School Board Voters Opt For Shake-Up

Incumbents Mickens-Murray And Stone Do Not Fare Well

Prince George's County voters sent a resounding message to incumbent members of the school board in Tuesday's primary: They are looking for change.

Neither of the two members of the nine-member board who decided to run fared well in the first school board election in six years. Board member Judy Mickens-Murray (District 3) of Upper Marlboro was expected by many to win election easily. She lost to Pat Fletcher, a former union representative. Howard W. Stone Jr. (At Large) of Mitchellville, who was appointed to the board four years ago after the elected board was disbanded, was running sixth in a field of 17 candidates vying for four at-large seats.

Ken E. Johnson, former chairman of the appointed board who was ousted when the elected board was disbanded, followed Stone among candidates running for an at-large seat. The top 18 vote-getters -- eight at-large and 10 from districts -- will go on to the Nov. 7 general election.

"I think the voters wanted to flex their electoral muscle and get new faces on the board that were chosen by the stakeholders, not those who were appointed," said Howard Tutman III, former president of the Prince George's County Council of PTAs. "I think they sent a message that we can choose qualified candidates, as well."

Tuesday's primary marked the end of an unusually active school board primary campaign, in which 44 nonpartisan candidates vied for nine seats -- four at-large and five district seats. Two other candidates had dropped out, though their names remained on the ballot.

One of those candidates, retiring state Sen. Gloria G. Lawlah, came in third among at-large candidates even though she pulled out of the race more than two months ago after criticism that she might have too much influence on the board. She dropped out citing concern that her candidacy could prove divisive.

Lawlah said she was "shocked" she had won. She said she fielded several phone calls yesterday from supporters urging her to get back in the race. She said she ran initially because she was concerned that the board should include some experienced policy makers.

"I have never felt a school board should be made up of neophytes," she said. "What if a [former county executive] Wayne K. Curry or [former county executive candidate] Jim Estepp decided to serve on the school board and bring the prestige of their names and experience? What if you had nine people who could bring the power and prestige of their experience and commitment from other areas? It would send a signal to the people that we are serious about education."

It could not be determined yesterday whether election law will allow Lawlah to remain in the race.

Several people said they were surprised by the poor performance of Stone, who served as chief of staff for Curry, and by the ouster of Mickens-Murray, the only member of the board to vote against hiring former schools chief Andre J. Hornsby, who was indicted last month on charges of steering school business to associates in exchange for kickbacks.

Stone said he was a bit surprised by the vote. "But things can be very humbling, and believe me, this was humbling," he said. "That is something that I think I needed. It let me know that my work is not yet complete and that I need to go a little bit farther to meet the needs of all the constituents in Prince George's County."

Mickens-Murray said she was "shocked and stressed" by the outcome. She said she would await the final vote tally; the county board of elections had not certified the final results.

"I want to see if anyone thinks this is strange but me," Mickens-Murray said. "If not, I'm leaving it alone and going on with my life."