Candidate Profile: Franchot on running to become Maryland's governor

TOWSON, Md. -- In a crowded race for Maryland governor, State Comptroller Peter Franchot narrowly takes the place of frontrunner for the democratic party in recent polls.

In a WJZ candidate profile, Franchot pegged himself as the "customer service candidate" for governor after serving as the state's chief accountant.

"I respect, respond and get results for the taxpayer. I've done it for 16 years," Franchot said. "People have trust and confidence in me that I'm going to do the job and I think they'll have trust and confidence in me as a new governor."

Franchot believes this background and experience will help build a more buoyant economy in Maryland. Part of his plan involves trying to attract a younger population to the state.

"If you live, work and pay taxes for five years, we'll forgive your student loan," Franchot said. "We're also advocating for 300,000 state-backed mortgages for low-wage earners who have income but cannot afford a high-risk mortgage."

The gubernatorial candidate believes combatting the student debt crisis will draw new residents to the state and create a bigger pool for employers to crop from.

The campaign is also focused on reinforcing the educational system. This includes shoring up the Blueprint for Maryland's Future Act Funding.

Franchot said he would comply with the legislation but that funding needs to be solid and stable.

He also proposes shrinking class sizes from 30 to 20 students, cutting standardized testing by 90% and giving teachers a mid-week "flex day" to focus on lesson planning for the following week.

"The private sector comes in philanthropic groups, not-for-profit groups, experts, business people, people who are involved in all of the aspects of modern economy to come in and have a session with the kids," Franchot said.

Another major stitch in the fabric of what Franchot wants Maryland's future to look like: better access to public transportation.

The candidate explained this would be done by expanding and improving rail lines in areas of the state in need. This includes better connections between two economic centers, Baltimore and the Washington D.C. region.

"Many people cannot get to where they live to where they need to work," Franchot said. "Local transit right now is disconnected. We're going to do a version of the red line."