Local artist Ezra Berger generously painted and donated a piece inspired by our campaign’s theme of People • Places • Community. The work reflects the faces and stories that make up our community and reminds us that leadership is about representing all of us, together.
Art has the power to bring people closer, spark conversations, and celebrate who we are. I am grateful to Ezra for using his talent to support this campaign and to highlight the importance of creativity and culture in Cecil County.
Here is what Ezra had to say at the dedication:
“I always promised myself that if a friend of mine in my community ran for a position, I would try to support them. I live in Port Deposit, Maryland, and though we are a relatively small community without a grocery store or gas station in our town, there is one person who has made a big impact: Erica Berge.
I have been a bit put off by extremism in politics and the battles citizens wage against each other over matters, but Erica has always taken an all-inclusive approach.
I don’t really choose sides and tend to vote for people down the middle—politicians who are more about unification instead of division. I tend to have a libertarian approach. Libertarians aren’t strictly conservative or liberal; they blend elements from both, prioritizing maximum individual liberty, minimal government, and a conservative stance on economic issues. They diverge from both main ideologies by rejecting state interference in both personal and economic life.
Erica has helped with the changes I like to see in a community. She helped bring a community center/library to our small town called CCU (Community Connecting Us). She also brought public art to the local playground, and I got to know her by bringing a Mr. Rogers–inspired art show to the town, which the entire town came out to support.
She is the mother of eight children, so she is financially conservative—how could she not be? But she has always made more out of less.
I support her because I believe she deserves a role in politics, and she has done nothing but demonstrate that we need people like her who make a positive impact in our community. Port Deposit is behind her because she makes herself known to our community. For those who don’t know her, I hope she gets the votes she deserves because she has earned that in our community.
Port Deposit’s own, Erica Berge. I know if elected, you will see positive impact in the community because that is what she has done in our town every step of the way. And I hope she gets the opportunity she needs to move into a larger role. She deserves that because of her positive impact and work ethic for our community.”