Chrissy Holt for Maryland District 30 Senate - Campaign Video
www.chrissyholt.com
IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL • WOMEN & FAMILIES • EQUALITY
For years, I have been encouraged to run for office by friends, colleagues, and family who know my deep desire to create a stronger sense of ownership over our own government. Now, with my children grown and my family’s loving support, my dream of guiding Maryland into a progressive future as a State Senator is finally possible.
For 25 years, I traveled the globe as a leader in business development. I was an integral part of several start-up tech companies including the enormously successful CareerBuilder. Over the past 7 years, I’ve gained extensive experience working with one of the most successful and philanthropic companies in the world, the Disney Institute of The Walt Disney Company.
My career has helped me build solid management and negotiating skills that are essential to holding public office. But what truly brings me to the political forum is my family and the trials and challenges we have faced together.
In 1992, after receiving my Master's degree at the London School of Economics, my husband and I settled in Alexandria, Virginia. Several years later, I gave birth to a beautiful baby son. Charlie was born very ill. He died at just four days old. The next year, I lived through that pain, once again pregnant and hopeful for a successful pregnancy and healthy baby. Then the crushing news came. My son Colin was born with severe hemophilia-A.
Since hemophilia is a genetic blood clotting disorder -- and thus considered a pre-existing condition -- Colin was declared uninsurable in Virginia. Health insurance companies did not want to cover my son's medication expenses, which now exceed $30,000 per month for life-saving medicine. Thankfully, Maryland had much more patient-friendly insurance laws and I was able to move my family to Lothian in South Anne Arundel County in 2001. The move saved my son's life.
Chrissy Holt, John Sarbanes, Maryland Senate, MD, Hemophilia, Healthcare, Medicare for All
The picture above from March 2017 is with our Congressman, John Sarbanes. It was taken right after he voted against the Republican’s AHCA, which would have been a death sentence for those with chronic illnesses.
The devastating reality of a health care system that couldn’t take care of my son immediately propelled me into volunteer advocacy in the federal and state legislatures. For over twenty years, I have been a keynote speaker at dozens of rallies, town halls, and forums, working tirelessly to make sure Marylanders do not die because of America’s broken for-profit healthcare scheme.
Another health-related tragedy hit our family in 2011 when my first husband died of complications due to alcoholism. This devastating event propelled me, as a woman in long-term recovery, to look into the deep causes of the addiction crisis that wreaks havoc on our society. The five-decade-long war on drugs is an utter failure and our health care system makes recovery incredibly expensive or unattainable for most.
In addition to health care and recovery, I believe there are so many critical issues that can be fixed with progressive policies. Working with progressive experts, I will write, introduce, and fight for legislation to promote economic prosperity, to support racial justice, to apply sensible gun laws, to create globally competitive public education, and to fight for environmental justice for future generations.
I am a true Marylander. I was born at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in 1966 and raised in Potomac. I graduated from Wootton HS and the University of Maryland with a degree in Psychology. I moved to Lothian, Maryland, in 2000 and then to Annapolis in 2004 to raise my 2 kids as a single mother. I married Art Holt in April 2010. He and our four children together have been my greatest strength and support.
I appreciate your consideration to elect me to Maryland State Senate for District 30 in 2018.
