Context: Next week, Prince George’s County will hold a special election to replace Mel Franklin, who resigned from the county council due to allegedly misuse of campaign funds. Franklin resigned just before a state prosecutor could charge him with embezzling funds. Franklin’s resignation means that his At-Large seat is up for grabs.

Key dates: Early voting in the special election takes place July 31-Aug. 5, and the day of the primary election is Aug. 6. After the upcoming primary, voters will have the opportunity to choose between one Democrat and one Republican on Nov. 5.

Here are ballot drop-off locations in South County:

Southern Area Aquatic and Recreation Complex - 13601 Missouri Avenue, Brandywine, MD 20613

Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex - 7007 Bock Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744

Suitland Community Park School Center - 5600 Regency Lane, Forestville, MD 20747

Non-Traditional Program at Edgar Allen Poe - 2001 Shadyside Avenue, Suitland, MD 20746

Temple Hills Community Center - 5300 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748

Tucker Road Community Center - 1771 Tucker Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744

Harmony Hall Regional Center - 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744

Hillcrest Heights Community Center - 2300 Oxon Run Drive, Temple Hills, MD 20748

Issac J. Gourdine Middle School - 8700 Allentown Road,Fort Washington, MD 20744

Upper Marlboro Community Center - 5400 Marlboro Race Track Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

Largo/Kettering/Perrywood Community Center - 431 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center - 8001 Sheriff Road, Hyattsville, MD 20785

Westphalia Community Center - 8900 Westphalia Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

Candidates: Twelve candidates discussed their priorities and ethics for this voter guide, jointly published by The Bowie Sun, The Intersection Magazine, Streetcar Suburbs News, and Greenbelt News Review. 

We asked each candidate about their top two priorities and how the council should address county issues. Candidates said they would prevent the misuse of campaign funds and carry out their duties ethically, if elected. Here are their responses. Candidates are grouped by party affiliation.

Democrats

Tamara Davis Brown, Attorney

Age: 58

Residence: Clinton

Community involvement:

Vice President, Greater Piscataway Alliance; MD 210 Traffic Safety Committee, Police Districts IV, V and VII Citizens Advisory Council; Board Member – Housing Options & Planning Enterprises, Southern Prince George’s Community Charities, Inc., GateWay Second Chance Foundation; Chairman of the Board of Trustees – Maple Springs Baptist Bible College and Seminary; Camp Springs Sustainable Communities Citizens Task Force; Chairman, Advocate for Social Justice Committee, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Upsilon Tau Omega Chapter); Treasurer, Associates Group, Greater Suburban Maryland Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.; New Converts and Ministry of Justice ministries, From the Heart Church Ministries, Inc.; past Vice President, Maryland Consumer Council (O’Malley and Hogan appointments); past secretary John Hanson Montessori PTSA; past Treasurer, DMV Hampton Parents’ Club; past president, South County Democratic Club; immediate past president, Windbrook Area Citizens Association

Professional experience: Wireless Telecommunications Attorney – Co-Founder & CEO, Last Mile Broadband of Maryland LLC

Priorities: Public Safety & Budget Deficit – For both, the county must leverage more federal funding from the Department of Justice and other federal agencies’ grant programs for staffing police force and fire/EMS; and for other local programs (i.e. affordable housing from HUD and EPA/USDA for environmental cleanup as an example).

Ethics: I have run for office many times and never had an issue with misuse of campaign funds because I utilize people with high moral and ethical standards. They do not allow me access to my campaign funds.  While they are trusted colleagues, they are professionals who take the campaign treasury seriously.  We will continue to ask appropriate questions and seek the advice of the Maryland Board of Elections and Campaign Finance Reporting staff to ensure compliance and integrity.

Marvin Holmes, Maryland House of Delegates

Age: 75

Residence: Upper Marlboro

Community involvement: 

Maryland General Assembly: Environment and Transportation Committee; Chair, Housing and Real Property Subcommittee; Land Use and Ethics Subcommittee; Housing Committee; Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland; Chair, Maryland Fire-Emergency Medical Services Coalition; Vice Chair, Rules and Executive Nominations Committee; Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive & Legislative Review (AELR). 

Prince George’s County Common Ownership Communities Commissioner (CCOC):

The Commission ensures the establishment and operation of homeowners’ associations (HOA), condominium associations and cooperative housing units. The Commission promotes public awareness and association membership of the rights and obligations of living in a common ownership community. This Commission oversees the development of coordinated community and government policies, programs and services.

Board of Directors, Watkins Park HOA

Professional experience: Maryland General Assembly, Legislative District 23

As Chair of the Housing and Real Property Subcommittee, I am responsible for policy in the General Assembly as it relates to Common Ownership Communities and Real Property such as: 1. Maryland Condominium Act;  2. Maryland Homeowners Association Act; 3. Maryland Cooperative Housing Corp. Act; 4. Mortgage Transactions; 5. Foreclosure Procedures; 6. Landlord/Tenant Policies; 7. Real Estate Agency; 8. Appraisal Bias Equity.

M.E. Holmes Entreprises, LLC: Chief Exécutive Officer (CEO); Real Estate Investment; Property Management

Century 21, New Millenium: Realtor®, Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI), Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA), Association Management Specialist (AMS)

Priorities:

Education: Funding for new schools must be set aside for the areas where new development is occurring, in direct proportion to projected enrollment for those areas and supportive funding for existing schools must be balanced with existing enrollment calculations at those facilities.

Economic Development: The tax base must be revised to create a major commercial investment, to remove the tax burden from residential dwellings. Surplus properties owned by Prince George’s County must be marketed for maximum investment opportunities and maximum returns to Prince George’s County.

Ethics: Funding for campaigns will be expensed by the campaign treasurer and verified by the campaign manager.

Judy Mickens-Murray, former School Board Member

Age: 76

Residence: Upper Marlboro

Community involvement:

I enthusiastically offer my support in providing transportation for neighbors to stores and doctor

appointments, assisting with various school activities, participating in organizations' food giveaways, and aiding in efforts to increase voter turnout.

Professional experience:

After 30 years in the Federal Government, I retired as Chief of the Personal Property Branch and Administrative Officer for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

2002 & 2021 Appointed to the All Appointed Board of Education and Hybrid Board of Education.

Priorities: 

1. Public safety and crime concerns: increasing rates of violent crime and property crime; residents safety of their neighborhoods, schools, and public spaces; inadequate policing and emergency response times.

Recommended Actions: (1) enhance community policing initiatives (2) invest in crime prevention Programs (3) improve emergency response systems (4) collaborate with state and federal agencies.

2. Affordable housing: rising housing costs; more affordable rental units and homes for purchase; homelessness and housing instability.

Recommended Actions:(1) expand affordable housing initiatives; (2) strengthen tenant protections; (3) increase funding for housing assistance programs; (4)  promote inclusive zoning practices.

Conclusion: Collaborative efforts with various stakeholders can help create safer communities and ensure access to affordable housing for all.

Ethics: 

Preventing misuse of campaign funds:

1. Establish clear financial controls: segregated accounts, approval processes

2. Regular audits: internal audits, external audits

3. Transparent reporting: detailed reporting; public disclosure; adherence to legal requirements; campaign finance laws; ethics training

4. Whistleblower protections: encourage reporting.

Ensuring Ethical Conduct if Elected:

1. Code of ethics: develop a code of conduct; commitment; transparency in governance; open meetings; public access; conflict of interest policies; disclosure; recusal; regular ethics training; continuous education; accountability measures; performance reviews; ethics committee.

2. Community engagement: open communication channels; public forums:

Conclusion: This approach fosters trust among constituents and promotes effective and transparent governance.

Keisha D.  Lewis

This candidate told us she has withdrawn from the race.

Gabby Njinimbot,

Age: 50

Residence: Laurel

Community involvement: Ran for Congress to Represent MD 04 in the House of Representatives in the 2024 Primary Elections; President of Bali Cultural Association -USA 7yrs; Participated in Elections in the City of Laurel; Participated in meetings with Moms Demand Actions against Gun Violence; Participated in meetings with Progressive Maryland

Participated with rallies and testified in Rent Stabilization with CASA at Prince George's County Council; Attend Town halls in the City of Laurel; Attend PTSA meetings in Laurel High School, Middle and elementary school in Laurel; Attend several local churches; Door knocking and phone banking for Progressive MD; Attended Civil rights activities at Capitol Hill

Professional experience: Entrepreneur, Author and Lawyer

Priorities: Improve on Education and Empower our Educators. Fight Crime in our inner cities. Urge the Council to allocate more budget to our schools, pay our teachers more, make our schools conducive for our teachers to teach and for our students to Learn. More Community Policing and additional programs to keep youths and Guns off the streets  

Ethics: How would you prevent misuse of your campaign funds and, if elected, ensure that you and your team carry out your duties ethically? Campaign finance reforms, holding elected officials to be more accountable and additional measures to ensure frequent audits for transparency.

Angela Angell, Attorney

Age: 44

Residence: District Heights

Community involvement: I am active at my children’s schools and sports teams. I participate in the Domestic Violence Ministry at First Baptist Church of Glenarden. As a DV survivor, I regularly help out and speak at local shelters. 

Professional experience: I serve as Senior Advisor to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and other political and social service organizations. As an attorney, I have experience working at local, state, and federal government levels. Previously, I conducted education and social service policy and budget analysis for Council District 6 and represented District 25 in the House of Delegates.

Priorities: Crime and public safety, economic development and employment are our top issues. I will prioritize increasing funding and resources for community policing, youth intervention programs, and police recruitment/training to enhance public safety and reduce crime. I will work to attract businesses in high-growth sectors, streamline permitting processes, and partner with local universities to drive economic development and job creation. Supporting workforce development initiatives, affordable housing, and policies that facilitate employment retention will be essential. Additionally, I will focus on expanding the commercial tax base to reduce reliance on residential property taxes. Collaboration with neighboring jurisdictions, state agencies, and community organizations will be key to effectively addressing these interconnected challenges.

Ethics: I am committed to transparency and ethical conduct. I will implement strict oversight of campaign finances, including regular audits and public disclosure. I will establish a robust ethics training program for her team and maintain an open-door policy for constituents to voice concerns.

Jolene Ivey, Chair of the Prince George’s County Council

Age: 62

Residence: Cheverly

Community involvement: I co-founded Mocha Moms, which is now a national support group for mothers of color. I am a member of the Cheverly American Legion Auxiliary Unit 108. I was appointed by Governor Wes Moore to serve on the Zero Emission Energy Vehicle Infrastructure Committee for the 2023-2026 term.

Professional experience: I currently serve as Chair of the Prince George’s County Council and was elected in 2018 and again in 2022. My colleagues elected me as Chair in 2023. I previously served in Annapolis as a Delegate representing District 47 in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2007 to 2015 and was elected by my colleagues to serve as Chair of the Prince George’s County House Delegation from 2012 to 2014. I am a former broadcast journalist with a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. In 2016, I was named one of the Daily Record’s Top 100 Women of Maryland and was the recipient of the Maryland State NAACP’s Kweisi Mfume Excellence in Advocacy Award. I was honored to be a part of the Leadership Greater Washington Class of 2020. My husband, U.S. Representative Glenn F. Ivey (MD-4), and I have five sons. I’m also stepmother to Glenn’s daughter and have 3 grandchildren.

Priorities: In a year when we faced a $171 million budget deficit and a state-mandated increase in education spending, a mandate that is growing every year, I am proud that we stayed true to our values: prioritizing schools and public safety without raising taxes on our residents.

We need to recognize this opportunity to diversify our revenue streams and take advantage of the Federal Government’s investments in our county. A stable economy is vital to attract investments and opportunities for our residents.

Ethics: Campaign ethics is important to me. In my years in office I have worked to ensure myself and my team are upholding the law by staying informed of campaign laws and ensuring proper checks and balances are in place. I also sponsored the amendment to Maryland’s Constitution to remove elected officials from office who are found guilty of certain crimes.

Timothy Adams, Bowie Mayor

Age: 65

Residence: City of Bowie

Community involvement: University System of Maryland Foundation, Board Member; Luminous Health, Board Member; Doctor’s Community Hospital, Board Member; Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Board Member; African American Mayors Association, Member; Bowie State College of Business, Board of Advisors Member; Prince George’s Community College Foundation, Board Member and Finance Committee; University of New Orleans Foundation, Board Member; Maryland Chamber Foundation, Board Member; Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce, Member; A lifetime member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; 100 Black Men of Prince George’s County, Inc.

Professional experience: Mayor of Bowie; President of SA-Tech

Priorities: 

Community Policing, Engaging with Law Enforcement Partners

We must review our budget and ensure we properly support law enforcement. We also need to establish community policing initiatives that allow our community partners to be each other’s keepers. A safe community is what we deserve, and we should not settle for less.

Seniors, Education, Development, Public Services

 Increasing quality of life is essential because our seniors deserve to age in place with access to senior-assisted programs and better parks and rec centers. 

I am committed to ensuring the county's education improves for the next generation so our youth can be competitive for college and career readiness. 

We need development that creates jobs, starts businesses, and invests in our roadways.

Ethics: To prevent misuse of campaign funds and ensure ethical conduct throughout my tenure if elected, several vital strategies would be implemented:

1. Transparent Financial Management: Establishing a clear and transparent accounting system for all campaign funds is paramount. This includes appointing a trusted treasurer, regularly auditing finances, and timely submitting campaign finance reports to the Board of Elections for public review. 

2. Strict Budgeting and Spending Controls: It is crucial to develop a detailed budget that outlines permissible expenditures and limits. Any deviation from the budget would require justification and approval, ensuring funds are used solely for campaign-related purposes.

3. Ethics Training and Compliance: Ethics training sessions for all campaign staff and volunteers are essential to educate them on permissible behaviors and ethical guidelines. Emphasizing the consequences of misconduct and promoting a culture of integrity are integral parts of this training.

Leo Bachi Eyombo, Educator

Age: 51

Residence: Brentwood

Community involvement:

Social Justice fellow for Bowie State University and University of Maryland Social Justice Alliance. 

As a proud graduate of Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS), specifically Suitland High School (class of 1990), I have witnessed the county's evolution over the past 40 years. My academic success, including an Ivy League education, is rooted in the solid foundation provided by PGCPS.

Professional experience: As a clinician, healthcare executive, educator, entrepreneur, author, researcher, father, and businessperson, I believe I can significantly contribute to the Prince George's County Council. I have over 25 years of clinical experience, 20 years of teaching experience, and 20 years of healthcare management experience. I have served as a faculty at Howard University, and I am currently serving as a faculty at Bowie State University.

My educational background includes a Doctorate from Columbia University, a Doctorate in Optometry from Lyceum Northwestern University, an MBA from Morgan State University, a Master of Arts in Health Policy from Columbia University, a Master of Science in Public Health Education from Columbia University, and a Master of Science from Howard University.

Priorities: 

• Support legislation on academic success and well-being of all students and stakeholders for a police force free PGCPS.

• Our Prince George’s County citizen deserves a five-day financial break to pay rent. The County Council should implement a law to let our citizens pay rent on the 10th of every month.

• Getting older county buildings and schools (LEEDS) Leadership in Energy and Environmental certified.

Ethics: I am running for this position because our county urgently needs change. Electing the same individuals repeatedly has led to recurring ethical issues. It is time for fresh ideas and a new direction in the County Council. I will prevent misuse of my campaign funds by limiting my campaign fund to only small individual donations.

Republicans

Jonathan White, Air Force Veteran

Age: 50

Residence: Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Community involvement:

As a dedicated volunteer, I currently serve as a volunteer high school football coach. I mentor young men with resume writing, college preparation, and career goal setting. My commitment to community service includes co-chairing the Special Education Citizens' Advisory Committee of Prince George's County Public Schools (SECAC-PG), serving on my neighborhood crime prevention and safety committee, and participating in community trash pick-up initiatives around Prince George’s County. I am a member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the American Legion.

Professional experience: My qualifications are rooted in a lifelong commitment to service.

During my 20 years in the United States Air Force, I developed unwavering discipline,

teamwork, and leadership skills. These attributes were further refined in my career in

government security, where I established a proven track record of reliability and dedication.

Priorities: The top two issues facing county residents are rising crime rates and zoning for affordable housing. I urge the council to invest in community policing initiatives and mental health services to address crime and to revise zoning laws to encourage the development of affordable housing, ensuring that long-time residents are not priced out of their neighborhoods.

Ethics: My solution for combating self-serving politicians includes implementing stricter transparency measures with detailed disclosures of campaign contributions and expenditures, regular audits, and public reporting to ensure accountability. Introduce term limits to prevent long-term entrenchment and promote fresh perspectives. Establish robust ethics reforms with mandatory ethics training and create an independent ethics commission to investigate misconduct. Additionally, my campaign is completely self-funded and does not accept any campaign funds.

Isaac Toyos, Legislative Specialist and Army Veteran

Age: 29

Residence: Temple Hill

Community involvement:

Board Member, Cherry Hill Development Corporation (non-profit)

Professional experience: I currently work as a legislative specialist and contractor in the DOD, specializing in legislative matters that include military housing, real property, energy, and the environment. I also teach a leadership development course part-time (online) at South College. I am an Army veteran who served in both enlisted and officer ranks. Finally, I serve on the board of directors for Cherry Hill Development Corporation whose primary purpose is to promote the general welfare and economic development of low-income persons and groups residing in the Cherry Hill area. 

Priorities: Affordability. A society can’t be taxed into prosperity. Tax surcharges don’t equal tax revenue. The County needs to make life more affordable for its citizens. Ensure taxes remain steady, attract new businesses, and allow sustainable housing development. This is essential to ensuring our County remains a great place to live. Public Safety. Safety should be our number one priority and our county needs to ensure it can provide basic safety and security to its citizens. The County Council should fully support our police and fire departments. Our county website could be better in presenting information to its citizens, and hearings our be announced better. Citizen participation is key.

Ethics: Firstly, I’m running a decentralized and grassroots campaign that will commit to transparent and ethical recording keeping every day of the campaign. If elected, I will conduct reviews of myself and my staff on a regular basis to prevent wrongdoing. I will commit to ensuring that all hearings, statements, and comments are made public for the citizens of this county. 

Kamita Gray, Community Engagement Professional

Age: —

Residence: West Brandywine (unincorporated)

Community involvement:

Community Outreach &  Engagement Practitioner– Visionary, challenge-driven, successful professional institutional leader in community arenas of empowering communities. www.achoice4change.com

Professional experience: Managing director CDCx organization building healthy communities driving change across many systems that are locality community-centered programs. I’ve engaged communities in a process of identifying issues, developed a plan to address these circumstances to identify their strengths, needs, rights, and responsibilities.

Priorities: Require Adequate Public Facilities (AFPO) for Development Projects pursuant to the County Charter. Numerous bills the Council enacted amending AFPO test requirements need serious assessment. The continued issuance of a Certificate of Adequacy is broken at the root of low level of service (LOS) standards causing the inadequacy of transportation infrastructure (roads/traffic) and other public facilities directly related to public safety.

Prince George’s County health workgroup should evaluate Health and Wellness, Senior Services and Assistance Programming, aging in place matters, along with unpaid family caregiver programming.

Ethics: Ethical principles should be applied to public life-rules about conflicts of interest, access to government, integrity, etc., do not treat campaign ethics as a separate topic? Political campaigns represent one of the circumstances most likely to bring out the worst in people. Many candidates seem to subscribe to the theory that almost anything is allowable in order to get elected, because once in office, they will be outstanding public servants. Others, confronted with bad behavior on the part of their opponents, feel they must also cut moral corners just to compete.

In a democracy, each person is supposed to count equally. Wealthy special interests shouldn’t be able to purchase more access to politicians through big campaign contributions. Laws governing campaign finance should prevent such inequities and be respected, not only in letter, but also in spirit. Donations from special interests asking for a quid pro quo should be returned. The removal of the financial barriers stopping everyday people from running for office, and initiate laws to hold career politicians and wealthy donors’ special interests’ organizational agendas accountable to voters having transparency is key to a healthy and strong democracy.

Michael Riker, Retired Police Officer

Age: 61

Residence: Cheltenham, Maryland for 22 years.

Community involvement:

I am a retired Prince George’s County Police Officer and retired as a Detective/Corporal with 25 years in Law Enforcement 22 years with Prince George’s County and 3 with the US Capitol Police. I was the President of the International Counter-Terrorism Officers Association, a non-profit organization. At the age of 16, I was an Emergency Medical Technician with the District Heights Volunteer Fire Department.

Professional experience: I am currently retired from the Prince George’s County Police Department; I was in contact with the public every day as an officer. As a candidate now, I have listened to a lot of valid issues from the citizens of the County and have seen their issues. I would address the council that we center the people’s issues and not politics.

Priorities: The priorities I am focusing on are, families first, parental rights, supporting public safety and lack of manpower, a budget with no new taxes, road improvement, litter pick up, and safer schools.

Ethics: In my career, I have always held my ethics and profession and a high standard. My campaign fund would ONLY be used for business purposes, and I would live within my means otherwise. As for my team, they would be held to the standards that I hold.