Friends, I’d love to share my plan for when I’m elected to the U.S. Senate, so this is a longer, policy-heavy email — so please, bear with me.

There are a lot of issues that need to be addressed, and we need to elect more leaders willing to fight for the people they represent. Here are 3 issues that come up on the campaign trail that I’d love to give you my thoughts on:

Protecting Reproductive Freedom

Abortion is health care, full stop.

I’m proud that Maryland values reproductive rights, but there are entire regions of the country where that’s not the case — and the results of that are devastating for women, their families, and their communities.

That’s why I’ll never stop fighting on behalf of everyone’s freedom to make their own choices about how, when, and if they choose to start a family. Those decisions should be made by women and their doctors — not politicians.

The state-by-state laws since Roe fell can be confusing, terrifying, and difficult (if not impossible) to navigate for millions of women. We need to pass a federal law that protects abortion access nationwide. Anything less would be a disservice to women everywhere.

I am so proud to have the support of groups like Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL) and EMILYs List, who know that Marylanders deserve a pro-choice champion representing them in the Senate.

Addressing the Climate Crisis

The very real effects of climate change are being felt more and more every single day.

Coastal communities are at risk as waters continue to rise and storms and natural disasters increase in both frequency and intensity.

Entire regions are suffering from droughts that put lives at risk and cripple the economy.

The longer we put off facing reality and tackling the largest existential crisis humanity faces, the more difficult it will become to slow the effects of climate change.

I am proud to have tackled these issues head-on as County Executive, where we’ve set ambitious targets to reduce emission levels and have acted to make important investments in stormwater management and making our transit systems more energy efficient.

We owe it to our children and our grandchildren to do everything we can to ensure that they’re inheriting a stable, sustainable, habitable planet.

Lowering Costs for Families

Families are struggling.

Whether it’s student debt, the skyrocketing costs of health care and prescription drugs, stagnant wages, or a lack of access to opportunity, we can and must do more.

Too many people are struggling to pay for childcare, or to keep their kids in school. They’re looking at stacks of bills and wondering how they’re ever going to get out from under it while they’re stuck paying off student loans and working multiple jobs.

Parents should never have to face the possibility of not being able to afford medicine for their kids.

Our seniors and our veterans shouldn’t have to be cutting pills in half to make ends meet.

We need to empower workers, defend and strengthen union protections, raise the minimum wage, and reach out a helping hand to those around us.

There’s still so much more we need to do, but we have to start somewhere.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read all of this. When we win this race, I can’t wait to get to work for all Marylanders in the U.S. Senate.

—Angela