Joe was born in Uruguay and moved to Maryland as a toddler. His life story is a reflection of how anything is possible in this country. A community leader turned State Delegate, Joe is now running to represent Central and Western Maryland in Congress because it’s time to send a fresh perspective and a proven problem solver to Washington. As far-right extremists work to undermine our democracy and rip away fundamental freedoms, it’s never been more clear: Now is the time to elect leaders who can deliver.
In the Maryland House of Delegates, Joe has a proven track record of tackling our greatest challenges head-on.
Joe led bipartisan legislation to address our most significant challenges. Never one to shy away from taking on tough fights, Joe delivered major wins for Maryland families. He wrote and passed legislation to make historic investments in mental health, combat the rise in hate crimes, and address the fentanyl crisis.
Joe took on the mental health crisis by attracting and retaining more mental health professionals in Maryland public schools. Ultimately amended into Governor Moore’s Educator Shortage Act, this bill will ensure Maryland students have a world-class education with access to the mental health resources they need.
Joe introduced and gained unanimous, bipartisan support to pass the Josh Siems Act to dramatically improve fentanyl testing processes in Maryland hospitals. This new law will directly address the fentanyl overdose epidemic and ultimately save lives across our state.
In response to the rising trend in hate crimes throughout Maryland, Joe passed a bill to establish the Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention to ensure that communities most impacted by this violence will have a voice in developing solutions.
The bottom line: Joe has a record of partnering with colleagues to get big things done.
Joe’s determination to defend our democracy is motivated by the story of his family.
Joe’s great-grandparents were forced to leave their families behind and flee Europe on the eve of the Holocaust. Decades later, his grandparents and parents lived under a repressive military dictatorship in Uruguay. As far-right extremists work to erode American democracy, Joe is passionately committed to making sure he is not the fourth generation in his family to witness democracy crumble.
At the core of Joe’s story is his unwavering commitment to building a better future for the community that has given him so much.
Before serving his community in Annapolis, Joe spent a decade working to advance our community and elect leaders committed to moving our country forward. At 15, Joe volunteered on President Barack Obama’s campaign and later aided District 17 State Senator Cheryl Kagan during her 2014 campaign. In 2016, Joe joined Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign in the hopes of sending the first woman to the Oval Office.
Like so many Americans, Joe didn’t give up when Donald Trump won. Instead, he strengthened his commitment to fighting for the future of our country. In the aftermath of Trump’s election, Joe jumped into the fight for gun violence prevention, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ rights. He worked for Senator Cory Booker, a champion for criminal justice reform and economic equality. In 2020, Joe doubled down on his effort to defeat Donald Trump, assisting President Biden’s campaign in the runup to the General Election. After helping to take back the White House, Joe turned back to Maryland to help his community that was reeling from the effects of the pandemic.
In Maryland, Joe organized his community to increase education funding for Maryland students and founded Learn It Together, a nationwide education nonprofit to provide free tutoring for children of essential workers. He worked with Interfaith Works to expand their anti-poverty advocacy efforts and became an active community volunteer with the Manna Food Center, the Up2UsFoundation, and the Maryland Responds Network. Now, he’s ready to continue his work for all Marylanders in the US House of Representatives.
