Don Quinn

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Don Quinn

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 14, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Washington State University, 2016

Graduate

Harvard University, 2023

Law

University of Missouri School of Law, 2020

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army Reserve

Years of service

2001 - 2009

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Personal

Birthplace

Baton Rouge, La.

Religion

Jewish

Profession

Lawyer

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

Don Quinn (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Maryland's 3rd Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on May 14, 2024.

Quinn completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Don Quinn was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He grew up in India until he and his family returned to the United States, settling in Washington, in 1999. Quinn served in the United States Army Reserve from 2001 to 2009. He earned a bachelor's degree from Washington State University in 2016, a law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2020, and a graduate degree from Harvard University in 2023. Quinn has experience working as a business owner and lawyer.

Elections

2024

See also: Maryland's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024

Maryland's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (May 14 Democratic primary)

Maryland's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (May 14 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Maryland District 3

Sarah Elfreth defeated Rob Steinberger and Miguel Barajas in the general election for U.S. House Maryland District 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Elfreth (D)	59.3	236,681
		Rob Steinberger (R)	37.9	151,186
		Miguel Barajas (L)	2.6	10,471
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	862

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 399,200
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 3

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 3 on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Elfreth	36.2	29,459
		Harry Dunn	25.0	20,380
		Clarence Lam	11.7	9,548
		Terri L. Hill	6.5	5,318
		Mark S. Chang	5.0	4,106
		Aisha Khan	2.7	2,199
		Mike Rogers	2.6	2,147
		John Morse	1.8	1,447
		Abigail Diehl	1.7	1,379
		Lindsay Donahue	1.5	1,213
		Juan Dominguez	1.3	1,025
		Michael Coburn	0.7	583
		Malcolm Colombo	0.6	527
		Don Quinn	0.5	408
		Kristin Lyman Nabors	0.5	397
		Jeffrey Woodard	0.4	352
		Gary Schuman	0.4	286
		Mark Gosnell	0.3	221
		Jake Pretot	0.2	162
		Matt Libber	0.2	159
	Submit photo	Stewart Silver	0.1	78
		Dan Rupli	0.0	34

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 81,428
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• John Sarbanes (D)
• Vanessa Atterbeary (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 3

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 3 on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rob Steinberger	25.1	8,766
		Arthur Baker Jr.	19.9	6,931
		Bernard Flowers	17.3	6,028
		Joshua Morales	9.1	3,159
		Jordan Mayo	8.4	2,918
	Submit photo	Thomas Harris	8.2	2,857
		Ray Bly	5.8	2,015
	Submit photo	John Rea	3.2	1,120
		Naveed Mian	3.1	1,085

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 34,879
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Quinn in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Don Quinn completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Quinn's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am Don Quinn, a civil rights attorney who represents workers in the federal legal system protecting the rights of historically underserved communities and working to change federal common law to better serve all citizens. As an attorney I have taken on some of the largest employers in the world. Despite often being in the room negotiating with people paid a lot of money to disagree with me have found ways to achieve my clients aims and understand the art of compromise - without losing. I am a father of seven children who are going through, or have gone through, the public school system. Education has been the foundation of my life and, together with my lovely wife, I believe that ensuring that education and educators are protected is a critical piece of building a better future for all our children. I am a combat veteran who served during Iraqi Freedom in the Middle East and have continued that service by representing veterans in their appeals to the VA. I am an active member of the community because I believe in servant leadership and that we must work to make this a better world for all of us. I am a small business owner who understand the power of small business and appreciates the unique challenges that being a small business owner brings. I have lived and worked overseas and understand the challenges of foreign policy and the cultural bridges that we must build for a more peaceful, safer world. Finally, I am the favorite walker of Sox, our boxer-beagle rescue dog.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am a federally admitted civil rights lawyer already working to change law in the federal system both in Maryland and in Washington D.C. I have the experience, the knowledge of how laws work (and how they are implemented), and the patience to make the incremental change that is so desperately needed in Washington, D.C. My job is working with people, representing my clients in an adversarial system where the laws often work against them, and getting them justice. Being in Congress is an extension of that service and as such I am asking the voters to vote for someone who is already doing the work but needs a bigger platform to serve the constituents of District 3 better. I will fight for people’s rights, and win because I know how.
• The 2024 election isn't about protecting our rights, it's about getting them back. Over the last few years, we have seen courts strip away basic rights while elected leaders have not acted. Dobbs took away a woman's right to choose, Students for Fair Admissions took away affirmative action, the 8th Circuit took away the individual right to sue under the Voting Rights Act, Sackett gutted the Clean Waters Act - the list is long. We need to send people to Congress who understand how to unwrite these losses and write laws to protect our rights that will withstand federal court scrutiny. I am the only candidate in this race who has the knowledge and experience to do that.
• Building a better future is contingent upon the education that we give our children. As a father with seven children, I understand the power of education. I am also someone who went to school later in life and can attest to the power of an education to change lives. At the same time, we must widen our focus to ensure that we are giving the next generation every opportunity. Those opportunities can be in the trades, which desperately need qualified, trained workers and provide a good middle-class life to those professionals. We need education to be less expensive and more accessible; and we need to ensure that teachers have the tools and the safety net they need to bring up the most widely educated generation of Americans we have ever had.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am extremely passionate about the gradual stripping away of critical rights that make us who we are. I am passionate about returning the right to reproductive freedom and privacy in medical decision making to women; guaranteeing that all workers can work in safe and discrimination free environments; ensuring that the next generation's future is contingent upon the world class education they receive today. Making sure that: seniors can afford their medications; all families can afford to live a decent life; and veterans get their benefits. That our borders are protected while migrant workers are welcome and legal. That we find common sense and stop the epidemic of gun violence. That we address climate change and climate justice.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected official must first recognize that they are a servant leader and provide outstanding constituent services. Second, an elected official must have the knowledge and experience to do the job - in today's environment this often means finding ways to compromise without ever capitulating and giving away critical rights. An elected official must live among the people they represent, have real world experience, and truly understand the communities that depend on them to make important change. One cannot make vital education policy without seeing it in action firsthand any more than one can represent people of a particular area without living among them. Elected officials need to be real people - who live, work, spend, and have families that are reflective of their constituents otherwise we end up with out of touch elected officials who cannot adequately represent us. Our elected officials must look like someone you’d meet at the local PTA, because you should. This is a very different time, and the requirements of an elected official are even greater. We need people who understand the challenges facing America, from within and from without. Someone who both understands the dangers of stripping away the individual mandate from the voting rights act and appreciates the need to enhance our intelligence capabilities on a restive China. An elected official on the national stage needs to be someone who strives to meet the needs of his/her community while understanding that national problems require national solutions. This has to be someone who will work diligently to change Congress, and by extension the Nation, in inches with a pragmatic humility and an undying sense of duty, loyalty, and humor. I based this answer on the profile of myself – which is why I am running for Congress.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I never give up on anything, and as my kids will attest to, I usually keep working at something until we achieve results. This determination took me back to school where I became a lawyer at 40. It took me to Harvard for a masters degree.

I have seven kids so I am really good at listening, picking up cues for needs and wants, and working to find solutions - often with a less than optimal budget.

I am deeply family oriented, my family comes first and I believe that we should create policies that will benefit our families instead of focusing on short term political point winning.

I am also incredibly patient and willing to look at the long game to achieve success. Some battles are won in inches, instead of sweeping margins.

I am a consummate student always learning and seeking out those who can improve my understanding of the world.

I believe whole heartedly in the exceptionalism of America and the opportunity it provides but am a realist who sees the need for improvement in many areas.

I have the innate ability to see the ridiculous in most situations and to laugh at myself when I get too serious which I believe we do not do enough of in the halls of Congress.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A more peaceful, less dangerous and sustainable planet.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Handclap" by Fit and the Tantrums

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe it is important for a person seeking to represent people to understand the issues, have the experience and skill necessary to make good decisions and the ability to negotiate to achieve results. It would be incorrect to believe that that kind of experience can only come from previous experience in government or politics. In fact, one might argue that depending on the situation a local politician might quickly become ineffective when moved from a place where they have all the power and a full majority to an institution where they may not have all the cards or may even be in the minority. Experience, skill, connection with the people represented, and knowledge are far more important than simply having previous governmental or political experience.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The greatest challenge facing the United States over the next decade is one of identity. Internally, unless we start to legislate and pass laws that can withstand the court's scrutiny we will continue to lose the very protections that make us a free, democratic society. The progress of hundreds of years is under siege, threatened by bad law making, empowered courts, and protracted battles of culture, religion, and the place of government in virtually every area of importance. Internationally, we have rising threats to the peace and relative stability that Pax Americana has brought the world. American dependence on foreign imports, our engaging in dubious and unfruitful wars, and our complete failure to appreciate, much less plan for, the growing number of threats to our security and the peace of the world threaten global security which in turn threatens us. Climate change with all its implications including climate migration and refugees, climate justice, clean food and water shortages, and the inevitable conflict are going to redefine how challenges arise and how they need to be addressed. Finally, America faces a distinct challenge with the lack of educated, informed, and able leaders who will look at the world for what it is and seek to address problems looming 2, 5, or 10 years down the road, today.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I believe that term limits could be a useful tool to ensure that elected officials are and remain part of the people. Longer than necessary stints in government tend to cloud even the most grounded persons judgement and term limits could help to infuse the government with fresh perspective. In any organization the infusion of new ideas and new thoughts are critical to growth, the US government is no different. In the absence of any limits to runs by established elected officials, candidates who challenge incumbents face the vast fund-raising power of an incumbent, the name recognition, and the inherent support from critical players that even a semi-competent incumbent will get. If we were to discuss term limits, the discussion has to consider institutional knowledge and how to pass that on and consider the most effective way to continue governing, when change becomes inevitable.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is inevitable. As an attorney who represents plaintiffs against some of the most powerful private and public organizations in the country, I have learned how to sit down across the table from people who are paid a lot of money to disagree with me and find common ground. What is important however, is to realize that compromise is different from losing. Dobbs was losing, the stripping away of the individual mandate from the Voting Rights Act is losing - that is not what compromise is about. Compromise is finding common ground or accepting less than common ground in order to get work done without sacrificing the most important principles of the people we represent, and that kind of compromise is not only necessary but required in effective policy making.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The government of the United States is duly elected and as such should be fully accountable to the people of the United States. Everything the government does should be subject to full transparency, with the understanding that certain functions of the government (the intelligence budget for example) may not be quite as transparent. Elected officials should meet regularly, at least monthly, with constituents within their areas and give updates and be accountable to the people who sent them to represent those districts. Decision making, both the process and the results, should be open to public scrutiny and public scorn when needed. Ultimately, while we are a republic, I believe that it is vital to the survival of our democracy that we embrace more transparency and accountability at all levels of government.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2014

See also: Maryland State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Maryland State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 24, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 25, 2014. Incumbent John Astle was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Don Quinn defeated Eric Knowles in the Republican primary. Astle defeated Quinn in the general election.

Maryland State Senate District 30, General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Astle Incumbent	51.3%	22,461
	Republican	Don Quinn	48.7%	21,284
Total Votes				43,745

Maryland State Senate, District 30 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Don Quinn	50.3%	3,200
Eric Knowles	49.7%	3,158
Total Votes		6,358

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Don Quinn campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Maryland District 3	Lost primary	$19,688	$20,088
Grand total			$19,688	$20,088
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Quinn lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife, Bethany, and their five children.

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Candidate

U.S. House Maryland District 3

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Footnotes

[show]

Maryland's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Angela Alsobrooks (D)

Chris Hollen (D)

Representatives

District 1

Andrew Harris (R)

District 2

John Olszewski (D)

District 3

Sarah Elfreth (D)

District 4

Glenn Ivey (D)

District 5

Steny Hoyer (D)

District 6

April McClain-Delaney (D)

District 7

Kweisi Mfume (D)

District 8

Jamie Raskin (D)

Democratic Party (9)

Republican Party (1)