Showing posts with label 2022 election. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Late mail-in vote count topples five conservative school board candidates in Maryland

Five socially conservative school board candidates in Maryland who were leading just after Election Night ended up losing when the counting of mail-in and provisional ballots was concluded this week.

Those changes meant that 20 of the 41 socially conservative candidates identified by Capital News Service came out ahead in their races, down from 25 right after last month’s election, according to unofficial results posted on the Maryland Board of Elections website.

Still, nearly half of the conservative board candidates ended up ahead in a state where a Democrat, Wes Moore, won the gubernatorial election by more than 30 points to become Maryland’s first Black governor.

Conservatives won school board races throughout much of the state, with the largest number elected in Wicomico County, followed by Harford, Baltimore, Carroll and Washington counties...

Late mail-in vote count topples five conservative school board candidates - Maryland Matters

Friday, December 2, 2022

MCPS Board of Education Members Sworn In

The two returning and two new Montgomery County Board of Education members were sworn in Thursday and immediately took their seats.

Board President Brenda Wolff from District 5 and Karla Silverstre, an at-large member, were re-elected in November. Also elected was Grace Rivera-Oven and Julie Yang.

“The success of Montgomery County depends on the success of our children in MCPS,” Silvestre said. “Thank you for your support. We will need it now and into the future.”

Wolff called the previous two years “an incredible journey for us, because we had incredible things to deal with.” Her goal during her second term is to ensure that all students are college or job ready.

Rivera-Oven, who represents District 1 and is a native of Bolivia, promised “to work very hard to ensure your voices and heart,” she said, referring to the students who represent 156 countries and speak 115 languages.

Yang, who represents District 3, said, “Education has made the biggest difference in my life” and referred to her second-grade teacher “who didn’t give up on me.”

While serving on the board, Yang hopes to “have a positive influence on the life trajectory of a student, because every child can succeed if they are given an opportunity to.”

BOE members also honored outgoing members Scott Joftus, who was not re-elected, and Judy Docca, who has been on the board since 2006...

MCPS Board of Education Members Sworn In - Montgomery Community Media (mymcmedia.org)

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Eleven Maryland school board candidates have faced tax liens

At least 11 of Maryland’s 155 school board candidates have had state or federal liens filed against them in the past two decades for not paying their taxes on time.

Capital News Service reporters scoured the state court records of every school board candidate in the state, and tax liens were the most common court record found.

CNS is reporting on the candidates’ tax liens because they reflect the financial habits of individuals who could soon play a major role in deciding how school districts spend their money.

But April Christina Curley, one of the four candidates running for the school board in Baltimore City, said the lien that she needs to settle stems from the fact that she’s poor.

“It is public information,” Curley said of the lien. “But at the same time, I think it’s a good reflection of how this system was created to keep regular people out.”..

Eleven Maryland school board candidates have faced tax liens – CNS Maryland

Friday, November 11, 2022

One Incumbent Ousted as Vote Counts Continue for Board of Education

The Board of Education met Thursday as the Montgomery County Board of Elections continued counting mail-in ballots. It was member Scott Joftus’ last meeting following his apparent loss following Tuesday’s election.

As of 12:33 p.m, Joftus had 57,390 votes to Julie Yang’s 118,394 votes in District 3.

The new board will have seven female members. Arvin Kim, the student member, will be the lone male.

In unofficial results, Grace Rivera-Oven was chosen to represent District 1, following Judith Docca’s resignation at the end of her fourth term. Her last meeting also was Thursday. Rivera-Oven had 98,548 votes to Esther Wells’ 73,167...

One Incumbent Ousted as Vote Counts Continue for Board of Education - Montgomery Community Media (mymcmedia.org)

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Montgomery County Board of Education Candidates 2022: Responses to Questionnaires

The Local News Network at the University of Maryland sent questionnaires to every school board candidate in Montgomery County, and compiled their responses below in our Board of Education Voter Guide. Follow the link to learn more about the people you'll see on the ballot this year. Let us know if you have any questions.

Montgomery County Board of Education candidates 2022 – CNS Maryland

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Election 2022: Board of Education Virtual Candidates Forum - Thursday October 13th at 7 PM.

Topic

Board of Education Candidates Forum

Description

Join the League of Women Voters and the Montgomery County Council of PTAs and our many co-sponsors to hear the Board of Education candidates as you prepare for the General Election on November 8th.

MODERATOR: Dr. Janelle Wong, American Studies, University of Maryland

CANDIDATES:

At large: Mike Erickson & Karla Silvestre

District 1: Grace Rivera-Oven & Esther Wells

District 3: Scott Joftus & Julie Yang

District 5: Valerie Coll & Brenda Wolff

Time

Oct 13, 2022 07:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Webinar Registration - Zoom

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Paula Bienenfeld, Independent Candidate for Montgomery County, MD County Council District 4, to Challenge Rejected Petition in Court

Paula Bienenfeld, Independent Candidate for Montgomery County, MD County Council District 4, to Challenge Rejected Petition in Court

For Immediate Release

September 6, 2022

Contact Information:

Email: paula_bienenfeld@yahoo.com

P: 240-899-2335

www.paulaformoco.com

On Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 10:30 AM the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD will review the candidate petition I filed with the Montgomery County Board of Elections to appear on the 2022 General Election ballot as an Independent candidate for Montgomery County Council District 4.

On July 29, 2022, I submitted a candidate petition (consisting of 368 pages and containing over 1,350 signatures), which requested that I be placed on the 2022 General Election ballot for Montgomery County Council District 4. Democrats, Republicans, Green Party members, and independent voters signed this petition. The enthusiasm for my candidacy was overwhelming, and I thank the thousands of people to whom I spoke, and who signed the petition. Clearly there is a strong appetite for an Independent candidate in this county.

The Montgomery County Board of Elections responded to my petition filing on August 18, 2022, approving 997 of the signatures. Unfortunately, this left me 22 signatures short of the 1,019 needed to appear on the November ballot. My team reviewed the Board of Elections’ signature rejections and found numerous errors in their determination. Signatures that were legally valid, and should have been accepted, were improperly rejected.

On August 29, 2022, my attorneys appealed the Board of Elections’ rejection of my petition in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. As a result of that appeal, the Board of Elections has admitted errors and approved 8 additional signatures – narrowing the number of signatures I need to qualify for the ballot to just 14.

Today, my legal team filed a Motion for Summary Judgment in my case which cites numerous additional errors in the Board of Elections’ rejection of my petition signatures. We will be arguing this Motion in Court tomorrow. I am confident that these legitimate registered voters in District 4 who signed my petition will have their signatures rehabilitated by the Court.

The court will hear the case tomorrow, Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 10:30 AM, in Courtroom 3G, South Tower. The court is located at 50 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD, 20850.

For additional information:

Email: paula_bienenfeld@yahoo.com

www.paulaformoco.com

###

Approved by Friends of Paula Bienenfeld, Tom McLachlen, Treasurer

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Most voters couldn’t recall who they picked as their school board candidates as they left their voting sites.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/07/19/early-results-would-move-montgomery-school-board-incumbents-nov-election/

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

July Election: Only 25,000 Mail In Ballots Turned in by Monday out of 88,000 Requested

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2022/07/20/elrich-and-blair-are-tied-again-in-montgomery-cassily-fitzwater-haire-and-mcdonough-romp/

Monday, June 6, 2022

LWV Forum: Learn what the Board of Education candidates have to say on a variety of topics.

Monday, May 16, 2022

May 18, 2022: Board of Education Virtual Candidates Forum

Board of Education

Virtual Candidates Forum

Wednesday May 18 7:00-8:30 PM, Webinar

Moderator: Dr. Janelle Wong, American Studies, University of Maryland

Education affects everyone whether you have school age children or not. Be an INFORMED voter to make your choices.

The following offices are up for election in the July 19^th Primary Election and these candidates will appear on the ballot:

At large: Mike Erickson, Michael Fryar, J. Domenic Giandomenico, Karla Silvestre
District 1: Alexander Fahmy, Jay Guan, Grace Rivera-Oven, Esther Wells
District 3: Marcus Alzona, Scott Joftus, Julie Yang
District 5: Valerie Coll, Dawn Iannaco-Hahn, Brenda Wolff

Register here

This is a non-partisan event

Friday, April 29, 2022

Montgomery County 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election Local Candidates List - Board of Education

Board of Education At Large

Mike Erickson

Non-Partisan

Jurisdiction Montgomery County

Status Active

Filed Regular -04/15/2022

Email mikeerickson4md@gmail.com

Phone (301) 355-6151

Contact Information

17409 Applewood Ln

Derwood, MD 20855-0000

Michael Fryar

Non-Partisan

Jurisdiction Montgomery County

Status Active

Filed Regular -03/09/2022

Email michaeljfryar@gmail.com

Website anewdawn4boe.com

Phone (240) 233-4184

Contact Information

238 Gold Kettle Dr

Gaithersburg, MD 20878-

J. "Domenic" Giandomenico

Non-Partisan

Jurisdiction Montgomery County

Status Active

Filed Regular -02/11/2022

Email dg@domformoco.com

Website www.domformoco.com

Facebook @domformoco

Twitter @domformoco

Phone (301) 366-6962

Contact Information

10705 Francis Dr

Silver Spring, MD 20902-

Karla Silvestre

Non-Partisan

Jurisdiction Montgomery County

Status Active

Filed Regular -10/14/2021

Email karlasilvestre2018@gmail.com

Website www.karlasilvestre.com

Facebook facebook.com/karlasilvestre4BOE

Twitter @KarlaSilves_BOE

Phone (240) 464-5525

Contact Information

1615 N. Springwood Dr

Silver Spring, MD 20910-

Board of Education District 1

Alexander Fahmy

Non-Partisan

Jurisdiction Montgomery County

Status Active

Filed Regular -04/15/2022

Facebook www.facebook.com/alexforboe

Twitter www.twitter.com/alexforboe

Other www.instagram.com/alexforboe

Phone (240) 988-0632

Contact Information

24028 Glade Valley Terrace

Damascus, MD 20872-

Jay Guan

Non-Partisan

Jurisdiction Montgomery County

Status Active

Filed Regular -02/02/2022

Email JG@jayguan4boe.com

Website jayguan4boe.com

Facebook facebook.com/JG4boe

Phone (240) 618-7053

Contact Information

P.O. Box 1896

Clarksburg, MD 20871-

Grace Rivera Oven

Non-Partisan

Jurisdiction Montgomery County

Status Active

Filed Regular -03/11/2022

Email grace.rivera@comcast.net

Website www.gracielariveraoven.com

Contact Information

21210 Blunt Rd

Germantown, MD 20876-

Esther L. Wells

Non-Partisan

Jurisdiction Montgomery County

Status Active

Filed Regular -04/08/2022

Facebook www.facebook.com/Esther4BOE

Contact Information

7627 Augustine Way

Gaithersburg, MD 20879-

Board of Education District 3

Marcus Alzona

Non-Partisan

Jurisdiction Montgomery County

Status Active

Filed Regular -04/15/2022

Email vote@MarcusAlzona.com

Website MarcusAlzona.com

Facebook facebook.com/MarcusAlzona

Twitter twitter.com/MarcusAlzona

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

BOE Member Judy Docca Not Running For Re-Election

The Parents' Coalition has heard that current District 1 Board of Education member Judith Docca will not be running for another term on the Montgomery County Board of Education.

The filing deadline is Friday.

3 candidates have filed to date. The current list of candidates for all Board of Education positions can be found at the Maryland Board of Elections website.

Principles

Formed in 2002, the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland seeks to achieve the goals of coherent, content-rich curriculum standards; high expectations combined with timely remediation and acceleration; a wider range of educational options for parents and children; greater transparency and accountability; and meaningful community input.

E-mail: parentscoalitionmc AT outlook.com

What The Washington Post said about the Parents' Coalition

The coalition might be the best-known parent advocacy group in the region. Its members represent several constituencies, including parents of special education and gifted education students and fiscal watchdogs. The group's defining victory came this school year when the school system scaled back the fees charged to families for course materials.

Coalition leaders have drawn attention to the misuse of funds collected from students for activities, the broadcast of a commercial radio service on school buses and, with their "Weast Watch" blog, the travel habits of Weast and his lieutenants.

The Washington Post, June 4, 2009

Jerry Weast on the Parents' Coalition

"Along the way, you’ve had a challenging relationship with the Parents’ Coalition, the network of citizen activists who use the political process and other means to hold MCPS accountable.

The thing people accuse me of is listening, but not hearing. I hear, but I do not always agree. I am sorry that the world is faster than it was 10 years ago. I did not do that. [But] if we do not keep up, then our kids will be behind. We have to stop whining and get real."

Bethesda Magazine, March-April 2011