We asked local candidates in contested primary elections to write a sub-750 word essay describing why residents should vote for them on June 24.

Next up, we head back to District 18, where Rick Kessler is running for one of three House of Delegates seats in the Democratic primary. Below is Kessler’s unedited response:

I’m running for Delegate because Annapolis ignores our progressive values and treats Montgomery County like an ATM. We need leaders who will fight for us — leaders who will fight for our schools, our working families and our values. As a District 18 resident, I think we can do better and I’m proud to have been endorsed by our former Delegate, John Hurson, who called me “a fighter for Montgomery County and a strong leader for the District 18.”

I moved to our Silver Spring neighborhood 17 years ago with my wife Cindy and our soon-to-arrive son Matty, who now attends Montgomery Blair High School. Our home has been the center of support for progressive political candidates and causes, such as the successful effort to ensure that Marriage Equality and the DREAM Act were defended at the ballot box. We are members of Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase and are active in the Temple’s social justice programs. I’ve been an active member of the community, serving as a Democratic precinct official, the Vice Chair of the District 18 Democratic Caucus, and as a member of the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee helping guide Wheaton’s redevelopment while preserving its unique, multi-cultural character.

If elected, I will leverage the economic and intellectual firepower of our county and make sure that your voice is heard, your needs are met and our shared values set the agenda in Annapolis.

I’ll fight for school construction funding for Montgomery County because, of the County’s 27 top-priority school construction projects, 10 of them serve District 18. It is unfathomable that during this past legislative session Montgomery County was denied school construction funds, while at the same time Annapolis was giving millions of our tax dollars to private schools throughout the state for construction and upgrades. Our children deserve to be educated in safe, modern buildings, not go to school in “portable” trailers.

I’ll fight for an immediate minimum wage increase to $10.10 because our hard-working neighbors should not have to wait until 2018 while legislators get a pay raise next year. And, I will refuse any pay raise until working families get their raise!

Professionally, I have been engaged in national politics and policy-making for over 25 years. In the early part of my career I held positions with the late Senator Frank Lautenberg, former Congressman Bill Hughes, Congressman Frank Pallone, and Princeton University. I was recruited to return to the Hill to work for the House Energy and Commerce Committee where I helped draft and worked to pass legislation to create green energy alternative opportunities; crack down on big corporations that pollute; keep toxics out of our consumer products, our environment and our bodies; and fought to protect electricity ratepayers.

Later, I served as Chief of Staff to the Dean of the US House of Representatives, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI). Today I’m in the private sector as a government relations executive. I also spend a significant amount of time on pro bono projects, testifying on Capitol Hill as an energy and environment expert at legislative hearings, particularly in my voluntary role as President of the Pipeline Safety Trust, a national non-profit organization that protects people and the environment from unsafe gas, oil and hazardous liquid pipelines. I’ll fight to repeal regressive taxes on necessities like the sales tax on kids clothing and, instead, make out-of-state corporations pay their fair share.

I’ll always fight for a Woman’s Right to Choose and to obtain birth control from her pharmacist, because Maryland should be a state that guarantees a woman’s access to birth control. That’s why Maryland NARAL gave me their 100% Pro-Choice rating.

I will fight to expand safe, accessible and affordable child care for all of our families.

And, I’ll use my 20 years of legislative experience working on energy and environmental issues to fight the naysayers, address climate change and expand the use of solar and offshore wind energy and encourage investment in public transit. I’m proud to be endorsed by the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, because they know that I’ll be a real leader for the environment.

My promise to you is that if I am elected to serve as your Delegate I will get up early every single morning and work hard every single day for all the people of District 18.