Bowie MD
7-27-2024 12:52am

Voter Guide: Get to know the at-large County Council candidates

Photo: Element5 Digital

Special election

Early voting begins July 31 in the special election to replace Mel Franklin, who resigned from the Prince George's County Council in June, just before a state prosecutor charged him with embezzling campaign funds.  A dozen candidates are running to fill the vacant at-large seat representing voters countywide. Candidate information is provided further below.

Key dates

Early voting takes place July 31-Aug. 5, and the day of the primary special election is Aug. 6. Voters will then choose between one Democrat and one Republican in the general special election Nov. 5. 

How to obtain a ballot

All registered voters in Prince George's County will be mailed a ballot to vote for the at-large county council member. Any voter can request web delivery of a ballot. Voters who prefer to cast a ballot in person may do so at designated locations. 

In-person voting

Voters have the option to vote at any in-person voting center, including Tall Oaks Vocational High School in Bowie. Residents may register to vote or change their party at the in-person voting site.

Mail-in or drop-off

Voters may return their mail-in ballot by mail or place them in one of the voting drop-boxes  throughout the county, including locations in the Bowie-Mitchellville area:

  • Bowie Community Center - Bowie, MD
  • South Bowie Community Center - Bowie, MD
  • Glenn Dale Community Center - Glenn Dale, MD
  • Lake Arbor Community Center - Mitchellville, MD
  • Prince George’s Board of Elections Office - Largo, MD

Get to know the candidates

Twelve candidates outlined their priorities and ethics for this voter guide, which is jointly published by The Bowie Sun, The Intersection Magazine, Streetcar Suburbs News and Greenbelt News Review.  The candidates' responses below have been lightly edited for style and are grouped by party and listed in alphabetical order. 

Timothy Adams, Mayor of Bowie

Courtesy of Tim Adams

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
  • Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Lifetime Member
  • 100 Black Men of Prince George’s County, Inc.

Professional experience: 

  • Mayor of Bowie
  • President of SA-Tech

Priorities: 

  • Fighting crime - 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.
  • Increasing quality of life - Seniors, education, development, public service: 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:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

For more information:

Angela Angel, Attorney

Courtesy of Angela Angel

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 domestic violence 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 the team and maintain an open-door policy for constituents to voice concerns.

For more information:

Tamara Davis Brown, Attorney

Courtesy of Tamara Davis Brown

Age: 58

Residence: Clinton

Community involvement:

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

Professional experience: 

  • Wireless Telecommunications Attorney 
  • Co-founder and CEO, Last Mile Broadband of Maryland LLC

Priorities: 

  • For both public safety and the budget deficit, the county must leverage more federal funding from the Department of Justice and other federal grant programs for staffing the police force and fire/EMS and other local programs.
  • Examples: HUD affordable housing grants and EPA/USDA funds for environmental cleanup

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.

For more information:

Leo Bachi Eyombo, Educator

Courtesy of Leo Bachi Eyombo

Age: 51

Residence: Brentwood

Community involvement:

  • Bowie State University and University of Maryland Social Justice Alliance, Social Justice fellow
  • 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 citizens deserve 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 more 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 small individual donations ONLY.

For more information:

Marvin Holmes, Maryland House of Delegates

Courtesy of Marvin Holmes

Age: 75

Residence: Upper Marlboro

Community involvement:

  • Maryland General Assembly
    • Environment and Transportation Committee Chair, Housing and Real Property Subcommittee Chair, Land Use and Ethics Subcommittee, Rules and Executive Nominations Committee Vice Chair, Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive & Legislative Review
    • Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
    • Maryland Fire-Emergency Medical Services Coalition, appointed Chair in 2018
  • Prince George’s County Common Ownership Communities Commissioner
    • 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.
  • Watkins Park HOA, Board of Directors

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: Maryland Condominium Act, Maryland Homeowners Association Act, Maryland Cooperative Housing Corp. Act, Mortgage Transactions, Foreclosure Procedures, Landlord/Tenant Policies, Real Estate Agency and Appraisal Bias Equity.
  • M.E. Holmes Enterprises, LLC, Chief Exécutive Officer (CEO): real estate investment and property management
  • Century 21 New Millennium Realtor®, Graduate Realtor Institute, Certified Manager of Community Associations, Association Management Specialist

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.

For more information:

Jolene Ivey, County Council Chair

Courtesy of Jolene Ivey

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 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 three 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.

For more information:

Keisha D. Lewis, Business Leader 

Residence: Bowie, MD

Campaign status:  

      Judy Mickens-Murray, former School Board Member

      Courtesy of Judy Mickens-Murray

      Age: 76

      Residence: Upper Marlboro

      Community involvement:

      • I enthusiastically offer my support in providing transportation for neighbors to stores and doctor appointments.
      • I assist with various school activities, participate in organizations’ food giveaways, and aid 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, or NOAA.
      • 2002 & 2021 Appointed to the All-Appointed Board of Education and Hybrid Board of Education.

      Priorities:

      • 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: enhance community policing initiatives, invest in crime prevention programs, improve emergency response systems, and collaborate with state and federal agencies.
      • Affordable housing: rising housing costs, more affordable rental units and homes for purchase, homelessness and housing instability.
        • Recommended actions: expand affordable housing initiatives, strengthen tenant protections, increase funding for housing assistance programs, and promote inclusive zoning practices.
      • Collaborative efforts with various stakeholders can help create safer communities and ensure access to affordable housing for all.

      Ethics: 

      • Preventing misuse of campaign funds:
        • Establish clear financial controls: segregated accounts, approval processes
        • Regular audits: internal audits, external audits
        • Transparent reporting: detailed reporting, public disclosure, adherence to legal requirements, campaign finance laws, ethics training
        • Whistleblower protections: encourage reporting
      • Ensuring ethical conduct if elected:
        • 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
        • Community engagement: open communication channels, public forums
      • This approach fosters trust among constituents and promotes effective and transparent governance.

      For more information:

      Gabby Njinimbot, Entrepreneur

      Courtesy of Gabby Njinimbot

      Age: 50

      Residence: Laurel

      Community involvement: 

      • Ran for Congress to to represent MD-4 in the House of Representatives in the 2024 primary election
      • Participated in elections in the City of Laurel
      • Attend town halls in the City of Laurel and PTSA meetings at Laurel High School and elementary and middle schools in Laurel, attend several local churches
      • President of Bali Cultural Association USA, 7 years  
      • Participated in meetings with Moms Demand Actions against Gun Violence and Progressive Maryland, door knocking and phone banking for Progressive MD, participated in rallies and testified on rent stabilization with CASA at Prince George’s County Council, attended civil rights activities on Capitol Hill

      Professional experience: 

      • Entrepreneur and Lawyer
      • Author

      Priorities: 

      • Improve on Education and Empower our Educators. 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.
      • Fight Crime in our inner cities. More Community Policing and additional programs to keep youths and Guns off the streets

      Ethics: 

      • Campaign finance reforms, hold elected officials to be more accountable 
      • Additional measures to ensure frequent audits for transparency

      For more information:

      Kamita Gray, Community Engagement Practitioner

      Courtesy of Kamita Gray

      Age: (not disclosed)

      Residence: West Brandywine (unincorporated)

      Community involvement: 

      • Community outreach and engagement practitioner
      • Visionary, challenge-driven, successful professional institutional leader in empowering communities 

      Professional experience: 

      • Managing Director, CDCx community organization - building healthy communities, engaging communities in a process of identifying issues, developing a plan to address these circumstances and identify their strengths, needs, rights and responsibilities.

      Priorities: 

      • Require an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) for development projects pursuant to the County Charter. Numerous bills that the Council has enacted amending APFO test requirements need serious assessment. The continued issuance of a certificate of adequacy is broken at the root of low level of service standards causing the inadequacy of transportation infrastructure (roads/traffic) and other public facilities, which is 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 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.

      For more information:

      Michael Riker, Retired Police Officer

      Courtesy of Michael Riker

      Age: 61

      Residence: Cheltenham 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 of those years with Prince George’s County and three with the U.S. 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 make the issues about the PEOPLE not politics of the job.

      Priorities:  

      The priorities I am focused on:

      • Families first, parental rights
      • Supporting public safety and lack of manpower
      • A budget with no new taxes
      • Road improvement and litter pick up
      • Safer schools

      Ethics: 

      • In my career I have always held my ethics and profession to 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.

      For more information:

      Isaac Toyos, Legislative Specialist and Army Veteran

      Age: 29

      Residence: Temple Hills

      Community involvement: 

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

      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 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 could be  announced better. Citizen participation is key.

      Ethics: 

      • Firstly, I’m running a decentralized and grassroots campaign that will commit to transparent and ethical record 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.

      For more information:

      Jonathan White, Air Force Veteran

      Courtesy of Jonathan White

      Age: 50

      Residence: Upper Marlboro

      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, 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 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.

      For more information:

      This voter guide was updated July 29 to adjust some formatting and to correct the website of candidate Leo Bachi Eyombo, which is incorrect on the state board of elections page. The voter guide also was later updated to include a link to the recent Community of Hope candidates forum.

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