This story was updated at 10:25 a.m. May 7.
Voters overwhelmingly picked Andrea Harrison for the Prince George's County Council District 5 seat on Tuesday, allowing her to lead the district where she served as a legislative aide for years.
“I know we actually embarked on this journey thinking we’d be going in 2010“, the new councilwoman told a group of supporters gathered at La Fontaine Bleu in New Carrollton on Tuesday night. “But I think eight is a number of new beginnings.“
Harrison, a Springdale resident, worked six years as a legislative aide for District 5, which runs from Colmar Manor to Mitchellville. The lifelong county resident decided to run for the seat after former council chairman David C. Harrington left for the state Senate to fill the vacancy left when civil rights activist Sen. Gwendolyn T. Britt died suddenly in January.
Harrison will serve out the rest of Harrington’s term through 2010.
Turnout was low in the special election with only 4.32 percent of the district's 49,176 registered voters casting a ballot. Unofficial results show Harrison beating Republican challenger Steve Johnson by more than 75 percent, in a vote of 1,838 to 247. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district nearly 14-to-1.
The new lawmaker has some major agenda items to address as soon as she takes office May 19. Just days after she is sworn in, Gov. Martin O’Malley will sign legislation starting a 90-day countdown for the county and state to work out a financial deal for the struggling county hospital system. The hospital’s main complex, Prince George’s Hospital Center, is in her district in Cheverly.
“I'm hopeful that Ms. Harrison will be dedicated to not just keeping it funded, but turning it into the world-class institution this community deserves,“ said Ebs Burnough, political director of Service Employees International Union 1199, which represents hospital workers. “The council is going to have to work with the state. They’re going to have to hammer it out.“
Harrison’s previous experience with the council will be an asset, observers said.
“Her experience is going to be of great value to her,“ said Omar Bouleware, head of the Young Democrats and a resident of Harrison’s district. “But right off the bat, she’s going to have to face many of these issues that have been in her district for years.“
Crime and public safety will be a top priority, Harrison said. She believes county plans to increase the number of funded county police officers to 1,700 in the upcoming budget will continue to help reduce crime.
“It takes a while before an individual is ready to go on the street,“ she said.
Harrison’s run for the District 5 seat was backed by many of the county’s most established politicians. In addition to County Executive Jack B. Johnson, her bid was also supported by Harrington and state Sen. Nathaniel Exum (D-Dist. 24) of Capitol Heights.
The daughter of former District 5 County Councilman James Fletcher, Harrison ran on a platform touting her experience working with the council as the best choice for the district, which includes Bladensburg, Cheverly, Colmar Manor, Cottage City, Edmonston, Fairmount Heights, Glenarden, Landover, Lanham, a portion of Mitchellville and Springdale.
“I’m a consensus builder,“ she said. “I can work with anyone. I can talk with anyone.“
Harrison said she wants to push for more vocational training programs at county schools and work on attracting commercial businesses and employers to her district.
Harrison has the option to run for office in the 2010 and 2014 elections before the county’s two-term limit kicks in.
E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.
