Mike McKay

Mike McKay was born in Rockville, Maryland. McKay's career experience includes owning Dryclean & Shirt Salon and Kentland Exxon Service Center and working as the president and CEO of Allegany Management Services, Inc. He served as the chair and president of the Mid-Atlantic Cleaners Association, as the past president of the Allegany Chamber of Commerce, and on the Legislative Committee of the Maryland Association of Counties.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As your State Senator for District 1, I fight every day for lower taxes, smaller government, and less regulation so Western Maryland families and businesses can thrive. I’m pro-business, pro-freedom, and always focused on delivering superior constituent service because you deserve a government that works for you, not the other way around.”

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Tax Reduction & Smaller Government

As your State Senator for District 1, I am running for re-election because Western Maryland families and businesses deserve real tax relief and a leaner state government. I will continue fighting to lower taxes, cut wasteful spending, and return more of your hard-earned money to your pocket—rejecting the Annapolis habit of bigger budgets and higher burdens.Pro-Business & Less Regulation

I believe Maryland’s future depends on a pro-business climate that rewards work, investment, and entrepreneurship rather than stifling it with red tape. In my next term I will keep pushing to reduce unnecessary regulations and government control so local employers can grow, create jobs, and keep Western Maryland competitive.Superior Constituent Services

Effective representation means more than casting votes—it means delivering results for the people of District 1. I remain committed to providing superior constituent services: listening carefully, cutting through bureaucracy, and making state government work for you, not the other way around.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a fiscally conservative Maryland State Senator representing District 1 in Western Maryland, I am personally passionate about policies that deliver real tax relief for hardworking families and small businesses, shrink the size and scope of government, and eliminate unnecessary regulations that stifle economic growth. I believe limited government and free-market principles create the strongest foundation for job creation and opportunity in our rural communities, while I remain deeply committed to providing superior, responsive constituent services that cut through bureaucracy and deliver practical results for the people of Western Maryland.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

National Rifle Association, Maryland Right to Life, Western Maryland Sportsmen's Club, Maryland Farm Bureau, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 144, Allegany County Fire Police, AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 3, Maryland Realtors,

Mike McKay did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

McKay's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

Fiscal Responsibility

As your Delegate I will fight to reign in the continual over-spending we have been witnessing in Annapolis. According to Change Maryland, from 2007 to 2018, Marylander’s will have paid nearly $20 billion in additional taxes and fees stemming from 40 separate tax increases – an amount which is over and above the tax burden as it existed before 2007. This raid on Maryland taxpayers and businesses cannot continue.

Economic Development

As your Delegate I will strive to bring good paying jobs and businesses back to Western Maryland. Since 2007, nearly 31,000 Marylander’s fled to other states, the highest in the region, 6,500 small businesses have left or shut down, the second-highest in the region, and just three Fortune 500 companies remain in the state. This is a sharp contrast to 24 large corporate headquarters in Virginia and 23 in Pennsylvania. No State can be an economic engine while we continue to hemorrhage businesses, jobs and taxpayers.

Education

As your Delegate I will continue my commitment to providing the best education possible in Maryland. Maryland schools are ranked number one in spending, but I will do everything I can to see more funding goes directly into the classroom to the benefit of our children.

Transportation

As your Delegate I would seek to improve Maryland’s infrastructure needs, and that would be for all of Maryland which includes Allegany and Washington Counties. The Maryland House of Delegates passed an 87% increase on the gas tax earlier this year for supposed transportation needs. The big problem is that this bill will hurt Western Maryland families and business while ignoring our highway needs.

Gun Control

As your Delegate I would fight against any intrusions onto the Second Amendment rights of Maryland’s residents. I am adamantly opposed to legislation intended to impose more restrictive gun control measures on the citizens of Maryland. I will not turn my back on the law-abiding citizens who simply want to maintain and utilize their constitutional right to keep and bear arms. I actively opposed the restrictive gun bill (Senate Bill 281) during the 2013 Session of the Maryland General Assembly.

Environment

As your Delegate I will work to find a balance in protecting our state’s beautiful resources while also fostering jobs and preserving property rights. In 2012 the Maryland Department of Planning handed down new requirements on land development in the state named Plan Maryland. This so-called plan would have decimated private property rights in Allegany County in the name of preserving the Chesapeake Bay. I actively opposed this measure and was able to obtain changes more beneficial to Allegany County land owners.

Family Values

As your Delegate I will continue my involvement and leadership I fostering a better way of life for Maryland residents by standing with family values and ethics in our state laws.[5][6]