In my area, the Democrat Primary *is* the election. So I switch my party affiliation to Democrat to be able to have a voice in my community. I went through the websites of all the local candidates.
County Executive Candidates:
Leigh Bodden: He is an ex-NFL guy. I hadn’t heard of him at all until I looked him up. His website is lacking any details, it’s just a bunch of promises, like healthier school lunches, reasonably priced rentals, and a plan to “listen to the people” about police reform. No events, calendar, or details, just a lot of “we’re black so vote for me” stuff and platitudes. His official campaign facebook is all but dead, his personal facebook has a few ads that he cut, but again, offers no solutions. His twitter is just an instagram feed, and his insta is just fluff, hyping himself and his football camps, and other dumb influencer hype stuff.
Billy Bridges: Website is ass. An unmovable top banner takes up half the screen and makes it impossible to navigate. He’s using vimeo to host his campaign videos, but the videos are all private, making it impossible to find them apart from his site. He claims some illegal shenanigans FUBAR’d his run last time, and calls the current county government a “share-cropper system.” He actually does have a decent plan of action, but his reach is non-existent. Sadly, while he would be a good CE, he will never come close to winning.
Sherman Hardy: Has a slick website, and has been active on Nextdoor and other social media. He’s got a plan – I don’t like most of it, but at least he has one. I do like his Open Government plan, and his transportation ideas are good but I don’t know how feasible they are. No idea how he plans to pay for any of his ideas.
* Tonya Sweat: Has promised she will not raise our taxes. Wants to fix the school system and invest in small business. I’ve talked to her, and I get a great vibe from her. She does have some plans, and ideas for funding them. Of all the candidates, she’s my pick.
Angela Alsobrooks: Our current CE is running again. She’s a Jack “stuff the money in you bra” Johnson mentee. That alone is enough NOT to vote for her. Crime has exploded under her watch, and she has completely failed in one of her original campaign promises – cleaning up the litter in the county. Sadly, even though most people in the county think our county is in bad shape, she will probably win.
At-Large County Council Seats
*We get to pick two of these!
Mel Franklin: One of our current At-Large Councilmen. Has been on the council for 12 years, and the only thing he’s remembered for is crashing county cars, getting DUIs and fleeing the scene.
Calvin Hawkins: The other incumbent At-Large Councilman. As a youth, he got arrested for armed robbery. After serving his time, he was given a second chance and a place in the county government. Then he was accused of sexual assault while he was a county employee.
Jonathon White: Has a “plan” that seems full of platitudes and focuses on race. Most of his “issues” are mostly things that are out of the Council’s purview. I’m not sure he understands what a councilman’s job is.
Stanford Fraser: Public defender. Wants council to be better at notifying the surrounding are whenever a Zoning change is proposed. Wants to cut down on sprawl and protect our tree canopy. Is AGAINST tax increases. Wants to add social workers to respond to any non-emergency police calls. I don’t agree with most of his ideas, but at least he has some.
Sam Elira: another lawyer. Promises to NOT raise property taxes. Wants to encourage businesses to relocate here. Everything else is platitudes, but at least he is focused on things he can do things about, unlike others.
* Anthony Rudy: Former Marine and single parent. Will NOT vote for property tax increases, but will demand more money from the state. Wants to update government tech and harden our cyber security, as well as help veterans. Of the whole bunch, he is my top pick.
District 9 County Council
* Sydney Harrison: Our incumbent councilman. Doesn’t respond well to requests from my area. His website has nothing on it. When I confronted him in person at a local event, his response was that he did not need anything on his website, because he’s the incumbent. Unfortunately, not only is he likely to win, he’s also, sadly, the best candidate running.
Lisa Burnam: Wants Walmart/etc to pay a $25 minimum wage (which will drive what few businesses we have here out of the county). Wants a County-backed health plan for small businesses to use. She also wants the county to just fully take over the utilities. This chick is a socialist, do NOT vote for her!
Ernest Canlas: The facebook page linked to on the state election board is misspelled and leads to a different Ernest Canlas who lives in the Philippines. But I finally found is real facebook page. There isn’t much there.
School Board District 9
Kent Robinson: He is currently a At-Large DCC Member for the 25th district, and his website is still geared toward his run for the Democrat Central Committee seat.
Lolita Walker: Her “vision” is full of buzz words, but says nothing.
Sheriff
John DB Carr: Been a PG County Deputy for a while, has a decent platform and seems realistic.
* Elliot Gibson: Current Chief of police in Edmonston, MD. Used to be the District Heights chief. Has a history lesson and a job description on his website. Has some good ideas that seem realistic. The school outreach program to teach the youth how to interact with the police sounds like a great idea, and something that is sorely needed. He is my top pick.
Dave Grogan: Former paper-pusher for Federal Witness Protection Program, as well as a “civil, human, and children’s rights activist.” Sued his former employer, the US Marshals, for racism. Wants to do a bunch of stuff with the school system, but that is NOT the Sheriff’s Office responsibility. Doesn’t seem to know what a PGC Sheriff’s job actually is. The rest of his platform is buzz-word-salad.
Sylvester Jones: Another former US Marshal. Also seems to think that he will be working closely with the school system, which is NOT a Sheriff’s job. Website sends me to a 2018 article for his ideas, instead of just putting it on his website.
Loralyn Mayo: President of a private security firm. Her “vision” is a lot of generic statements. She leans heavily on the “First Woman” card.