Protect our Community

Cat Carter for Western Howard

Now more than ever, our district needs a guardian to protect our schools, green spaces, farms, and equestrian community. As an advocate for 10+ years and small business owner, Cat Carter will fight to fix our county's budget problems and champion the priorities that matter for our district.

Invest in Education

As a parent, public school teacher, and small business owner, Cat Carter understands the importance of investing in our schools. Funding our public schools is not just a budget line—it’s a strategic investment in our children, our community’s future, and our local economy. It’s an investment that has paid dividends for decades in workforce readiness, property values, and quality of life.

Cat advocating for schools

Howard County's public schools look into staff cuts, class increases to balance budget - CBS Baltimore

Data reveals Howard County school funding dwindled over years

Safe Neighborhoods

Cat also believes in protecting and strengthening the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO)—a critical tool that helps make sure our schools, roads, and emergency services can keep up with growth. But APFO needs to evolve to meet the increasing pressure on our infrastructure. In addition, Cat will work to keep Fire tax funding stable and reliable, so our fire and public safety departments have the resources they need to serve our community.

Cat Carter is committed to making sure our community stays safe—through smart budget decisions, thoughtful legislation, and strong policies. She played a key role in changing Maryland policy so school districts must now share reportable offenses when students transfer. This ensures the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) superintendent and school support teams have the information they need to keep schools safe and support all students. As a member of the HCPSS Security Taskforce, Cat continues to work on improving school and community safety.

Vote passes unanimously, changes policy on student disclosure

Protect the Health of our Community

The farms, forests, and equestrian lifestyle of Western Howard County are what brought Cat Carter to Woodbine to raise her family. As a landowner who stood up to development trying to build on her property, Cat believes deeply in protecting our green spaces, farms, and rural way of life. She knows how important it is to keep special interests from rewriting the rules in ways that hurt everyday residents.

Cat has also been a strong advocate for better access to health care. She’s committed to expanding support for our Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), including establishing a sustainable vision care clinic. She’ll work with community health partners to ease hospital overcrowding, raise public awareness, and make health services more accessible to everyone in our community.

Bipartisan Advocate

Cat Carter is a proven problem-solver who believes in bringing people together—regardless of party—to improve the lives of everyone in her community. Raised by parents who served this country in the Army, she was taught from an early age the importance of service and stepping up when something needs to be fixed. Howard County—and District Five in particular—faces serious challenges, including federal layoffs, loss of federal funding, threats to farmland and green space, school funding, limited access to healthcare, and the high cost of living. Cat has a proven track record of finding solutions. As an advocate, she has worked to pass meaningful legislation and launch programs that address complex challenges facing students, families, and service members. Her work includes collaborating with Congress to improve care for soldiers with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), advancing the Atticus Act and Screening Reporting Bill, reforming education policy for visually disabled children, and protecting Maryland doctors who treat Lyme disease. She has championed the Lifesavers School Program to equip students and staff with lifesaving first aid and mental health peer support. Cat’s advocacy is grounded in action, not partisanship—and her record of results speaks for itself. She’s running to fix the local problems facing our community and make District Five stronger for everyone.

A Citizen’s Election Fund Candidate

Cat’s Campaign Has No Special Interest Strings Attached — Just Public Support From Citizens Like You.