Dutch Ruppersberger – Democrat

Serving his fifth term in the United States House of Representatives, Dutch Ruppersberger is seeking re-election to Congress to represent Maryland’s second district, composed of Harford, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties.

The 66-year-old Democrat has blown his opponents out of the water in previous elections, winning 64.21 percent of the votes in 2010, 71.9 percent in 2008 and 69.21 in 2006.

Ruppersberger supports tax cuts to the middle class and cuts to military spending.

As a Congressman, he passed legislation that increased oversight of Pentagon spending and cut spending to non-weapons defense purchases.

Ruppersberger has also pushed for several pieces of legislation to reform schools in America.

He helped push legislation through the House that provided $975 billion for education programs, school repairs and school modernization, and wants to secure more spending to help bring in a larger number of science, technology and math teachers to school systems.

Ruppersberger has worked  locally to decrease the number of illegal imports from the Port of Baltimore, and other areas of commerce in the U.S., supporting $3.5 billion for 20,019 U.S. Border Patrol agents to protect the U.S. border against fraudulent goods.

“I am fighting to protect the needs of every American who utilizes our ports, travels on our waterways and enjoys the unobstructed flow of commerce,” he said on his official website. “We must be smart about security to keep things moving.”

Nancy Jacobs – Republican

Attempting to take down Dutch Ruppersberger is Republican Nancy Jacobs, hailing from Harford County.

Jacobs is currently a Maryland State Senator representing District 34.

Her main platform during her campaign has promising the creation of more jobs.

“Business needs to feel confident [that] government is acting to address our economic woes so they have the confidence to expand and create jobs,” Jacobs said in an article by ABC 2. “If you vote for Jacobs you vote for jobs.”

As a state legislator, Jacobs sponsored Jessica’s Law, which requires sex offenders to wear GPS devices on their ankles for five years following their release from prison, and received a 100 percent rating from the Maryland Business for Responsive Government for creating jobs in Maryland.

Jacobs has publicly denounced same-sex marriage in Maryland, the Maryland DREAM Act, and Maryland Question 7, legalizing a new casino in Prince George’s County.

“I believe the gambling dollar is limited and building another mega-sized casino at the National Harbor could pose a big risk to the ones already approved by the state,” she said. “I believe the situation should be studied thoroughly before being decided and not pushed through too quickly only to appease special interests.”