I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shavonne Hedgepeth, a candidate running for Congress in Maryland’s 4th district.
Shavonne is running on a platform built on fiscal reality and long-range planning, and she argues that legislation without proper funding is just rhetoric.
Drawing on her experience in capital planning at Metro, she emphasizes that Congress is fundamentally about massive budget management and risk assessment.
Her campaign is powered by a comprehensive 261-page policy plan designed to protect the district’s federal workforce, veterans, and seniors from cuts. She believes that to truly serve the “wealthiest majority-Black congressional district in the country,” we have to move beyond slogans and address the interconnected issues of food access, aging infrastructure, and equitable development.
What Shavonne Stands For:
Funding Over Rhetoric: She fights for the federal dollars necessary to keep schools, hospitals, and transit systems running, warning that without funding, legislation is powerless.
Protecting Vulnerable Communities: She is advocating for updated Medicaid structures to support aging foster youth and those with chronic illnesses like sickle cell, ensuring they aren’t left behind when they age out of the system.
Economic Resilience: She is working to reverse the loss of major economic anchors in the district, such as addressing food deserts, where residents currently have to drive to neighboring states for groceries.
Authentic Engagement: Rejecting the reliance on massive war chests and name recognition, she is doing the hard work of door-knocking in underserved neighborhoods to ensure every voice is heard.
How YOU Can Help:
Donate: Small contributions (starting at $4.44) help fund critical outreach like text banking and radio ads to reach older voters who are often missed.
Amplify: Share her posts to help build name recognition for a candidate with a long name in a crowded primary field.
Engage: Ask her questions and hold her accountable. She encourages direct dialogue and wants to hear directly from constituents about their specific needs.
Vote: Early voting is June 11–18, and the primary is June 23.
Maryland has closed primaries, so unaffiliated voters must switch to Democrat by June 2 to participate.
https://voteshavonneforcongress.com/
Thank you LeftieProf, PJ Schuster, Under the Golden Boot, Bluesin’ Bob, Michelle Gerardo, and many others for tuning into my live video with Vonne! Join me for my next live video in the app.
