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Alsobrooks’ historic Senate win starts the clock on cascading county elected vacancies

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Alsobrooks’ historic Senate win starts the clock on cascading county elected vacancies

Nov 06, 2024 | 9:55 pm ET
By William J. Ford
Alsobrooks’ historic Senate win starts the clock on cascading county elected vacancies
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The Prince George's County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks' departure to take a U.S. Senate seat next year will start a chain of vacancies and appointments. Prince George's County photo.

Prince George’s County officials may not be eager to see County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) go, but they are probably eager to know when she plans to go.

That’s because the timing of Alsobrooks’ departure will determine when and how the county selects its next executive, a job several hopefuls have already expressed interest in.

Alsobrooks made history Tuesday when she beat former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), making her the first Black woman elected to the Senate from Maryland, and one of just four Black women ever elected to the chamber.

She will be sworn in on Jan. 3, and can step down from her county post anytime before then.

Allyson Wilson, communications director in the county executive’s office, said Wednesday that Alsobrooks has not decided when she will step down. But if she resigns before Dec. 2, it will trigger special primary and general elections to fill the remaining two years of her term as county executive. If she resigns after that, the county council has 14 days after she steps down to appoint her replacement.

Alsobrooks’ historic Senate win starts the clock on cascading county elected vacancies
Prince George’s County Councilmember Jolene Ivey (D)

And according to the county charter, if the council cannot agree within that two-week timeframe, the council chair “shall succeed to the Office for the balance of the unexpired term.”

One person interested in the job is current Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D), who had an electoral victory of her own Tuesday, winning 87% of the vote in a special general election to claim a vacant at-large council seat.

That seat came open when at-large Council Member Mel Franklin (D) abruptly resigned on June 14, after serving 14 years on the council. Less than a week later, Franklin was charged with multiple counts in what authorities said was scheme to steal more than $133,000 from his campaign account.

Franklin pleaded guilty Aug. 26 to perjury and a felony theft scheme over $100,000, and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 13 in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.

By winning the at-large seat, Ivey leaves open her seat representing Council District 5, which includes Cheverly, Fairmount Heights and Glenarden. A special primary election and special general election will be held next year to fill that seat, which still has two years on a four-year term.

Ivey said one priority of becoming county executive would be to push for more housing, especially for seniors and people with disabilities. She said the American Disabilities Act requires accommodations in public places and public spaces, but there isn’t as much of a focus when it comes to residences.

“I want to make housing easier to access for people, whether they live in the house or whether they visit people in their homes,” she said Wednesday. “We are opening up the world for people.”

No date has been set for Ivey to take over the at-large seat because her election will not become official until the county Board of Elections certifies all the votes, which is supposed to be done by Nov. 15.

Wendy Honesty-Bey, the county’s election administrator, said Wednesday that the board can ask for more time, if needed, to count provisional ballots. The counting of those ballots begins Nov. 13.

“Hopefully we can make that [Nov. 15] deadline. We have a lot of provisionals from early voting and Election Day,” said Honesty-Bey, who added the special primary election held in August cost about $2.1 million.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy announced her interest in the county executive’s seat Friday, in a statement touting her roots in the county. Others who expressed interest this summer in the county executive position included at-large Councilmember Calvin Hawkins (D) and former County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D). Neither Hawkins nor Baker returned phone calls for comment Wednesday.

If the executive seat is vacant, the county charter states that the position would be filled by the chief administrative officer while the council, or the voters, deliberate on choosing a new executive. Tara H. Jackson, the current chief administrative officer, would serve as acting county executive in that case.

There’s one more date to watch on the calendar: On Dec. 3, the council is scheduled to hold its annual gavel exchange ceremony, to elect a chair and vice chair.

– This story was updated Friday, Nov. 8, to include State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy among possible candidates.