Jolene Ivey, a REALTOR® member who had represented Prince George’s County in the Maryland General Assembly, won her seat for District 5.
Monique Anderson-Walker, running against a current state delegate with significant name recognition, won the seat for District 8.
Sydney Harrison, a former REALTOR® who’d been supported by PGCAR in his successful 2014 bid to unseat the 18-year incumbent for the county Clerk of Court position, won the County Council seat for District 9.
Harrison’s election, in particular, was a very close shave: he won by a matter of just 55 votes. “There’s no doubt that the REALTOR® Party support helped to push Sydney over the top,” says Graziano. “We’d recognized during his first election, four years ago, that Sydney’s dedicated community spirit meant he was in this for the long haul. We know he’ll be a voice for REALTOR® interests for years to come, and we’re proud to have helped him to achieve his political aspirations this far.” “Of course PGCAR was elated that our involvement assisted to elect three REALTORS® to our local County Council. This means that our voice will always be heard and relevant on property rights and land use issues. The process to make the IEs happen was simplistic but the results — social media posts and thousands of top quality mailers in three legislative districts — was huge and we believe made a big difference in putting these REALTOR® Champions over the top in tough races. Thank you to NAR’s Campaign Services Team,” said Cheryl Abrams Davis, 2018 PGCAR President. PGCAR has a tried and tested process for vetting candidates for endorsement and support, including a comprehensive questionnaire on real estate issues. But, because of the strict rules prohibiting communication between candidates and independent expenditure campaigns, the support of the REALTOR® Party comes as a major surprise when it hits the mailboxes and screens of the chosen candidates, themselves. Says Mingo, “I saw Monique Anderson-Walker at a meeting not long after the election, and she gave me a big hug, telling me how shocked she’d been. Our vote of confidence and tangible support will clearly stay with her as she works for real estate issues in the coming four-year term.” Those issues, says Mingo, will include such challenges as re-writing the county’s zoning regulations for the first time in 30 years; forming a comprehensive housing strategy; and keeping one of the highest transfer tax rates in the state of Maryland from getting any higher. While the REALTORS® did not conduct an independent campaign for the new County Executive, they did make a significant RPAC contribution to her campaign, notes Graziano. With three new champions on the Council, and a favorable relationship with the County Executive-elect, Prince George’s County REALTORS® can be assured that the issues that matter to them are in good hands. To learn more about how the REALTORS® of Prince George’s County are using REALTOR® Party resources to support REALTOR® Champions, contact Government Affairs Director Dwayne Mingo at 301-306-7900.- Jolene Ivey Mailer
- Jolene Ivey Mailer
- Monique Anderson Walker Mailer
- Monique Anderson Walker Mailer
- Sydney Harrison Mailer
- Sydney Harrison Mailer
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