she's got a lot of savvy and brilliance," Trachtenberg said.

More experienced and confident in her lawmaker role — "I've balanced four county budgets since then" — Beyer said she's ready to take on the establishment in Annapolis.

The 58-year-old said she's not afraid to risk political capital by making bold policy initiatives because she's not worried about re-election.

"I'm not making politics my career," she said. "I would be very happy to leave a four-year term where I speak my mind."

-Address: 8 East Irving St., Chevy Chase

-Date of Birth: Feb. 9, 1952

-Party: Democrat

-Education: Bachelor's degree from Cornell University; medical degree from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; master's degree work in organic chemistry at the University of Maryland; Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government fellow.

-Work experience: Senior policy and legislative adviser for Health, Education and Intergovernmental Affairs for County Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At Large); retired eye surgeon.

-Family: 25-year-old son, David; and 22-year-old son, Jonathan

-Top three issues: Crafting a progressive tax structure that holds the wealthy and corporations accountable; championing quality affordable health care, including introduction of a public option; and supporting women's equality and civil rights for all Marylanders

-Campaign funds to date: Beyer has raised about $30,000 so far, mostly from individuals.

-Previous political experience: 2006 District 18 House of Delegates candidate; senior adviser to Trachtenberg; budget committee member for Chevy Chase Village

-Other affiliations: Beyer has served on such advocacy groups as the Human Rights Campaign board of directors and is one of the founding members of Progressive Working Group. Beyer is also a founding member of Transparency and Equal Access in Government.

-Website: www.danabeyer.com

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Beyer wants a statewid private health option; she wants a public option. It also stated she received a Master's degree in organic chemistry from the University of Maryland; she completed coursework but not did actually receive the degree