Profile of a Candidate: Stephen Knable

Stephen Knable

Known for his fiercely competitive nature, 25 year-old law student, Stephen Knable seeks to replace Bobby Zirkin for State Delegate in the 11th District. While Knable can’t name anything he’d do differently than Bobby Zirkin, he says that politics is in his blood. And Knable has an impressive resume.

Having worked for both Senator Paul Sarbanes, and Congressman Ben Cardin, he says he’s ready to hit the ground running if elected. The most important political issue to Knable is education. He says, “The education of our youth and their advancement and preparedness for life are the real measure of the strength of a society.”

Knable seems to be opposed to recent Democratic efforts to make Wal-Mart take more responsibility for their employees. Knable says, “With such clout in the workforce, Wal-Mart has the ability to set employment practices. Their health insurance practices are not in the best interest of Maryland. However, I believe the government should not tell private business that it must spend X amount on health care.”

Instead, he thinks the burden is on the government “to provide incentives to companies to provide the best possible health coverage for their employees.”

In Baltimore County, Knable can be found at Lifebridge, his favorite gym, or at the Hunt Valley Town Center. Those are his favorite hang out spots.

And he has something to say about the politics of young people: “I think what irritates young voters is the perception that the issues politicians care about are not young people issues. I believe this makes younger people apathetic. They just do not see how Medicaid, Social Security, or tax policy really affects them on a day to day basis.”

He wants people to know “that I care about the district, about the neighborhoods I have grown up in, and I’ll try to make the community a better place for everyone to live. I do not view this as a stepping stone to future office. I want to be delegate to best serve my neighbors and the people I have grown up with.”