This story is part of the series, “Voter Voices.” Ā鶹¹ŁĶų asked voters across Maryland what issues concerned them, and who would be getting their vote in the upcoming election for governor. Previous chapters have included stops in Montgomery County, Frederick County, Baltimore City, and Howard County.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. ā They may have concerns on similar issues, but residents of Prince George’s and Calvert Counties have different ideas of who should be leading the state.
Prince Georgeās County votes reliably and solidly for Democrats. Calvert County voters overwhelmingly voted for Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in the 2014 race against Democrat Anthony Brown.
One county has seen a cascade of scandals in the public school system that led to a state audit. The other continues to see growth thatās prompted concern about transportation.
Voters in both counties are looking for a future where their children have access to good schools and jobs that pay well. But to shape that future, they may look to different candidates in the governorās race.
Prince Georgeās County: Voters zero in on education
Antonio Barr, a Prince Georgeās County resident who coaches American Youth Football in his community, has been alarmed by class sizes in his childrenās school.
Barr said that in Prince Georgeās County, his children were in classrooms with as many as 38 other students.
āThey didnāt even have enough chairs and desks for the kids,ā he said.
That prompted the father of three to make some phone calls about class size.
āI called the school; I researched who my school board member was, and nobody seemed to think thatās a big deal,ā he said
Barr contrasts the big classes to what he sees in D.C. schools where he works. He says in D.C., the size of classes at the elementary level seem to be held at 25 students.
What really irritates Barr is that he voted in favor of the ballot initiative that paved the way for the arrival of the casino in Prince Georgeās County. āBecause they said the MGM money was going to be funneled to the schools,ā he said. But, since the ballot measure passed in 2012, he said of the promised added funding, āI donāt see it.ā
Barr typically votes Democratic, but says this year heās paying close attention to the stances all candidates are taking.
āIām definitely going to make sure theyāre going to have to earn my vote. Iām not just voting Democratic because Iām a Democrat, Iām voting whoās for the kidsāfor the community. Because at the end of the day, it should truly be about the kids,ā and right now he said, āI donāt see that.ā
Prince George’s County ā by the numbers
Total population: 912,756
Median household income: $75,925
Education: High School or higher: 85.8 percent; BA or higher: 31.5 percent
Racial demographics: 26.8 percent white; 64.6 percent African American; 4.6 percent Asian; 18.5 percent Hispanic/Latino
Registered voters
- Active registered Democrats: 451,530
- Active registered Republicans: 40,700
- Active registered unaffiliated voters: 28,921
Travel time to work (mean): 36.7 min
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Maryland State Board of Elections
āIām having to bust my butt to support myselfā
Kristin Green is a student at Montgomery College, despite graduating from Crossland High School in Prince Georgeās County. She lives in Suitland, and explains she chose to attend community college in neighboring Montgomery County to avoid what she jokingly called the āCrossland Vortexā at Prince Georgeās Community College.
She just wanted a change, she said. Green said health care is also an issue that concerns her.
Green wasnāt familiar with the candidates for governor, but says when she casts her ballot, sheāll be looking at the candidate who will help students deal with access to financial aid.
āA lot of kids canāt pay for college, and thatās why a lot of high school kids donāt go,ā she said.
Green ran into a roadblock in her own education and is taking a semester off because her financial aid ran out, she said. Now sheās working as a restaurant cashier.
āIām making $12 an hour, and Iām having to bust my butt to support myself,ā she said, adding that she looks forward to resuming her studies this spring.
Green said she normally votes Democratic because she comes from a family of Democrats, but this time around, she said the candidate who gets her vote ādepends on who relates more to me,ā and who can address her issues.
Read all the stories in Ā鶹¹ŁĶų’s “Voter Voices” series.
- What Baltimore residents want to hear from candidates
- Frederick County voters discus health care, transportation, guns
- Montgomery County voters sound of on Hogan, Jealous
- Sizing up Jealous, Hogan in ‘bellwether’ Howard County
Donna Brown, in Cheverly, said school safety is important to her. She welcomes the new state provisions for school resource officers, while lamenting the need for the action.
āI mean I hate to see it happen because your schools should be safe, but the reality is that your schools do need securityā she said.
Brown said she crosses party lines when voting.
āIf the person is standing for what I believe in, thatās who Iām going to vote for,ā she said.
She hasnāt made her selection in the governorās race, but would like to see a change in one area.
āI think he could open the door for more conversation in terms of having the schools encourage the children to practice their religionā she said.
Education issues influence votersā decision on governorās race
Fayoa Felix-Gunn said education is also top of mind for her as she considers who should get her vote in the mid-term elections. Sheās a registered Democrat but is taking a close look at the candidates for governor this year.
So far, she said, sheās leaning towards Democrat Ben Jealous. Sheās originally from Baltimore, and his connection thereāhis mother is from Baltimoreāresonates with her. She also likes his experience as the former President of the NAACP.
Felix-Gunn is concerned about education, and as someone who recently moved to Prince Georgeās County, she said sheās still studying the issues that led to the ouster of the school systemās CEO and the appointment of an interim CEO.
So while she weighs the campaigns of Jealous and Hogan, she adds āIām looking forward to seeing whatās going to happen at a local level with the new county executive.ā In Prince Georgeās County, itās the county executive, not the school board, who selects the school CEOāthe position referred to as superintendent in other jurisdictions.
Donna Woodson-Moore, whose son attends Prince Georgeās County Schools said sheās undecided in the race. Looking at incumbent Hogan and Democrat Jealous, she said, āBoth of them have some good points.ā
She said Jealousā lack of experience in elected office gives her pause, though sheās traditionally voted Democratic. Like many other voters interviewed for this series she said, ā The older generationāthey vote a certain way because thatās just how it isāI think thatās the wrong thought process to have. Youāve just to to open your eyes and open your ears,ā she said.
Calvert County: Taxes and Transportation motivate reluctant residents
Linda Bednarski was with her husband, walking their dog along the boardwalk in Calvert Countyās Chesapeake Beach. Unlike many voters Ā鶹¹ŁĶų spoke with, she wonāt need any more time to make up her mind: sheās voting for Hogan.
Her husband is a retired police officer and sheāll be retiring from the military soon, so Hoganās efforts to grant tax relief to first responders and military retirees resonates with her family.
āMaryland is a very expensive state to live in, especially for retireesā she said.
Bednarski is a registered Republican, āBut I donāt feel I toe the party lineā she said.
āI vote with my conscience, not with what the party dictates to me. I donāt care whether youāre a Democrat or a Republicanā she said.
Calvert County ā by the numbers
Total population: 91,502
Median household income: $96,808
Education: High School or higher: 93.3 percent; BA or higher: 29.3 percent
Racial demographics: 81.4 percent white; 13.2 percent African American; 1.8 percent Asian; 4 percent Hispanic/Latino
Registered voters
- Active registered Democrats: 23,374
- Active registered Republicans: 26,930
- Active registered unaffiliated voters:0
Travel time to work (mean): 41.4 min
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Maryland State Board of Elections
She did take a look at Democrat Ben Jealousā platform. āI really canāt see how the plans he has are going to be economically feasible.ā
Bednarski says her family has a lot of medical expenses, and said two years ago she wrote to Hogan to voice her concern about the high cost of health care.
She says she heard from his office soon after. āThey actually wrote back to me. It was a very nice, thorough letter and they addressed all my concerns, so I was very impressed by that,ā she said.
āI donāt know if Iām going to voteā
Alex White, of Huntingtown in Calvert County, said traffic is a major issue for him. Speaking outside Bowenās Groceryāa local landmark that features a statue of a steer on top of the roof ā White said any candidate who can make a difference in road conditions will get a look from him.
āTraffic in the morning, and in the afternoon, when theyāre working on the roadā he said, āItās really bad.ā
White said he doesnāt typically vote and hasnāt given the upcoming election much thought.
The registered Democrat said he chose the party just because his family is mostly Democrats. āIām not really into political matters like that,ā he said.
As the election approaches, he says heāll take a look at his phone where he often picks up the news of the day, to help him make his decision. In the meantime, heās hoping for a better commute.
Kevante Anderson, also picking up a few things at Bowenās Grocery, said heād like to see improvements on area roadways ā especially state roads such as Route 4 and Route 5 where he sees a lot of congestion.
āI donāt know if Iām going to voteā he said of the upcoming election. āIāve voted ever since I turned 18 and Iām 25 now, but my hopes went all the way down since Donald Trump got elected.ā
