by Josh Kohn
Corynne Courpas has announced her candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 42C, citing a lifelong commitment to community service and growing concerns about economic pressures facing Carroll County families and businesses.
Courpas, a longtime Carroll County resident, said her decision to run for office comes after decades of volunteer work and civic involvement. She said recent challenges facing local communities motivated her to seek public office.
“We are now living in extraordinary times, and I am called to a higher level of civic responsibility,” Courpas said in announcing her campaign.
Raised in a small-business household, Courpas said she witnessed firsthand the financial strain that regulations and rising health care costs can place on family-owned companies.
She recalled watching her father struggle to provide for the family while managing business expenses, experiences she said shaped her views on economic policy.
She later worked in the foodservice industry and pointed to the merger between Carroll County Foods and Performance Foodservice as an example of how escalating health care costs can influence major business decisions.
While the merger proved beneficial, she said families and business owners should not be forced into structural changes solely because of insurance expenses.
Courpas said housing affordability and education are among the top concerns she hears from residents. Many young families, she said, face challenges balancing student loan payments, child care costs and rising home prices, while also expressing concern about maintaining the quality of local schools.
Energy costs and infrastructure planning are also central issues in her campaign. Courpas said residents have raised concerns about rising utility bills and the potential impact of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP), a proposed energy transmission route that could affect farms and historic properties in the region. She attended an early public meeting at the Westminster Senior Center and said she continues to gather input from residents.
Courpas retired in 2020 and said she has received support from former colleagues in the foodservice industry as well as staff and board members from organizations where she volunteered. Supporters, she said, view her as a strong listener and problem solver — qualities she believes will guide her approach if elected.
Maryland’s District 42C was created following legislative redistricting in 2022 and includes eastern Carroll County, covering parts of Westminster, much of Finksburg, all of Hampstead and areas along Route 30 extending toward the Baltimore County line.
Although some Carroll County residents fall outside the district, Courpas said she intends to advocate broadly for the county’s interests in Annapolis if elected.
“I will test those skills to their fullest to preserve the Carroll County I have been proud to call home,” she said.
