ANNAPOLIS, Md. — On a recent episode of “Get Real with Southern Maryland Politics,” host Chris Hill sat down with state Senate District 29 candidate Chuck Borges for a wide-ranging discussion about his background, career, and priorities for Southern Maryland.
Borges, a 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, said he came to Southern Maryland in 2004 for test pilot school and “basically never left,” except for deployments, including service in the Persian Gulf. He described a career that began in naval aviation and test piloting before transitioning into data and cybersecurity roles, eventually serving as a chief data officer in the Navy and later working in federal roles at the CDC, the White House, and the Social Security Administration.
He said he entered public service, and now politics, out of concern for the region’s long-term direction, stating, “I’m running for office basically for my son,” adding that he worries young people are being pushed out of the region. “I don’t see a lot of opportunity here for young professionals,” Borges said, arguing that Southern Maryland is overly dependent on federal installations and lacks a strong middle-of-career pathways.
A central theme of the interview was economic development and workforce retention. Borges said the region has “a unique ecology with the bay” and strong proximity to Washington, D.C., and argued it should better leverage its assets to attract innovative industries. “We should be taking advantage of that as an opportunity to bring in innovative new industries,” he said, emphasizing the need to build a more resilient economy less dependent on federal employment.
Housing affordability emerged as a major concern throughout the conversation. Borges said the cost of housing is now so high that “neither one of them can afford anything,” referring to both low-wage workers and young engineers. He argued that the region’s housing crisis is broad-based and requires structural changes, including permitting reform and incentives for redevelopment rather than only new construction.
He pointed to redevelopment and adaptive reuse as key opportunities, saying, “It’s easier to revitalize buildings than it is to build housing,” and criticized what he described as overly complex permitting systems that delay projects and increase costs. “The permitting process is too hard,” he said, arguing that delays can undermine project feasibility and discourage small developers.
Borges also called for changes to state tax policy to better support small businesses, arguing that current structures tend to favor large multistate corporations over local entrepreneurs. “We should be looking at ways that we can fix the tax code,” he said, suggesting that Maryland should do more to incentivize small business growth and workforce training tied to local industry needs.
A significant portion of the interview focused on his broader philosophy of governance. Borges described his approach as pragmatic, saying leadership should “make small changes early that will benefit the region” and treat legislation as an “investment” that yields long-term returns. He also emphasized working within bureaucracy rather than around it, saying leaders must “hack bureaucracy” to achieve results.
Borges said one of his immediate priorities would be expanding youth-focused policy, including ensuring children are fed and supported in schools. “We should be feeding kids,” he said, arguing that reducing child hunger improves educational outcomes and long-term community stability.
He also warned against unmanaged growth pressures in Southern Maryland, pointing to data centers and large-scale development trends. Borges said the region risks becoming “to DC what northern New Jersey is to New York City” if it does not carefully manage industrial expansion and invest in local workforce development.
Closing his remarks, Borges said he is seeking to bring “imagination” and “initiative” to state government. “We need leadership that will work every day to solve your problems,” he said, adding that his campaign is focused on sustainable growth, economic resilience, and protecting Southern Maryland’s character while expanding opportunity for residents.
Watch the full interview below:
About Get Real With Southern Maryland Politics
The interview is part of The BayNet’s new candidate video podcast series, “Get Real With Southern Maryland Politics,” which features conversations with Southern Maryland candidates running for county commissioner, state delegate and state senator.
Upcoming election coverage can be found at /elections.
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