On September 19, UMBC alumnus Jordan Hadfield announced his candidacy for the 6th Legislative District of the Maryland State Senate, with a very welcoming speech and great support from members all over the Baltimore community. The 6th district includes parts of Baltimore County, which covers Edgemore, Essex, Rosedale, and his hometown of Dundalk. Currently, the State Senator for the 6th district is Norman Stone, who has served in this position since 1963.

So far his campaign for State Senate has included three areas of focus that he believes are essential to the success of the community. He is mainly focused on jobs, education, and building better communities. His number one priority, though, lies in creating jobs for the community.

"My grandparents had more opportunities here than we do now. In the past fifty years, over 40,000 jobs have been lost. The opportunities have been pulled out from beneath us," said Hadfield.

Baltimore used to be an industrial city but has lost many industries in the area such as Bethlehem Steel and General Motors. Another concern is the drop in homeownership rates that has also dramatically decreased along with job opportunities. He hopes to stimulate the economic growth in the area by attracting more businesses and educating people on entrepreneurship, and also by working with the government to reconfigure tax and job support. He believes that adults should have more opportunities to further their education, including full funding for local community colleges. According to Hadfield, there should be more direct community involvement in public schools that create paths for high school students to attend college.

Hadfield believes that the individuals should be filled with pride and the community should be a safe atmosphere that people can enjoy. In order to do this, local police and firefighters should receive the necessary resources to do their job well. Also, rebuilding older communities and working on environmental issues, such as the Chesapeake Bay, are necessary to improving the well-being of the region. Further information on these topics can be found at http://www.JordanHadfield.com.

A former student at UMBC, Hadfield received his B.A. in Political Science, with a minor in Ancient Studies, a Master's in Public Policy, and is currently working towards his Ph.D in Public Policy. When asked what inspired him most at UMBC, he responded that his Political Science major and his involvement with the SGA greatly helped move his career along. Also, he had great mentors at UMBC to help him along the way.

"Dr. Thomas Schaller was not afraid to say what he believes and feels. I took all of his classes," said Hadfield.

While conducting his undergraduate studies at UMBC, Hadfield was SGA president two years running, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. One of the co-founders of UMBC's all-male a capella singing group the Mama's Boys, he was also very committed in developing many of the university's community efforts. In his last year at UMBC and for two years running, he became the Main Street Manager for the Maryland Historic Main Street in Dundalk, MD with the Dundalk Renaissance Corporation. This made him one of the youngest individuals in the nation to manage a street. Along with these achievements, he also won many numerous awards and scholarships in UMBC and in the community.

With regard to civic engagement and involvement, Hadfield advises UMBC students to, "Get your hands dirty." He explained the importance of getting involved helped him gain respect in his own community. Another important aspect is "active networking…always meet people in person." Hadfield also said, "Don't be afraid to ask for advice, no one will turn you down, and be real."

He currently works for the UMBC Office of Institutional Advancement as a Development O

fficer and is part of the Adjunct Faculty at the Community College of Baltimore County at Dundalk.

The elections for State Senate along with the many other positions in Maryland's State Government will take place in 2010.