Heather Bagnall

Heather Bagnall was born in Washington, D.C., and lives in Maryland. Bagnall graduated from Broadneck Senior High School in 1992. She earned a B.S. in theater performance from Towson University in 1996 and completed additional studies at Wagner College and the Second City in Chicago. Her career experience includes working as an arts educator and administrator, assistant director at the Holton-Arms Creative Summer, playwright, entertainment cruise staff for the Disney Cruise Line, co-founding artistic director at Tasty Monster Productions and at Encores TheARTricals, and editor at Fringe Review.[1]

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What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

Education, Environment, and Community Infrastructure. I will change the narrative for education at every level to ensure students have the resources and support they need to thrive - at the elementary level with arts integration, especially early arts and music education, expansion of universal pre-k, at the middle school level with additional mental health professionals, and at the high school level by changing the culture to establish trade school and technical vocational training as an equal path to high education and career success.

Maryland has always been a leader in many ways but in Anne Arundel County we have not been a leader in environmental concerns and we have been destroying our forests and waterways in favor of growth. Though much of Maryland has invested in renewable energy and restoration of our Chesapeake Bay in AACo we have fallen behind. I will change the narrative which pits the interests of business and development against the environment by incentivizing innovation in technology while offering retraining programs to secure our environment and our work force. By working with our high schools and colleges we can be a leader in renewable energy, alternative fuel, and resource recovery projects.

Community Infrastructure refers to the bike paths, sidewalks, green spaces, public transportation and affordable housing which were part of our GDP and were successfully implemented in other counties in the state. The legislature passed the Green Streets/Complete Streets program last session but that is only for new development. We need to address the serious access gaps we have throughout the state and particularly in the DC-Annapolis-Baltimore corridor.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I truly believe that government should be the great equalizer so my passion is in accessibility projects, specifically public transportation and affordable housing because they serve a myriad purposes and address issues across the geographic, economic, and age spectrum. Additionally they help bring the cost of living down which means that the wages of our work force go further. I talk a lot about changing the narrative because so often projects which would be beneficial to so many are blocked due to fear mongering. I am willing to be a strong voice to make the case for why access is mutually beneficial.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I heard Elizabeth Warren talk about her childhood. She told a story about her mother, nearly losing their house, and that she went out to get a job and saved their home. At the end she said growing up that that was a story about pluck and that is was, but it was also now a story about how 40 years ago you could go out and get a minimum wage job and save your home. I was so struck by how she made that case for raising the minimum wage by making it personal. It wasn't radical, it was common sense compassionate policy. That is who I want to be, a common sense, compassionate representative who works to ensure everyone gets the fairest possible outcome regardless of means, gender, or party.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I am a playwright. I wrote a play called FERDINAND, about a single dad raising his son to be big and strong but kind and gentle like the bull. It deals with gender stereotypes, toxic masculinity, bullying at the school and corporate level, and the messages we give to our children. I wrote it for children but to adults. It is who I am as a person and as a candidate. I am a big picture person, I look at issues as a whole and try to find comprehensive solutions which approach a problem from multiple directions.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think a healthy mix of idealism and practicality with a strong moral compass directed by compassion. One needs to also be a good listener to understand the needs of constituents, but also have an analytical mind for problem solving and to anticipate unforeseen consequences. Additionally, one needs to have a passion for research and a willingness to work in coalition.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have a background in arts and education and 20 years experience in non-profits which gives me an edge because I am an "out of the box" thinker, even though I loathe that turn of phrase. I spent years putting together programming puzzles, finding just the right venue, matching the artist with the audience, finding the funding sources. My determination, problem solving, and ability to build coalition make me a skilled collaborator, and my critical thinking and compassionate will make me a skilled policy maker.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Listen and respond. We are representatives, so we need to understand the needs of our constituents but also negotiate the reality that we are representing at times divergent interests and making decisions not only for our district but for the welfare of the entire state.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a robust public transportation system, and establish an affordable housing initiative which partners a controlled percentage of new builds with a revitalization of existing housing to ensure that our AACo will always remain accessible to working families and senior retirees. I would also like to work across districts to revitalize our sister district in Baltimore.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

There are many I remember but the two which had the most profound impact were the Challenger explosion and the AIDS crisis. I remember the Troubles, the kidnapping of the 144, the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, the Iran-contra Affair but so many of those felt distant, or I was too young to really understand them. However I remember exactly where I was when I heard about the Challenger explosion. I was in middle school English class and we heard a rumor which I thought was a joke in terribly poor taste and then the announcement came over the loud speaker. Our English teacher started crying and for weeks we had a project where we would collect newspaper clippings about it and write a journal on our feelings. We all lost our innocence, and our teacher created a curriculum around the grieving process.

The AIDS crisis had a profound effect on me, particularly given I was already enmeshed in the arts world. I was part of a generation that feared death not pregnancy from sex, and I saw many of my friends and mentors sick and dying of a disease which was so polarizing because of its association with the Gay community. I saw first hand how stigmatizing a group of people could lead to very real world consequences. Howard Ashman's mother sang at the same club I did throughout high school and we held benefits for HERO, the Health Education Resource Organization in Baltimore. I see a parallel to our current opioid crisis, as the victims are vilified making it easier to ignore the impact.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is The Scarlet Letter. I was struck by the symbolism throughout and by the injustice done to Hester Prynne, and her willingness to stand tall and speak truth to power.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Experience is beneficial but so are new ideas. I think diversity of experience is actually far more beneficial than government experience. We need a healthy mix of both. Politics was never intended to be a career.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

We have two great challenges - to deal with climate change, particularly sea rise and the impact of our development and carbon footprint, and health and wellness care, particularly dealing with the opioid crisis which is killing Marylanders at an alarming rate and the rising cost of insurance and prescriptions.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I think it is essential to build relationships. As I mentioned I come from the non-profit sector where we do everything in coalition. We get the best ideas on the table and create

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I favor a non-partisan commission, following natural boundaries, and keeping districts compact. I think we need to look ahead to the possibility of a third party in the future and not keep drawing districts which favor one party over the other and eliminate the possibility of third party representation.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Environment and Transportation.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I had no political aspirations but felt called to serve at the state level due to what was happening at the federal, to ensure the safety, prosperity, visibility, and equity of all Marylanders. If I am called to serve elsewhere in the future, that is what I will do but I have no eye to a future beyond the General Assembly.

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What is your political philosophy?

I believe government should be the great equalizer. I chose to run when I felt our federal government was not only obfuscating responsibility but putting people in jeopardy so I felt compelled to run at the state level knowing we were going to have problems to solve and that we were going to have to figure out how to pay for them, something which I've been doing for 20 years in the non-profit sector.

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—Heather Bagnall[3]