ST. MARY’S COUNTY, Md. — Chuck Borges, a retired U.S. Navy officer and former federal civil servant, announced his Democratic candidacy for Maryland State Senate District 29 on November 10, 2025. The Lexington Park resident, who has lived in Southern Maryland since 2005, aims to represent St. Mary’s and southern Calvert counties by focusing on affordability, job growth and environmental protections.
Borges, 48, brings nearly 23 years of Navy service, including a deployment during the September 11, 2001, attacks and a Combat V award for actions in Iraq. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a Navy ROTC scholarship and later completed Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. After retiring from the military, he served as the Navy’s Chief Data Officer at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, emphasizing data-driven safety measures for sailors.
His civil service roles spanned agencies including the General Services Administration, Office of Management and Budget and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Borges worked as a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the CDC, aiding faster responses to public health threats. Most recently, as Chief Data Officer at the Social Security Administration, he resigned in September 2025 after filing a whistleblower complaint against the Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory body led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Borges cited concerns over risks to sensitive public data in his departure, underscoring his commitment to safeguarding federal information.
District 29 encompasses rural and coastal areas of St. Mary’s County, including Leonardtown, Lexington Park and Charlotte Hall, along with southern Calvert portions such as Prince Frederick and Dowell. The district’s population of about 130,000 features a mix of military families, watermen, farmers and tech professionals tied to Patuxent River’s defense hub. Registered voters lean Republican, with 35 percent Democrats, 55 percent Republicans and 10 percent unaffiliated as of October 2025, per state election data. Median household income stands at $98,000, above the state average, driven by aerospace jobs, though challenges persist in housing costs and agricultural viability amid sea-level rise.
Borges’ platform targets these pressures. He pledges to advance state incentives for affordable housing developments, drawing from his family’s relocation to rural upstate New York in 1981 after his father’s job loss during the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization strike. On healthcare, he seeks policies to lower medical expenses through innovation, informed by his CDC tenure. For agriculture, a backbone of St. Mary’s $150 million annual farm output in soybeans, corn and poultry, Borges advocates resources to enhance sustainability and food security. Biodiversity efforts would protect the district’s 200 miles of Chesapeake Bay shoreline, where erosion threatens oyster reefs and wildlife habitats.
The 2026 election cycle heats up in District 29, where Republican Sen. John D. “Jack” Bailey holds the seat. Bailey, a Calvert County native and former state trooper, won re-election in 2022 with 62 percent of the vote, focusing on public safety and tax relief. Primaries occur May 5, 2026, with the general election November 3. Candidates must file by February 3, gathering 1,000 signatures for the Democratic primary. Borges joins a crowded House field, including Democrat Jennifer Clancy for District 29A and Republicans BJ Hall and Adrianne Mathis for 29B, signaling competitive races ahead.
Maryland’s legislative redistricting, finalized in 2022 after the census, preserved District 29’s boundaries to reflect population shifts from Patuxent River’s growth. The Senate, with 47 members serving four-year terms, convenes annually in Annapolis to pass budgets, confirm appointments and enact laws on education, transportation and environmental regulations. District 29 senators influence bills like the 2024 Chesapeake Bay restoration funding, which allocated $50 million for wetland preservation in Southern Maryland.
Borges traces his public service ethos to his father, an Air Force veteran who became a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller. The 1981 strike, which led to mass firings under President Ronald Reagan, forced the family’s move and instilled lessons in economic resilience. “Service to my country, making an impact in the lives of others, and ensuring everyone has equitable opportunities to learn, live, and grow have been the guiding principles of my life,” Borges stated in his announcement. He views Southern Maryland’s blend of rural entrepreneurship and technological prowess—fueled by 25,000 defense jobs at Patuxent River—as a model for national innovation.
Campaign details appear on his website, including a call for volunteers to address “strong, vibrant, and sustainable community growth.” Borges plans town halls in Leonardtown and Prince Frederick, emphasizing training programs for residents to secure aerospace and cybersecurity roles. His X account, @Chuck4MD, launched this week with posts on data privacy, garnering initial support from local Democrats. A recent post noted his filing with the State Board of Elections, confirming his Democratic bid.
Southern Maryland’s political landscape favors incumbents, with Republicans holding all three District 29 seats since 2014. Voter turnout reached 68 percent in 2022, boosted by issues like bay pollution and highway expansions along Route 4. Borges’ entry, as a decorated veteran with tech expertise, positions him to appeal to the district’s 20,000 active-duty personnel and retirees. He commits to learning from constituents: “I am honored to have the opportunity to earn your vote, and I hope to be able to learn from each of you over the course of this campaign.”
The race unfolds amid state debates on Gov. Wes Moore’s redistricting proposals, which could affect future maps but not 2026 contests. Borges’ focus on privacy echoes national concerns, as his SSA resignation highlighted vulnerabilities in federal systems handling 70 million beneficiaries’ records. In St. Mary’s, where 15 percent of residents rely on Social Security, such experience resonates.
Maryland Senate campaigns require $5,000 minimum filings by January 2026, with public financing options for qualifying candidates. Borges’ military roots align with the district’s heritage: St. Mary’s, Maryland’s first capital in 1634, hosts Point Lookout State Park, a Civil War site drawing 300,000 visitors yearly. His platform integrates these assets, proposing agritourism grants to bolster farms facing drought risks.
As filings close, District 29 voters face choices on balancing growth with preservation. Borges’ candidacy adds a fresh voice, rooted in defense and data, to the conversation.