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House of Delegates Member · Legislative District 31 · Maryland · 2026 Primary
Members of the Maryland House of Delegates represent their local districts in the state legislature by proposing, debating, and voting on laws that impact public education, healthcare, and transportation. They work alongside the state Senate to pass Maryland’s annual budget and determine how tax dollars are allocated to community services and infrastructure projects. This office is vital because delegates shape the statewide policies and spending priorities that directly influence the daily lives of all residents.
View all candidates in this raceJoan Cole is a mom and activist running for Maryland House of Delegates District 31 who describes herself as deeply concerned about the current direction of our country. Originally from Rochester, New York where she lived for 32 years, she moved to Maryland in 2019 after raising her two adult children in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a first-generation college graduate with an MBA earned while raising her family full time, and comes from a working-class background with parents who were postal clerk and secretary respectively. Her professional career focused on customer-facing service roles where she learned to solve problems and meet or exceed expectations. Cole joined Moms Demand Action in 2023 as Anne Arundel County Co-Lead after being motivated by gun violence tragedies including Sandy Hook, and has grown the organization's leadership team from three to over 15 individuals while organizing roughly 100 events.
Sources: Campaign website
I will fight so that we are all able to pay our bills and raise our kids in a safe environment where they can get a quality education. I'm ready to work for the changes we all want to move our community forward.
I am running to represent District 31 in the Maryland House of Delegates because our community needs leaders who will work for the common good, listen to and care about their constituents, and who will work diligently to solve our communities' problems.
The rampant gun violence in our country is what motivated me to get involved in political advocacy. While I support our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms, I believe there is more we can do to keep our communities safe through safe storage and gun violence prevention programs.
Source: joancole4md.com
Rising Cost of Living
Joan Cole expresses concern about housing affordability taking up more than 30% of a paycheck, high food prices, and BGE rate hikes negatively impacting quality of life. She plans to work toward making housing and cost of living more affordable for the next generation.
“Housing is simply too expensive, often taking up significantly more than 30% of a paycheck, which has not kept up with the rising cost of living.”
Immigration Protection
As daughter and granddaughter of Italian immigrants, she advocates for treating immigrant population with dignity and respect while protecting them from ICE abuses. She plans to establish laws to protect Marylanders from future detrimental federal government actions.
“I am also passionate about treating the immigrant population with dignity and respect, and protecting them from the abuses of ICE.”
Healthcare and Elder Care
Cole believes healthcare is a human right and wants to fight for it. She notes her brother's medical bills exceeded one million dollars despite good insurance, highlighting that too many people must choose between health and bankruptcy.
“I believe that healthcare is a human right and that the richest country in the history of the world should be able to provide for its citizens' healthcare needs.”
Chesapeake Bay Protection
She views the Chesapeake Bay as Marylanders' precious natural resource and life blood, committing to work for preservation of open space and protection from contamination.
“The Chesapeake Bay is our precious natural resource and the life blood of many Marylanders' livelihoods.”
Education
Cole states there is nothing more important than children and their future, supporting the Blueprint for Maryland's Future while addressing teacher retention, staff shortages, and federal funding cuts.
“There is nothing more important than our children and their future. There is a myriad of issues that our school systems face, including teacher retention and training, staff shortages, and federal funding cuts.”
Traffic Safety
She identifies significant traffic and pedestrian safety concerns along Mountain Road and Ft. Smallwood Road in Pasadena as well as other district roadways.
“There are significant traffic and pedestrian safety concerns along Mountain Road and Ft. Smallwood Road in Pasadena as well as other district roadways.”
“There is nothing more important than our children and their future. There is a myriad of issues that our school systems face, including teacher retention and training, staff shortages, and federal funding cuts.”
Source“I will work to make housing and the cost of living more affordable for the next generation and beyond.”
Source“The rampant gun violence in our country is what motivated me to get involved in political advocacy. While I support our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms, I believe there is more we can do to keep our communities safe through safe storage and gun violence prevention programs.”
Source“I will work for the preservation of open space and the Bay's protection from contamination so that we can live by, work at, and enjoy this natural resource far into the future.”
Source“I believe that healthcare is a human right and that the richest country in the history of the world should be able to provide for its citizens' healthcare needs.”
Source“As the daughter and granddaughter of Italian immigrants, I am also passionate about treating the immigrant population with dignity and respect, and protecting them from the abuses of ICE.”
Source