'Problem-Solver' David Marks Breaks Down His 2026 Election Bid

PERRY HALL, MD — Ahead of the primary elections in June, Patch has invited candidates running to represent Perry Hall on the Baltimore County Council and on the Baltimore County Board of Education to complete a questionnaire touching on a variety of key issues.

Candidate responses will be published verbatim in the run-up to the primaries on Tuesday, June 23.

Related: Who's Running For Perry Hall In The 2026 Primary?

Questionnaire responses for Council member David Marks, who is running to represent the 7th District, can be found below:

Name: David Marks

Age: 52

Hometown: Perry Hall, Maryland

Political Affiliation: Republican

Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please state and explain how that experience will influence your time in office.

I’m a lifelong resident of Baltimore County who has worked for 30 years to improve our communities. For nearly a decade, I served as President of the Perry Hall Improvement Association, the largest and oldest civic organization in northeastern Baltimore County. As an officer in the Baltimore County Historical Trust, I led the effort to preserve Camp Chapel Church, the Perry Hall Mansion, and Long Island Farm in the Cromwell Valley. As president of the Northeast Area Educational Council, I advocated for new schools throughout northeastern Baltimore County, work that I continued as an elected official.

My involvement in the community began long before I filed for office, and it helped me develop relationships with civic leaders of all political backgrounds across Baltimore County.

What do you believe is the single-most important issue facing voters in the district you’re looking to represent? How do you intend to address those issues?

The most pressing issue facing Baltimore County is how to expand our economy and grow our tax base in a way that strengthens every community and protects our green space. I've supported thoughtful development policies, such as the logistics hub at Tradepoint Atlantic, that provide jobs and redevelop our aging communities. I partnered with Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 486 to rehabilitate a derelict property in White Marsh. That facility will become a campus offering hundreds of new apprenticeships every year. The Metropolitan Baltimore Council of the AFL-CIO has endorsed our campaign.

At the same time, I will oppose any effort to break the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line that protects northern Baltimore County's farms and reservoirs. I led the bipartisan effort to pass Question A, the charter change that will make it tougher to break our urban boundary. Another charter change I supported creates a Department of Agriculture to better market Baltimore County's 780 farms.

I’ve voted to preserve more than 14,000 acres of land as open space. The Baltimore Banner has called me "an ardent environmentalist committed to conservation,” and I'm proudly endorsed by the local chapter of the Sierra Club, the oldest environmental conservation organization in the United States.

How do you differ from other candidates running against you?

I'm a bipartisan problem-solver with a long history of getting things done. My opponent has no record of involvement in the communities that constitute the bulk of the Seventh District, such as Perry Hall and White Marsh. She was nearly invisible before filing for office. She skipped the opportunity to testify before the County Council or make a difference when it mattered.

I’ve taken strong measures to reduce school overcrowding. Working with parents and other community leaders, we secured funding to renovate Pine Grove Middle School and build three new schools. Today, most schools in northeastern Baltimore County are well below their state-rated capacity, and thanks to legislation we passed in 2024, developers will no longer be able to take advantage of loopholes to build in overcrowded school districts. My opponent was nowhere to be found when developers and other special interests opposed that legislation.

In 2025, I sponsored a resolution that asked the Maryland General Assembly to allow the Inspector General to investigate Baltimore County Public Schools. Unfortunately, despite bipartisan support from my colleagues on the County Council, Democratic State Senators killed this very reasonable proposal during the last legislative session. My opponent put up a Facebook post at the last moment, then criticized me for the outcome.

Leadership is about showing up, listening to everyone, and bringing people together to achieve the best possible outcome--not chiming in once you've filed for political office.

How would your work experience benefit the goals/objectives you’ve outlined in your campaign and/or the office you’re seeking?

I’m a lifelong resident of Baltimore County who has worked for 30 years to improve our communities. Professionally, I've held positions that give me insight into the challenges and opportunities facing Baltimore County.

I’m the first special education teacher ever elected to the County Council. I’ve challenged the school system when I believe there are lax penalties for student offenders, and joined other Councilmembers to push for better nutrition and more School Resource Officers, psychologists and social workers to help students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I regularly volunteered at the food distribution centers organized by the Student Support Network and the school system.

Prior to my election to the County Council, I served in senior positions in the state and federal departments of transportation. As Councilman, I downzoned thousands of acres to lighten development across eastern Baltimore County, particularly along the Philadelphia Road corridor where gridlock has been the worst. We helped jump-start the approval process for the extension of Campbell Boulevard at the Mohrs Lane Bridge, which will provide another connection between Philadelphia Road and Pulaski Highway, and are working with our state and federal partners for a new ramp between Philadelphia Road and Pulaski Highway.

Our family pays property and income taxes just like every other Baltimore County household. I've voted to cut more waste from the county budget than any other Councilmember in history, and I will oppose any tax increases that make life unaffordable for working families. I will continue to support an independent review panel that evaluates salary and pension changes for the County Executive and Councilmembers, and to require public input before any modifications are made.

What is your opinion of the work being done by the current office holder, and how will you improve on it? If you're running for reelection, please explain the lessons of your previous term and how they would impact your next term.

Working across party lines, we got things done for students and communities across Baltimore County: the renovation and expansion of Pine Grove Middle School, the opening of Nottingham Middle School, and the preservation of thousands of acres of land across Baltimore County. Many capital projects will be completed in the next term, such as the new 22-acre Gerst Road Park in Perry Hall and the extension of Campbell Boulevard in White Marsh. I will continue to be an active, visible County Councilmember who shows up, listens, and pulls people together to achieve the best possible result.

Some of this work is difficult, such as competing proposals to improve safety along Honeygo Boulevard. I've insisted on community meetings to allow everyone to share their perspective.

I'm hoping that with a new General Assembly, we can resurrect the proposal to allow the Inspector General to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse within Baltimore County Public Schools, which spends more than $2.5 billion every year. Giving the Inspector General investigatory power will save taxpayer money that can be better spent in the classroom.

The new County Council will be have at least seven new members from different political parties and backgrounds. I've demonstrated I can bridge the political divide, but never be afraid to show the independence people expect in their County Councilmember.

How do you believe Baltimore County should address data centers?

I voted for legislation that enacts a moratorium until the Department of Planning develops regulations that determine where and how any data center can be constructed in Baltimore County.

Do you believe there should be a data center moratorium or a temporary pause? Explain.

There should be a temporary pause until the Department of Planning develops regulations that determine where a data center can be constructed, how a data center will use the water supply, and what measures must be in place to protect nearby neighborhoods.

Do you believe there should be data center regulations put in place? Explain.

The pause enacted by the County Council will allow the Department of Planning to develop regulations that determine where a data center can be constructed, how a data center will use the water supply, and what measures must be in place to protect nearby communities.

What steps would you take to offset data center impacts to residents’ standard of living, such as rising energy prices?

I support requiring a data center to provide a community benefit package to residents who may be affected by traffic and any other negative impacts of that project. Working with my colleagues on the County Council, we passed legislation that set restrictions on development at the Lafarge Quarry. The developers of that facility will provide an energy discount to nearby communities.

How would you distinguish between a good vs. bad data center? Or do you believe no data centers should be in the county/district?

A data center should be approved after a planning process that involves neighborhood input, with strict review of transportation, land use, and environmental impacts. Large data centers tend to consume a tremendous amount of water.

No data centers should be allowed outside the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line, which protects rural Baltimore County. When it was reported that the Mountain Branch Golf Course was being considered for a data center, I immediately reached out to elected officials in Harford County to join their opposition to this proposal which would impact Kingsville and other communities in Baltimore County.

Gov. Wes Moore signed bills banning agreements between local police and federal immigration officials in February. What is your opinion of the legislation?

Governor Moore's position was opposed by many prosecutors and law enforcement officials. The Baltimore County Police Department should have the ability to work with the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate, detain, and remove those suspected of committing violent crimes. I support agreements that are constitutional and target violent offenders.

What steps would you take to support or readjust that initiative?

Only the Maryland General Assembly has the ability to modify state legislation.

What is your stance on the establishment of ICE centers in the county and/or your district?

I broke with many in my political party by voting to oppose detention centers in populated areas of Baltimore County, such as White Marsh, Middle River, and Hunt Valley. Detention centers should be constructed in less populated areas where there will be fewer impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

What actionable plans would you undertake to address illegal immigration?

I've voted to fund the Office of Immigrant Affairs, which guides immigrants as they seek employment and support in Baltimore County. I pride myself on reaching out to some of the fastest-growing immigrant communities in northeastern Baltimore County. Congress needs to develop a nationwide policy that addresses illegal immigration and provides the right pathway for citizenship for those entering this country.

I've been endorsed by the Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police in every election. We should have zero tolerance for violent criminals who enter this country illegally. They should be apprehended, detained, and removed from the United States.

Education: What is the biggest issue facing Baltimore County Public Schools? How would you address it?

The biggest issue facing Baltimore County Public Schools is ensuring that money is spent wisely. It's why I sponsored a resolution in 2025 that asked the Maryland General Assembly to allow the Inspector General to investigate Baltimore County Public Schools, which receives more than $2.5 billion every year. Giving the Inspector General investigatory power will likely save taxpayer money that can be better spent in the classroom.

We've made progress over the past four years in addressing school overcrowding. During my tenure as County Councilman, we opened Nottingham Middle School and Honeygo and Rossville Elementary Schools, and renovated and expanded Pine Grove Middle School. Trailers have been removed from places like Perry Hall Middle School that were previously among the most crowded in Baltimore County.

We need to continue to demand excellence in our public schools and conditions that make our students safe, healthy, and ready to learn. I’ve challenged the school system when I believe there are lax penalties for student offenders, and I joined other Councilmembers to push for better nutrition and more School Resource Officers, psychologists and social workers to help students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I regularly volunteered at the food distribution centers organized by the Student Support Network and the school system.

I am the first special education teacher ever elected to the Baltimore County. I graduated from Baltimore County Public Schools and am the parent of two children who attended our public schools. I’m proud of my support from educators across Baltimore County.

A student brings a gun/weapon to campus without setting off any red flags. What security measures would you advocate for to prevent such an incident?

As an educator, I've learned that students often show signs that may lead to more serious problems. I've successfully advocated for more School Resource Officers, psychologists and social workers to prevent problems from escalating.

I remember arriving at Perry Hall High School after a shooting on the first day of classes in 2012. Lives were saved thanks to the swift involvement of educators and police. Other jurisdictions have tried to remove School Resource Officers; I believe they are role models for our students who play an essential role in guaranteeing public safety.

Do you believe schools need stricter security measures? Metal detectors? Explain.

I support metal detectors where appropriate, but also security measures that are incorporated into new buildings and renovations to existing campuses. Cameras have not only deterred crime, but they allow the Baltimore County Police Department to investigate incidents and prove evidence to prosecutors. My biggest concern is that the Maryland General Assembly has enacted laws that make it tougher to remove and prosecute juvenile offenders.

What will you do to encourage affordable/public housing in the county?

In 2026, I sponsored legislation that will reduce housing costs for thousands of Baltimore Countians by capping development impact fees until the Department of Planning completes a comprehensive study.

Northeastern Baltimore County was saturated with thousands of apartments and rental townhouses in the 1970s and 1980s. I will not support breaking the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line or sacrificing our green space to build more affordable housing, as some have suggested.

How will you address crime in the county/your district?

Statistics show that homicides and other crimes have fallen in Baltimore County, but every time there is a juvenile problem at White Marsh Mall or a neighborhood break-in, residents feel afraid—and with justification. Everyone who lives, works, and shops in Baltimore County deserves to feel safe. I’ve supported neighborhood watch programs, better lighting, and other measures to deter crime; many police officers now have take-home vehicles, which provides another layer of deterrence. I will continue to speak out against legislation that weakens penalties for juvenile offenders. I’m proud to have been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police in every election.

The county has seen a spike in incidents involving teen brawls. What steps would you take to curb incidents?

I've successfully advocated for parental escorts policies that are now in place at the White Marsh Town Center. Our office regularly communicates not only with the leaders of our police precincts, but also the managers for major shopping areas such as The Avenue at White Marsh and White Marsh Mall. In the spring of 2026, I sponsored a community meeting the White Marsh Police and Community Relations Council that produced recommendations for improving safety at the White Marsh Town Center. Police are actively monitoring social media, increasing the number of officers who patrol the White Marsh Town Center, and developing a common location for Uber and Lyft drivers to drop off customers.

What role does the county play in clamping down on the fights, or what's become known as "teen takeovers"?

We must continue to increase the physical size of the Baltimore County Police Department and support the private security operations hired by places like The Avenue at White Marsh and White Marsh Mall. We need to continue to communicate, coordinate resources, and deploy technology that deters and helps with the investigation of crime.

Many of those involved in the "teen takeovers" come from outside of Baltimore County, so there needs to regional coordination with Baltimore City and Harford County.

My biggest concern is that the Maryland General Assembly has enacted laws that make it tougher to remove and prosecute juvenile offenders.