Prince George's Election Results: School Board, County Questions

Jacob Baumgart
Updated ·9 min read

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Board of Education candidates, judges and referendums were all on the ballot in the Prince George's County election. The polls closed Tuesday at 8 p.m., but election officials are still tabulating the results.

(This story was last updated Wednesday at 2:56 a.m.)

Only one of Prince George's County's 41 voting centers have reported results. The Maryland State Board of Elections says technical steps are slowing the vote counts, which will not be finished on election night. More infromation will be available in the morning.

Patch is tracking the votes as they come in. Follow along with us. Check this page frequently for live updates from election night.

Return to Patch for tonight's local election results: Subscribe to free News Alerts.

Board Of Education

Your school district determines who represents you on the Board of Education. Head to this website to see which district you live in.

District 1

Incumbent David H. Murray seeks a second term representing the first district. Before winning his 2016 election, Murray attend the University of Maryland Baltimore County where he earned a bachelor's degree in financial economics.

According to Ballotpedia, Murray is committed to parent engagement, innovative programs, special education and financial literacy. For more information on Murray, click here.

The unopposed incumbent currently has 27,162 votes. Write-in candidates have 352 votes.

District 4

Unlike Murray, Bryan M. Swann faces a challenger. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks appointed Swann to the school board in January to fill a vacancy. Now, he seeks a full, four-year term.

Swann grew up in Prince George's County Public Schools and went on to serve in the Marine Corps. He also earned two master's degrees: one in public administration from Harvard University and another in business administration from the University of Maryland.

With White House experience under President Barack Obama, Swann is now a deputy director at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He has two sons in PGCPS.

Shayla Adams-Stafford hopes to unseat Swann. Adams-Stafford is the CEO and Founder of AdaptiveX, a company that sells teacher training software.

Her top priorities include building new schools, recruiting more educators and ending the school-to-prison pipeline. As an equity advocate, Adams-Stafford wants to rid schools of armed law enforcement, also known as school resource officers.

"With access to the nation's capital and growing technology sector I think we are perfectly positioned to be the best district in Maryland," Adams-Stafford said. "However, I am realizing there is much work to be done to truly make this district equitable for all students."

To learn more about Adams-Stafford and her work with nonprofits, click this link. More background on Swann is posted here.

Adams-Stafford leads Swann by a margin of 16,890 votes to 8,608.

District 5

The race in the fifth district is uncontested. Raaheela Ahmed is campaigning for her second term in office.

Ahmed first ran for the District 5 seat in 2012 as an 18-year-old. Though Ahmed didn't win her first bid, her second go-around was more successful. Since joining the board in 2016, Ahmed has focused on creating optimal learning environments.

"The way to accomplish that is a move towards a culture of kindness, respect and professionalism," Ahmed, now 27, said. "It is not something we are known for, but the best school districts are the ones that establish this kind of culture, from top down."

Read more Ahmed's full profile here.

Ahmed counts 43,669 votes compared to the 771 nods for write-in candidates.

District 7

The seventh district will send a fresh face to the board, as current member K. Alexander Wallace does not seek re-election. That opens the door for a race between Alexis Nicole Branch and Kenneth F. Harris II.

Branch, 22, is a master's student at Bowie State University. Last year, Branch graduated from Bennett College where she served on the school's Board of Trustees. Branch says her teaching experience and time as a trustee make her a quality pick for the Board of Education.

The candidate also advocates for a safe reopening of schools after coronavirus. Branch values student safety over a return to the familiar.

"Too many lives have been lost," Branch said. "Our children should not be the lab rats to see if its safe to get back to 'normal.'"

Harris also touts a long résumé. His campaign website says he has worked with NASA since he was 16, boasting involvement in the launches of five satellites.

On top of his scientific successes, Harris has made a name for himself as a keynote speaker. He is most known for his TEDx Talk on mentoring and networking.

If elected, Harris hopes to lead the way in school construction and renovation. He also wants to increase access to Pre-K, lower class sizes and raise teacher pay.

Click this link to read more about Harris. More information about Branch can be found here.

Harris' 20,536 votes lead Branch's 10,865.

District 8

The final Board of Education race pits incumbent Edward Burroughs III against challenger Gary Lee Falls.

Burroughs has served on the board since his appointment in 2008. He was re-elected in 2010 at the age of 18, making him the youngest elected official in the state. Now 28, Burroughs is the vice-chair of the school board.

Falls accuses Burroughs of being a progressive with extreme policies. He urges Prince George's County students to reopen schools immediately.

Moreover, Falls wants to shift the discussion away from building new schools. He would rather build moral character and academic proficiency, which he says are more pressing problems.

As a Vietnam veteran and small business owner, Falls knows life can have its obstacles. That's why he wants schools to offer three free meals-per-day to all students.

Learn more about Falls' platform here. Head to this webpage for more information on Burroughs.

Falls has 4,440 votes compared to Burroughs' 29,858.

Judicial Branch

Prince George's County is in Circuit 7 of the Maryland Circuit Court and the Maryland Court of Appeals. Every Maryland voter is eligible to vote in the at-large race in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

Each candidate's name is linked to their campaign website. One judge does not have a campaign page, so Patch linked to his profile in the state's court system. Special instructions and circumstances are listed in parenthesis.

Judge in Circuit 7 of the Maryland Circuit Court (You Can Vote for up to Five Candidates):

Judge At-Large of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals (Voting for His Continuance in Office):

  • E. Gregory Wells (1,484,936 votes for his continuance; 262,069 votes for his discontinuance)

Ballot Questions

The proposals are referendums that need voters' approval to become law. If adopted, these proposals would allow Prince George's County to fund several projects by selling bonds. Residents can vote for or against the following motions.

Question 1 (Constitutional Amendment):

  • "The proposed amendment authorizes the General Assembly, in enacting a balanced budget bill for fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, to increase, diminish, or add items, provided that the General Assembly may not exceed the total proposed budget as submitted by the Governor."

  • (Amending Article II Section 17 and Article III Sections 14 and 52 of the Maryland Constitution)

  • (1,421,334 votes for; 494,974 votes against)

Question 2 (Commercial Gaming Expansion Referendum):

  • "Do you approve the expansion of commercial gaming in the State of Maryland to authorize sports and events betting for the primary purpose of raising revenue for education?"

  • (Ch. 492 of the 2020 Legislative Session) Expansion of Commercial Gaming - Sports and Event Wagering

  • (1,319,439 votes for; 671,988 votes against)

Question A (Bond Issue - Public Works and Transportation Facilities Bonds)

  • "AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount notexceeding $178,150,000 to finance thedesign, construction, reconstruction,extension, acquisition, improvement,enlargement, alteration, renovation,relocation, rehabilitation, or repair of,Public Works and Transportation Facilities(including roads and bridges, parking lotsand maintenance facilities), including theacquisition and development of sitestherefor, the architectural and engineeringservices incident thereto, and theacquisition and installation of necessaryfixed permanent equipment therefor, asdefined therein."

  • (264,366 votes for; 35,343 votes against)

Question B (Bond Issue - Library Facilities Bonds):

  • "AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount notexceeding $28,829,000 to finance thedesign, construction, reconstruction,extension, acquisition, improvement,enlargement, alteration, renovation,relocation, rehabilitation or repair ofLibrary Facilities, including the acquisitionand development of sites therefore, thearchitectural and engineering servicesincident thereto, and the acquisition andinstallation of necessary fixed permanentequipment therefore, as defined therein."

  • (258,523 votes for; 38,809 votes against)

Question C (Bond Issue - Public Safety Facilities Bonds):

  • "AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount notexceeding $44,477,000 to finance thedesign, construction, reconstruction,extension, acquisition, improvement,enlargement, alteration, renovation,relocation, rehabilitation, or repair of,Public Safety Facilities (including FireDepartment Facilities), including theacquisition and development of sitestherefor, the architectural and engineeringservices incident thereto, and theacquisition and installation of necessaryfixed permanent equipment therefor, asdefined therein."

  • (258,979 votes for; 37,610 votes against)

Question D (Bond Issue - County Buildings Bonds):

  • "AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount notexceeding $133,000,000 to finance thedesign, construction, reconstruction,extension, acquisition, improvement,enlargement, alteration, renovation,relocation, rehabilitation or repair ofCounty Buildings, including theacquisition and development of sitestherefor, the architectural and engineeringservices incident thereto, and theacquisition and installation of necessaryfixed permanent equipment therefor, asdefined therein."

  • (225,644 votes for; 63,669 votes against)

Question E (Bond Issue - Community College Facilities Bonds):

  • "AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount notexceeding $121,714,000 to finance thedesign, construction, reconstruction,extension, acquisition, improvement,enlargement, alteration, renovation,relocation, rehabilitation or repair ofCommunity College Facilities, includingthe acquisition and development of sitestherefor, the architectural and engineeringservices incident thereto, and theacquisition and installation of necessaryfixed permanent equipment therefor; asdefined therein."

  • (259,139 votes for; 32,502 votes against)

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This article originally appeared on the Bowie Patch