By LILLIAN GLAROS
Dozens of supporters and politicians gathered at SoBe Restaurant and Lounge in Lanham Tuesday evening, June 3, to celebrate the apparent victory of Aisha Braveboy in the Prince George’s County Executive race.
Aisha Braveboy is currently the State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County. Braveboy, who ran as a Democrat, has a huge majority of votes in the race, with around nine times the votes of Republican Jonathan White, according to unofficial election results.
Braveboy said in her victory speech that she’ll start her tenure by working to clean up Prince George’s County, not only by maintaining roads and landscaping, but by dealing with crime as well.
The lives and voices of Prince George’s County residents will be a priority of the Braveboy administration, she said, from the children Braveboy said she wants to stay in school to business owners.
“We must lift up everybody in Prince George’s County,” Braveboy said. “Every single person in this county has the right to pursue the American dream.”
The restaurant was crowded with people wearing Aisha Braveboy shirts and the royal blue and gold of Braveboy’s Sigma Gamma Rho sisters.
Supporters came from all across the county, from College Park to Laurel.
Salimata Sanfo, a Upper Marlboro resident, said she came to the celebration because she volunteered with Braveboy’s campaign. Sanfo said she loves the ideas Braveboy has for the county and her focus on grassroots work and the community.
“She’s always come through with the people first,” Sanfo said.
Laurel Mayor Keith Sydnor said Braveboy has done well as state’s attorney and said he thinks she was the best option for county executive. He looks forward to her tenure as executive, he said, and hopes she works on truancy and Laurel’s economy.
Other political leaders, like District 3 County Council Member Eric Olson, who lives in College Park, showed up to the event.
Olson said he’s known Braveboy for nearly two decades and is excited to collaborate with her on issues like economic development and the Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative, which aims to help neighborhoods facing challenges with things like public safety and education.
“I’m eager to get to work with Aisha Braveboy and keep working together for the benefit of the county,” Olson said.
County Council Member Wanika Fisher, who represents District 2 which includes Hyattsville, said that she likes that Braveboy is a good listener who considers the ideas of others.
Fisher also said she, like Olson, is excited to work with Braveboy.
“What excites me really, is the sense of togetherness and collaboration that I see, you have … a big swath of the delegation, huge swath of the council, wanting to work together and wanting to see her successful,” said Fisher.
Joann Grady, a Bowie resident, said she’s known Braveboy since the presumptive county executive was in college.
“Ever since I’ve known her, she’s been the person who has worked with the community and to make sure that people in the community’s lives are better,” said Grady.
Grady said she hopes Braveboy works on issues like youth employment, and affordable housing in order to improve the lives of residents.
Rita Amachree, a Laurel resident, said Braveboy is “people’s people” and that she’s a hard-worker and a good person.
“She has the qualities the county needs,” said Amachree.
June 4, the day after the election, Braveboy named her second-in-command, Chief Administrative Officer Maxene Bardwell.
Bardwell is a county resident who currently serves as internal audit manager for Montgomery County and chair-elect of the board of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.