Spiegel officially joins race for District 17 House seat

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Ryan Spiegel’s history of social service has led him to the race to represent District 17 in the House of Delegates.

‘‘There’s no secret formula for people who are interested in public service,” said Spiegel, a 27-year-old Democrat from Gaithersburg. ‘‘I come from a long line of social activists.”

Spiegel’s parents, teachers and religious leaders taught him that living a full life meant making life better for others, he said. He does that by participating in activities that encourage racial and religious bridge building, speaking at Take Back the Night rallies, and using his legal expertise to work on pro bono cases, he explained.

He is chairman of the Montgomery County Victims Services Advisory Board and a member of the Gaithersburg Education Committee and Montgomery County Young Democrats.

Spiegel, originally from Baltimore, earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. He then graduated from Stanford Law School and is now an attorney in private practice at Winston and Strawn LLP in Washington, D.C.

Spiegel announced his candidacy this month, and kicked off his campaign on Monday at the three municipalities within District 17: Garrett Park, Rockville and Gaithersburg. But he has been unofficially campaigning since last fall when there was talk that Del. Michael R. Gordon might be retiring, he said.

‘‘Because of my respect for our incumbents, and particularly for Mike, I did not want to be a formal candidate until there was an open seat,” he said.

Election 2006 Ryan Spiegel State House of Delegates, District 17 27, Gaithersburg Democrat Experience: Gaithersburg Education Committee member; chairman of the Montgomery County Victims Services Advisory Board; Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee precinct official Top Issues: Education, transportation and the environment, public safety and cleaner government For more: www.ryanspiegel.com

Gordon announced his retirement earlier this month.

Spiegel already has raised nearly $35,000 for his campaign.

Spiegel’s primary issues are education, transportation and the environment, public safety and a cleaner government.

‘‘I feel that the overcrowding in schools and the crumbling of schools in our area is a real problem despite the high quality of education,” he said.

He supports ample funding for school construction and renovation projects, and wants improved pension plans for teachers, he said.

Spiegel supports building the Intercounty Connector in an environmentally friendly way, and thinks the project must be complemented with improvements in mass transit and pedestrian and bicycle pathways, he said. He also encourages fuel efficiency, developing alternative energy sources and telecommuting to help reduce pollution.

Under the umbrella of public safety issues, Spiegel wants to address domestic violence, gangs, terrorism preparedness, pedestrian safety and access to affordable health care.