2026 Candidate Spotlight: Meet Kevin Chin

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Kevin Chin has entered the race for Howard County Council District 1. Patch posed questions to each candidate running for office.

Below you will find Chin's responses, verbatim:

Name: Kevin Chin
Age on Election Day: 38
Hometown: Ellicott City
Political Affiliation: Democrat
Email address: Kevin@KevinChinforHowardCounty.com
Campaign website/Facebook page: KevinChinforHowardCounty.com and www.facebook.com/chinforcountycouncil

Do you have any previous political experience?

No

What do you believe is the single-most important issue facing voters in the district you’re looking to represent? How do you intend to address those issues?

The most important issue I’ve heard from residents is to ensure we are funding our schools and supporting our teachers and students. That means we fully fund our schools at historic levels. Like many families, my wife and I moved here for the world-class education. We have hundreds of millions of dollars in deferred maintenance and many students are learning in substandard conditions. In recent years the operating budget for education has also been underfunded. HCPSS is the jewel of Howard County, and I intend to treat it as such.

Closely connected to schools is walkability. I’m shocked at how many homes are within sight of the schools in District 1, such as Ilchester, Ellicott Mills, Elkridge Elementary, yet have no safe walking paths. We spend almost $75 million dollars a year on student transportation, and if we build sidewalk infrastructure near schools, we can connect communities and save money.

How do you differ from other candidates running against you?

If elected, I would be the first medical doctor to serve on the County Council. I always view policy through the lens of public and community health. I bring genuine scientific literacy to complex policy questions. I read the research, analyze the budget data myself, and make decisions based on evidence not ideology or special interests.

We need not just racial diversity, although I would be the first Asian American on the County Council, but we also need diversity of viewpoint and outlook. We need new thinkers and new ideas to tackle our community’s obstacles. I’m one of the hardest working people you will ever meet having knocked over 6000 doors since May of 2025. I promise to work just as hard for the people of District 1 if elected to the County Council.

How would your work experience benefit the goals/objectives you’ve outlined in your campaign and/or the office you’re seeking?

My career as an Emergency Medicine physician has uniquely prepared me for the County Council. In the ER, you cannot be an expert in everything, but you must know enough about every specialty to make fast, sound decisions. That is exactly what a county council member does. I bring a solutions-focused, outcome-oriented mindset.

My scientific training means I know how to read the research. I've dug into the Pupil Yield Analysis to understand how housing types impact school enrollment. I've reviewed the county budget myself, tracking how education's share of county revenue has declined. As an ER doctor, I serve as the social safety net of society. I see daily what happens when housing is unaffordable and infrastructure fails, driving my commitment to housing affordability, school investment, and walkable communities.

Beyond the hospital, I've done the local work: HCPSS Operating Budget Review Committee, Steering Committee of the Housing Affordability Coalition, and Board Member of Patapsco Heritage Greenway.I became a doctor to make the world a better place. I believe I can do that on a bigger scale on the County Council.

What is your opinion of the work being done by the current office holder, and how will you improve on it? If that is you - how do you plan to continue improving upon what you've already accomplished?

The current Councilmember Walsh has been a vocal advocate for District 1, and I plan to continue that especially for the Elkridge area, which is too often forgotten about in our budget. I am excited that Elkridge is getting investment in the new community center that will break ground this year. I am also thrilled that the county has purchased land at Troy Park in preparation for a high school in Elkridge. Councilmember Walsh has brought attention to these issues, and I promise to continue to fight to remedy these inequities.

How do you feel about the school system in your area and what improvements would you like to see be made?

Howard County Public Schools is the crown jewel of our county, and we are failing it. We have hundreds of millions of dollars in deferred maintenance, aging HVAC systems, and documented mold issues in District 1 schools. Meanwhile, education's share of county revenue has dropped from 57% to 49% since the pandemic. That is unacceptable.

My priorities are to address the capital maintenance backlog immediately, restore the education budget proportion, and grow our tax base through smart development so we fund schools without raising taxes on existing residents. I served on the HCPSS Operating Budget Review Committee and am endorsed by the Howard County Education Association. Like many families, my wife and I moved here for the school system for our son. I promise to prioritize school funding and support our educators.

How do you feel about crime in your area and what steps can be taken to reduce it?

Howard County is a relatively safe, low-crime community, but we cannot be complacent. While knocking over 6,000 doors, particularly in vulnerable communities along Route 1, I have heard of a lot of concerns about crime. As an ER doctor, I see the consequences of crime and poverty firsthand, which drives my commitment to addressing root causes, not just symptoms.

I support expanding programs like Community Outreach and Pathways Section (COPS) that are in parts of Columbia but not throughout the county. Programs like these get officers directly engaged in community meetings and allows relationship building between law enforcements and residents. I am endorsed by local law enforcement. I promise to be a partner with them while at the same time holding them accountable for how they serve our community.

What do you think about the economic climate and business sector in your community, and what initiatives could propel it forward?

Maryland's economic growth has been anemic, around 2%, well below the national average and Howard County feels that pressure. Our Class B and C commercial properties sit at nearly 50% vacancy, and businesses consistently cite housing unaffordability as a barrier to attracting and retaining workers.

We must implement HoCoByDesign, our county's master plan, which the Spending Affordability Advisory Committee confirms will drive strong economic growth without raising taxes on existing residents. That means converting vacant commercial properties into mixed-use developments, reducing arbitrary regulatory barriers like outdated parking mandates, and concentrating growth in Activity Centers along Route 40 and aging village centers.

I support expanding bus service and walkability to local businesses, reducing car dependency and opening our economy to more workers. I am excited about Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) connecting Montgomery and Howard County, which can increase transportation options.

How do you feel about transportation options in the area and what, if anything, should be improved upon?

Transportation in Howard County needs serious investment. My top transportation priorities are threefold: expanding bus service on our most-used transit lines, extending Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from Montgomery County up Route 29 into Howard County, and dramatically improving pedestrian and bike access to schools and local businesses.

Walkability and transportation is not just a quality-of-life issue. It is an environmental, fiscal, and safety issue. Over half our teachers commute from outside the county. Longer commutes mean more greenhouse gases and greater pressure on our roads. Working on housing affordability for our county employees and improving transit go hand in hand as well.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I became a doctor to make the world a better place and that same calling brought me to this race. I am a husband and a new father, who moved here for the same reasons many of us did: great schools, beautiful parks, and a diverse, welcoming community. I want to protect and strengthen all of that for my son's generation.

I am publicly financed, and I only accept money from individuals, none from PACs, LLCs, or corporations. I am endorsed by local elected officials State Senator Clarence Lam, State Delegate Chao Wu, Councilman Opel Jones, and Register of Wills Byron Macfarlane. I am also endorsed by many organizations including Howard County Education Association, Sierra Club, Howard County Police Officers Association Union, and the Columbia Democratic Club.

I love the work I do in the ER, and I plan on working there as long as I’m able to. If elected to the County Council, I will be reducing hours in the hospital, so I can fully dedicate myself to the people of District 1.