Brian Frydenborg

Lifelong liberal Democrat who has been pleased to call Maryland home for over three years now. I am a respected geopolitical and policy analyst who has worked many years as a freelance journalist, writer, editor, and consultant, including while living over five years in the Middle East. Some of my most notable jobs have been consulting for a USAID project in Jordan and another consultancy with a local Jordanian NGO, as well a project each with the U.S. Department of Education and, most recently, a U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women project. Biden wrote that office into law himself, a reminder of policy expertise and legislation being at the heart of what it means to be an exceptional U.S. senator. I even interned in Biden’s Washington Senate office back in 2006. That is part of over two decades of substantive academic and professional experience in the policy and political realms, including international policy as well as domestic. Ben Cardin was a leader on both fronts and, as the only candidate with as much foreign policy experience as I have and by far, I will be, too. Expect more detailed policy proposals from me than any other candidate.

• We face serious challenges not only from without, but within: make no mistake about it, Trumpist MAGA Republicans are a fascist, racist personality cult, willing to gaslight and engage in violent insurrections and coup attempts to destroy American democracy to preserve or extend their power. We must stand up to them and defend democracy and the most vulnerable whose were so deeply harmed by Trump’s policies and those of his supporters. But whenever we can find common ground, especially with the Adam Kinzingers and Asa Hutchinsons who are still operating in Republican politics, we must work with Republicans to achieve results when possible, as Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi have demonstrated repeatedly in face of mockery.
• I bring over two decades of domestic and foreign policy expertise to the table, the only candidate with significant foreign affairs experience, something any successor to the great Ben Cardin should possess. Cardin worked in a bipartisan manner to pass the landmark human rights Magnitsky legislation, giving the U.S. unprecedented power to punish human rights abusers within foreign governments. This legislation was so effective that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his agents attempted to collude with the Trump campaign back in 2016 to undermine the effectiveness of these sanctions. Cardin was strong on supporting Ukraine, as am I, with my analysis being praised even by a top advisor to Zelensky.
• As Democrats, we have to embrace what brought us success in 2018 midterms, the 2020 presidential election, and in a historic gain in the Senate and holding most of our ground in House in the 2022 midterms: maintaining a practical agenda designed to produce results and huge portions of the American electorate. At a time when Republicans are increasingly ideologically extreme, now is not the to shrink the big tent of the Democratic Party or to narrow our appeal by veering into ideological extremes in turn. For example, it’s pretty wild we still have a Democratic Senator in West Virginia, which voted for Trump by nearly 40 points in 2020. As a liberal Democrats, I disagree with Sen. Manchin on much but attacking him does not help our cause.

Unfair question, because pretty much all of them. I've always care about foreign policy deeply because America, even for its many flaws/mistakes, has been a force for good in the world on a level no other nation has been in human history, even today, from the impact of George W. Bush’s PEPFAR program in reducing AIDS in Africa to USAID empowering women in the Middle East. But we are only as strong as our example at home, so I also care deeply about preserving democracy against fascism, having strong schools for all our kids regardless of poverty or race, protecting the bodies of women from government control or sexual assault and domestic violence, ensuring families have enough food, ensuring our economy is working for all our citizens not just a wealthy few, making sure our infrastructure is worthy of our ambitions, making sure our defense industry’s waste is curbed even while ensuring technical dominance and production capacity will increase while caring for our veterns, ensuring systemic racism/criminal justice reform are properly dealt with so that we do not defund the police but reform and retrain the police to recognize that, yes, Black Lives Matter, to make sure Congress actually legislates a solution to our immigration crisis, to keep our children safe from Big Tech, to ensure our cyberdefenses are worthy of the 21st century, to expand Medicaid, to increase Social Security viability by ending caps on FICA taxes, and I will have specific, detailed policies these all

Many people, but today, especially Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Ben Cardin, Jamie Raskin, and Volodymyr Zelensky.

So many, but Hamilton to be sure, Gettysburg (Chamberlain's speeches and discussions), The Thin Red Line, The Oxford Very Short Introduction to Kant, Why Orwell Matters and Homage to Catalonia, Letters to a Young Contrarian, Federalist Papers, and the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, Rome and the Barbarians, King Leopold's Ghost, Michael Collins

Passion for helping people and knowing the issues, having actual policies that can work and help people, and a focus on progress. In addition, intellectual curiosity, knowing American and world history, perseverance, eloquence, flexibility, and the ability to listen to and work with a wide variety of people.

Passion for making a different and two decades of studying, writing about, or working in public public, politics, and international affairs. Deep knowledge of U.S. history, excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and that I am already putting out far more detailed plans than any of my competitors.

Help constituents, help all Americans, pursue justice, and defend democracy at home and abroad.

Helping a lot of people a lot, defending democracy, facing down fascism and extremism, and honoring Ben Cardin's legacy.

The Challenger space shuttle exploding

Working a summer in high school for Barnes and Noble. I love books!

Unlike most of my opponents and like many of my fellow Marylanders, I have struggled financially well into adulthood, so I appreciate your struggles in more personal ways and am here to always be on your side.

Domestic extremism.

I'm open to the idea but it's still the voters who decide each election and some of the best senators had long careers so for now I am not for them.

Its small number of office-holders, its rules, its equality for all states, and its relatively long terms.

Absolutely. Experience always matters!

It should be used to block extreme legislation and to help build consensus, not used to block any legislation by a minority intent on obstructionists, which is exactly how Republicans are abusing it today.

Ben Cardin, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton

Like any nominee for anything: on relevant experience, character, and that they are not extremists

One focused on results for the American people and protecting democracy.

It depends, but often yes. Something is better than nothing. You can still fight for your beliefs and end up compromising. But there are some on the far left that view compromising as selling out and that is often not a fair criticism, often there was no realistic chance to get votes from more moderate members of congress who live in swing districts and do not have the same level of public support in their districts for more liberal Democratic policy ideas. My philosophy is do as much as possible that can actually pass Congress, both the House and the Senate, fight like hell and take what you can get in the end. And hope to revisit and go farther after winning more seats for Democrats!

To protect our people, our nation, our allies, and democracy and to ensure justice, fairness, and opportunity for all Americans. And especially to hold powerful to account when they abuse your power. No one is above the law, even Donald Trump!

None yet

Relevant experience and expertise, character, and that they are not extremists but practical.