Last-minute filers spice up county primary

Lawlah’s school board run may be biggest surprse

Thursday, July 13, 2006

The filing deadline last week for the September primary election generated a slew of surprises, ranging from last-minute GOP entries to political 180-ing to flat out no-shows.

The shocker was Sen. Gloria Lawlah (D-Dist. 26), who filed to run for school board. Lawlah, the county’s delegation chairwoman in the Senate, had already announced she would step down this year after 20 years in the General Assembly. She is giving up her clout in Annapolis for a chance at a lower-paying job that carries less prestige.

Lawlah told The Gazette that she decided to run locally because she feels the school board race is the most important election for Prince George’s this year.

‘‘We’ve been talking about a world-class school system, but we haven’t arrived yet,” Lawlah said. ‘‘I’m going to give it one last try. I tried as a senator. I’m going to come back down, try as a school board member.”

Prince George’s returns to a nine-member, elected school board with this election after four years of an appointed board. Lawlah will run for one of four at-large seats. Five others will be filled by candidates running in districts.

Lawlah, a former educator, said she wasn’t serious about entering the race until she heard late last month that only 14 candidates had filed for the nine available seats. About 30 candidates filed for school board races by the final day.

‘‘We have so many talented, well-educated people in Prince George’s, but the average one will not subject themselves to the political process,” Lawlah said.

She said she would not have run if Board chairwoman Beatrice Tignor had entered the race. Only two members of the current appointed board, Vice Chair Howard Stone and Judy Mickens-Murray, are running.

Lawlah said she hasn’t thought about trying to become chairwoman of the board, but she plans to identify candidates whom she will support.

Adrion Howell, County Council liaison for County Executive Jack B. Johnson, said Lawlah could put her political acumen to good use on the board.

‘‘I imagine she wants to stay relevant in case anything opens up in the future,” Howell added.

Lawlah’s entry wasn’t the only surprise.

Republicans made a carefully calibrated showing shortly before the deadline, filing for seats in four General Assembly districts and for Districts 3 and 5 on the County Council. District 3 represents the New Carrollton-Riverdale Park area and District 5 represents the Cheverly-Bladensburg area.

‘‘They’re targeted,” said Maryland GOP spokeswoman Audra Miller. ‘‘These seats are in areas and counties where we feel strongly and encouraged.”

Prince George’s is a Democratic stronghold. Only 54,000 voters are registered Republicans, less than 12 percent of all voters. No Republicans represent Prince George’s on the County Council or in the General Assembly.

But in Districts 21 and 27, where GOP candidates filed, about 25 percent of registered voters are Republicans. District 21 includes Laurel and the northern part of the county, and District 27 covers Brandywine and the southern part of the county.

Audra Miller talked up Ron Miller, a GOP candidate who offered another deadline-day surprise when he dropped his bid to challenge U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Dist. 5) to run against Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D) in District 27.

‘‘The reaction from all our previous supporters has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Ron Miller, who ran at the request of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. He said a lot of support from his race against Hoyer is transferring.

‘‘It’s certainly a smaller area to cover,” he added.

None of the Millers are related to one another.

Also worth noting are those movers and shakers who didn’t file.

Former County Executive Wayne Curry, for one, was floated as everything from Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich’s running mate to Mike Miller’s challenger. He didn’t file.

Outgoing County Councilman Thomas Hendershot (D-Dist. 3) was expected to run for school board. He didn’t file.

As to the last-minute filings, Audra Miller said there’s some strategy to it. Filing hours before the deadline, for instance, could minimize a candidate’s opposition in the primaries.

‘‘There’s many schools of thought, and a lot of it comes down to the candidate preference of when they want to file,” Miller said.

E-mail Judson Berger atjberger@gazette.net.