Folden looks to return to Annapolis, this time in Senate

Nov. 4—Editor's note: The Frederick News-Post is profiling candidates in Frederick County's state legislative races and for Maryland's 6th Congressional District in the Nov. 8 general election. For profiles of candidates for county offices and other election coverage, go to fredericknewspost.com/news/continuing_coverage/election_coverage.

After four years away, Bill Folden is looking to return to Annapolis, only in a different chamber.

A member of the House of Delegates from 2015 to 2019, Folden is running as the Republican candidate for the state Senate from District 4.

He faces Democrat Carleah Summers in the Nov. 8 election.

Folden believes his previous time in Annapolis would benefit him and his constituents, through his familiarity with the work of moving legislation through the General Assembly.

"There's definitely a learning curve to the process," he said.

An officer with the Frederick Police Department, Folden's campaign signs bear the phrase "Back the Blue," a call for support for police.

He lamented the General Assembly's repeal in 2021 of the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights in 2021. He said he's seen an erosion of trust in law enforcement in recent years, and the struggles that police departments have had in recruiting new members to join their ranks.

If an officer's behavior is malicious, they should be terminated, but not just for making a mistake, he said.

That's why he wanted to include the "Back the Blue" phrase on his signs.

"I think it's important. I've only been a police officer," he said.

One thing he hears about when he talks to voters is the need to reduce crime, he said.

A supporter of requiring body cameras for police officers, Folden said he plans to introduce a bill that would require cameras to be worn by lawmakers, as well.

He said he knows the bill wouldn't go anywhere in the legislature, but believes that lawmakers' discussions on spending taxpayer money should be documented just as police officers' interactions are.

He'd also like to examine the issue of mandates in state education curricula, including topics that might be inappropriate for younger students, and to require teaching economics and financial literacy in high schools.

Too many students graduate without knowing basics of how to handle money, which leads to problems such as accumulating excessive amounts of student debt, he said.

Having helped secure money for the interchange project at Interstate 270 and Md. 85 while in the House, Folden said the state now needs to look at the stretch of I-270 between Md. 85 and Clarksburg in Montgomery County.

While he believes there needs to be a lane added in each direction to ease congestion, he doesn't support Gov. Larry Hogan's plan to add toll lanes through a public-private partnership.

Folden said he doesn't support tolls, believing that cutting back on wasteful spending in other areas could provide money for the project.

He hopes to use his previous experience and connections with other legislators to help accomplish these and other goals.

He knows that as a Republican, the minority party in Annapolis, he'd need Democratic votes to make things happen.

Sometimes, a Republican's job is to take a bad bill and try to make it better, he said.

You can fight on particularly egregious issues, but you can't do that on every bill.

There's broad agreement on about 85% of the issues the General Assembly deals with, he said.

"However, the other 15% are pretty divisive," he said.

To learn about county, state and federal candidates in the general election, go to the News-Post's voters guide at tinyurl.com/generalelectionguide.