PRINCE FREDERICK — Voters in Maryland House of Delegates District 27B will choose one delegate on Nov. 3. The district covers parts of Calvert and Prince George’s counties. On the ballot are Democrat Jeffrie E. Long Jr., the incumbent, and Republican Dan L. Thomas, according to the Maryland Manual’s general election candidate list.
This guide is meant to help voters compare the two candidates. It draws on the official state record and a candidate questionnaire sent by the Local News Network, a student-staffed newsroom at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism that works with Capital News Service. Thomas answered the questionnaire. Long did not.
About the questionnaire
The Local News Network sent its questionnaire to all 235 General Assembly candidates in competitive primaries this spring, and 141 responded, according to the guide’s methodology page. Answers were edited only for grammar and style. The District 27B page was published April 14, ahead of the June primary, so the answers below reflect the candidate’s positions at that time.
The guide lists Long among the Democratic candidates who did not answer the survey. It does not say why, and the absence of answers should not be read as a position on any issue.
Jeffrie E. Long Jr. (D)
Long has represented District 27B since Jan. 11, 2023, and serves on the House Environment and Transportation Committee, according to his Maryland Manual biography. The manual lists him as senior pastor of Communion Church in Huntingtown since 2018 and director of the Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council since 2022. He was born in Prince Frederick.
When he won the seat in 2022, Long was among the first members of Generation Z elected to the General Assembly, Maryland Matters reported. His legislative assignments have also included a 2024-25 workgroup studying public-private partnerships for Calvert County Public Schools.
Dan L. Thomas (R)
Thomas, of Calvert County, is a retired federal employee who will be 60 on Election Day. He listed some college at American Military University as his highest level of education. His campaign website is thomas4md.com.
In his questionnaire answers, Thomas gave these positions:
- Why he is running: To stop increases in state fees and taxes, push for more fiscally responsible spending and make Maryland more affordable.
- State budget deficit: He said he opposes Gov. Wes Moore’s approach and proposed a state Office of the Inspector General to audit agencies that lack their own inspector general, with the goal of cutting fraud and waste.
- Energy costs: He said the state closed coal plants without a replacement plan and proposed working with plant owners and the U.S. Department of Energy to convert them to natural gas or nuclear power. He also said the state should ban new data center construction.
- Housing: He proposed tax breaks and incentives for builders to construct starter single-family homes, and criticized local resistance to apartments and condominiums.
- Jobs: He called the DECADE Act a good start but said it will not do enough for job growth. He called for more support for manufacturing, small business and the trades, including more trade instruction in high schools and funding for trade schools.
- Immigration enforcement: He said he opposes the state ban on local partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arguing it keeps local law enforcement from honoring ICE detainers.
- Political role model: He said he does not currently admire any one political leader, but looking back admires former Gov. William Donald Schaefer, and values leaders who are truthful and keep their promises.
Asked what other issues matter, Thomas said Maryland needs to be “a business and family friendly state” and affordable enough to keep residents from leaving.
How and when to vote
Early voting runs Thursday, Oct. 22, through Thursday, Oct. 29, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters who want a mail-in ballot sent by mail or fax must request it by Oct. 27, or by Oct. 30 for email delivery, according to NBC4 Washington.
Voters who are unsure of their legislative district can look it up through the Maryland State Board of Elections.
Capital News Service provided the questionnaires through the Local News Network’s General Assembly Voter Guide 2026.
Candidates who did not respond to the questionnaire: Jeffrie E. Long Jr. (D).
