More News

Mitchellville resident Derrick Leon Davis (D), 42, announced Tuesday that he is running for the Prince George's County Council District 6 seat in the November 2010 elections.

"I've been a public servant all of my life — I thought it was time," he said.

Davis, the Title I Program Family and Parent Involvement Coordinator for Prince George's County Public Schools, said he is most passionate about education and the importance of bolstering the county school system to attract businesses to the county.

"When it comes down to it, enhancing the quality of life in Prince George's County by focusing on education and economic development are the essentials to building a better quality of life," he said. "We have to start to focus on the building of our education system, how it impacts our community and the economic development we all say we want."

Davis filed Oct. 23 with the Maryland State Board of Elections. District 6 includes South Bowie, Capitol Heights, District Heights, Forestville, Kettering, Largo, Mitchellville and Upper Marlboro.

Davis ran for the seat in 2002 but lost to current District 6 Councilman Samuel Dean (D) of Mitchellville.

Dean was reelected in November 2006 and is not eligible to run for this elected office again. Dean is planning a run for county executive.

Longtime friend Del. Dereck E. Davis (D-Dist. 25) of Mitchellville said Derrick Davis would be a great candidate because of his devotion to Prince George's County.

"He cares about the community that he was raised in and has been all his life," he said. "He's the type of politician we need in Prince George's County — he's committed to the county and not just moving up to the next office."

Abdul-Raheem Abdullah (D) of Forestville also filed Oct. 23 with the Maryland State Board of Elections for Prince George's County Council District 6.

"I think that if you look at my resume with reference to Prince George's County, the state of Maryland, my understanding of the interworkings of county government from the perspective of zoning and business gives me a slight advantage to hit the ground running in 2010," Derrick Davis said. "I've been doing my homework and I keep my nose to the grind."

E-mail Liz Skalski at eskalski@gazette.net.

-Election: Prince George's County Council, District 6 seat

-Name: Derrick Leon Davis

-Place of residence: Mitchellville

-Age: 42

-Place of birth: Capitol Heights

-Current occupation: Title I Program Family and Parent Involvement Coordinator for Prince George's County Public Schools

-Education: Bachelor of Arts, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

-Community associations: Governor-appointed trustee for the Maryland Automotive Insurance Fund, member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and member of the Canterbury Estates North Civic Association

-Family: Married to wife, Sherry; no children

-Campaign telephone number: 240-286-2285

-Web site: www.teamdavis2010.com