On the 2026 Ballot
Question 3.
Vote against.
Johnny urges every Eastern Shore voter to vote against Question 3. It strips our State Constitution of the rules keeping communities and geography together in congressional maps, all but ensuring the Shore never again elects one of our own to Congress. It's driven by national political ambitions, not what's best for Maryland or the Shore. This power grab goes beyond gerrymandering: a constitutional change that can't be undone. Young voters especially should pay attention; they'll live with the consequences for decades. Question 3 is bad policy, undermines our democracy, and is un-American. Vote against.
Affordability.
We have to lower the cost of living!
It's not any one tax, fee, or expense — it's all of it, piling up. Most people are familiar with the ones that sting the most – Vehicle registration, Energy Bills, Insurance, Income and Property taxes, and the list goes on. In the past four years, under Governor Moore, we have burned through a $5 Billion surplus and been dealt the largest tax increase in Maryland’s history – $1.6 Billion – and expect another $3 Billion deficit this year. Certainly the taxes, but most of these other costs are the result of bad policies – Johnny Mautz has been there as a strong, experienced, and steady voice to fight them.
Accountability.
Find the fraud & waste first.
Johnny has campaigned on stop fighting and start fixing. Fraud and waste are unacceptable, and he’s led with Democratic colleagues to shine a light on this. In fact, Johnny just led the charge to implement new rules for non-profits because thousands were taking state funding without meeting basic state requirements. In Committee, he knows the questions to ask, the individuals to target, and how to work with his Democratic colleagues to find the missing money and fix the problem.
Energy.
Energy prices must come down.
Johnny was first elected in 2014, served on the House Economic Matters Committee, and served on the Energy Subcommittee. He knows exactly why our energy prices are skyrocketing and has been fighting this since 2014. That’s why he’s working to freeze or roll back mandates and bring back reliable and clean generation – especially for the Eastern Shore. He’s also supported new technology to relieve pressure on our electric grid. Energy is a simple equation of supply and demand – renewable is good if it is affordable, but the bottom line is that we need reliable, clean baseload energy.
Watermen & Farmers.
Let them work the water and the land.
The Bay's oysters are as healthy as they've been in a generation — it’s one of the greatest recoveries in our history – but our watermen just lived through one of the worst seasons in memory. Our farmers face the same squeeze: more state rules, more permits, less say over their own land. Johnny grew up on this water and among these fields. He's worked to open new markets for our watermen, ease the regulatory burden on our farms, and make sure the people who feed this country can make a living doing it.
Transportation.
Fund transportation fairly for every region.
Transportation isn't one-size-fits-all, and the funding shouldn't be either. More than half of transportation dollars come from motorists — but only about a quarter goes to roads and bridges, while over half funds mass transit projects and systems on the Western Shore. Johnny wants more of our transportation dollars to go to roads and bridges and effective, right-sized transit that our rural communities need.
Schools.
Let teachers teach.
The Blueprint is a $4-billion-a-year program written for Baltimore and pushed onto our four counties — and eventually onto your property tax. It's years away from showing results. Johnny supports our teachers and wants them free to do what they do best in the classroom, not buried under Annapolis mandates. Before writing another check the state can't cash, we need to ask whether this is really the best way to invest education dollars on the Shore — including trade schools and apprenticeships that work for our kids now.
The Shore.
This is home and is worth protecting.
The Eastern Shore doesn't vote like a Republican district or a Democratic district. It votes for what’s best for the Eastern Shore. The Eastern Shore is Johnny’s home, he is engaged in all parts of its diverse society and works with everyone and anyone, regardless of party, where there’s a need that he can fill — and he asks the same of everyone else, regardless of party.
