This story was corrected on May 20, 2010. An explanation of the correction follows the story.

Rockville resident Cheryl C. Kagan is formally in the race for the District 17 Senate seat, filing her candidacy with the state Board of Election May 10 after nearly a year of campaigning against incumbent Jennie M. Forehand.

Kagan said her top campaign priority is to balance the state budget.

"We need an advocate representing us to ensure that the budget is not balanced on the backs of Montgomery County citizens," she said. "We need someone who is going to be independent-minded and ask the hard questions and not just go along to get along."

Kagan said she also wants to focus on economic development and jobs in Montgomery County, and community needs such as funding and resources for education and affordable housing.

Kagan represented District 17 — Rockville, Gaithersburg and Garrett Park — in the Maryland House of Delegates between 1994 and 2002. She did not seek re-election after two terms. As a state delegate, Kagan focused on gun control, reproductive rights and campaign finance reform.

Kagan is endorsed by the NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland Political Action Committee. She was a former staff member of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, a political advisor and analyst for several Democratic candidates, and has occasionally been a political commentator on television and other venues.

She served as the first executive director of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, named for her distant cousin, which provided more than $1 million in grant money each year to nonprofit organizations in Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia.

"Even though I knew a lot of people from my time in the legislature, I got to understand the challenges that the county is facing from a different perspective and the invaluable indifference that our nonprofit groups are making," Kagan said.

Kagan teaches at Montgomery College and maintains an online blog on social and political topics. She said she spent the past year knocking on residents' doors in her district and speaking to them on issues.

Kagan said she decided to run for Senate after "watching with growing concern the economic challenges in Annapolis."

"I believe we need a different level of energetic and independent-minded representation," Kagan said.

Kagan is running her campaign on a Clean Seventeen pledge, which limits the amount of political donations that she receives. Kagan said she will only accept contributions at half the amount legally allowed.

"I think it's the right thing to do, given the disillusioned role that big money plays in politics," Kagan said. "And by taking the lead, and voluntarily limiting my contributions, I'm hoping to restore people's faith in government-elected officials."

Democrat

-Residence: Rockville

-Age: 48

-Education: Bachelor of Arts, political science, Vassar College; graduate study, University of Maryland, College Park, School of Public Affairs, 1991 to 1995

-Work experience: First director, Carl M. Freeman Foundation; instructor at Montgomery College; former staffer at the national headquarters of NARAL Pro-Choice; occasional political commentator; political adviser and strategist

-Family: Husband, David Spitzer

-Top Issues: State budget, economic development and jobs and understanding the needs of the community

-Campaign funds: Running on Clean Seventeen pledge that caps contributions at half the amount legally allowed. As of January filing, Kagan raised $70,363.93

-Previous political experience: Member, House of Delegates, District 17, 1994 to 2002

-Other affiliations: Americans for Democratic Action, American Jewish Committee, Peerless Rockville, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Leadership Montgomery, The Universities at Shady Grove, Folk ‘N Great Music, Maryland State Arts Council

-Website: www.cherylkagan.org

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly described Kagan's work experience at NARAL Pro-Choice, as well as the origins of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation's name.

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