On Wednesday, March 25, Hopkins Votes at the Center for Social Concern, in collaboration with the Charles Village Civic Association (CVCA), hosted a Candidates Forum at the Schafler Auditorium. The forum invited four candidates representing District 7, which covers Charles Village and the Homewood Campus. The four candidates – two running for city sheriff (Sam Cogen, Sabrina Tapp-Harper), one running for Congress (Mark Conway) and one running for Attorney General (Ivan J. Bates) – answered questions from the audience and spoke about their platforms and plans, should they win the 2026 General Election.
Primary elections take place across every state in order to select the candidates that are to represent their Party in the General Elections. Positions up for election range from offices at the local, state and federal levels. This year, the Maryland Primary Elections are taking place on June 23, 2026. General Elections will take place on Nov. 3, 2026.
Candidates addressed the increased costs of living, energy bills in Baltimore, Medicare, and gun violence.
Most candidates brought personal anecdotes as motivating factors for running in the Primaries. Mark Conway, District 7 candidate for Congress, for example, emphasized that he is a public servant first and politician second.
“I want to be an example to my two daughters, so that they can always be proud of their dad when they become young women and make decisions in their career,“ Conway explained during the event.
Siyeon Joo, KSAS Freshman and student volunteer with Hopkins Votes, believes something largely overlooked in present-day politics is kindness. Joo shared her thoughts in an interview with The News-Letter.
“I think it’s really hard to find candidates who feel like people first and then politicians second. Something I really resonated with tonight was [Conway mentioning] that he wanted to be a public servant first and then a politician next...At the end of the day, progress moves at the speed of trust. And so if you can’t be a kind human being, why would I trust you with handling the future?” said Joo.
Sheriff Candidate, Sabrina Tapp-Harper, is a retired Assistant Sheriff who is dedicated to protecting victims of domestic violence and advocating for gun violence prevention. In an interview with the News-Letter, Tapp-Harper stated that developing policies requires being driven by principle.
“The sheriff is the enforcement arm of the court, so we need to make sure that at the forefront of everything we do is for the safety and security of the courthouse, the judges, the individuals that work there, the jurors who come to serve, and the citizens who visit the courthouse daily to take care of business,” said Tapp-Harper.
Phong Lee is a Charles Village community member who attended tonight’s event. Lee remarked about the significance of smaller elections like these in an interview with The News-Letter.
“I certainly didn’t know the sheriff is such a down ballot race. It’s hard to get information [compared to]. I came partly as a community member, but also I was curious about the differences [in platforms] in the Sheriff’s Office in particular. It’s nice that both candidates were here,” said Lee.
In addition to community members, the event was intended for students to engage in local politics. For Luis Sierra Moncion, Deputy Director of the Center for Social Concern and Director of Hopkins Votes, that is what he believes is the starting point for getting to know Baltimore. He shared his thoughts in an interview with The News-Letter.
“This was a great example of one of the many events we want to expose our students to…My hope is that...whether you were here to attend or volunteer, it piques their interest on the things that matter in Baltimore and how [students] can continue to learn about the assets of the city, which includes groups like the CVCA,” explained Moncion.
As for what voters are hoping to see in the upcoming cycle, tonight suggested it to be a combination of compassion and new ideas.
“I think we are in a different moment, and we need different types of leadership. As much as I appreciate the work of the previous generation of leaders, I think we really need new leadership…leadership that feels different and has different values and different priorities. And I saw a little bit of it [tonight],” concludes Lee.
Generally, individuals must be registered with either the Democratic or Republican Party in order to vote for specific candidates in the Primaries. Students attending Hopkins out of state may register at their school address to be eligible to vote in Maryland.
Primary election day is taking place on June 23, 2026 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. More information can be found here or through Hopkins Votes.
