Joe Vogel

MARYLAND DELEGATE

First elected in 2022, Delegate Joe Vogel entered the General Assembly eager to work on behalf of Maryland families like his. Joe’s family immigrated from Uruguay at age 3. His upbringing in Rockville inspired him to get involved on issues he cared about most, like combatting climate change, expanding access to mental healthcare, and defending Marylanders from corrupt politicians and special interests.

His approach to policymaking is rooted in community, bringing people’s ideas to the legislature and championing solutions to the everyday problems Marylanders face. In his first term, he has passed legislation to expand economic opportunity through climate innovation, protect workers from unfair labor practices, and build an economy that works for everybody. However, there’s still work to be done. Delegate Vogel has proven he can stand up to lobbyists, CEOs, and moneyed interests when they try to rip off Marylanders. Joe is proud to serve the people of Maryland’s 17th District and be their voice in Annapolis.

Joe’s deep determination to protect American democratic systems is shaped entirely by his family’s multi-generational survival story.

On the eve of the Holocaust, his great-grandparents were forced to flee Europe, leaving everything behind. Decades later, his parents and grandparents lived under a repressive, far-right military dictatorship in Uruguay.

Having personally achieved the milestone of U.S. citizenship, Joe views the protection of voting norms, civic institutions, and basic human rights as a lived family obligation. He is passionately committed to ensuring he is not the fourth generation in his lineage to watch a democracy crumble.

A Proven Track Record of Bipartisan Results

In the Maryland House of Delegates, Joe didn't wait his turn to tackle the state's most pressing challenges. Serving on the Education Subcommittee and the Ways and Means Committee, he has successfully delivered major, concrete policy wins for working families:

Mental Health & Education: Joe introduced critical measures to place more mental health professionals in public schools. Ultimately merged into the historic Educator Shortage Act, his work ensures students have immediate access to life-saving wellness resources. He also championed classroom focus by co-sponsoring the Maryland Phone Free Schools Act and sponsoring the Civic Excellence Program (HB 57) to foster hands-on youth leadership.

The Fentanyl Epidemic: Joe authored and secured unanimous, bipartisan support to pass the Josh Siems Act. This critical law modernizes hospital toxicology screens to mandatorily include fentanyl testing, catching accidental overdoses early and saving lives across the state. He built on this by passing HB 1131, establishing an emergency grant program to train first-responding paramedics to administer advanced overdose treatments like buprenorphine.

Hate Crimes Response: In direct response to a rising tide of identity-motivated violence, Joe wrote and passed the bill creating the Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention, ensuring impacted local communities have a permanent seat at the table to design safety solutions.

Standing Up to Special Interests & Lowering Costs

Delegate Vogel has earned a reputation in Annapolis as an independent voice who refuses to back down from corporate monopolies, moneyed lobbyists, and predatory corporate practices.

Banning Political Corruption: Joe shook up traditional insider perks by introducing HB 136 to completely ban lavish "committee dinners" funded by special-interest lobbyists, and HB 509, which prohibits publicly regulated utility companies like PEPCO and BG&E from buying political influence with campaign contributions.

Protecting Your Pocketbook: Joe wrote and passed the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act to criminalize dynamic "surveillance pricing"—blocking grocery chains and food apps from using personal data to artificially gouge shoppers. He also advanced HB 1257 to force corporate landlords to fully declare hidden "junk fees" upfront in advertised rent prices.

Fighting for Ratepayers and Workers: Joe voted for the Next Generation Energy Act to provide $200 million in direct energy bill relief credits to families while banning utility executives from purchasing private planes with ratepayer cash. He also championed local labor by introducing a minimum wage floor for rideshare drivers (HB 18) and authoring the Maryland Worker Freedom Act to permanently ban coercive corporate union-busting meetings.

Standing Up to the Trump Administration

When federal rollbacks threatened Marylanders' livelihoods, Joe took immediate action. He co-sponsored the emergency Protect Our Federal Workers Act (HB 1424) to expand state employee-assistance funds into interest-free bridge loans for thousands of suddenly displaced federal workers, while legally empowering the state Attorney General to fight unlawful mass layoffs in court. Furthermore, he staunchly defended localized civil rights by co-sponsoring the Community Trust Act and voting for the Maryland Values Act (HB 1222), halting local police collaboration in federal civil immigration enforcement while preserving essential protections to keep our communities safe.