Attorney, Economist, Engineer and Scientist, Wife and Working Mother.

Owns and operates a farm in Southern Maryland producing local healthy food and herbs for the community.

Director of the Department of Environment in Prince George’s County.

11 years with US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and additional Federal service with Federal Emergency Management Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Justice.

Experience in Tech and AI startups

7 years as a Public Defender in Appalachia and Philadelphia. Lifetime public servant, community organizer and activist.

Believes that government should work for the people, not against them. "We will build a truly transparent government, that we hold to the expectation to earn the trust of residents."

Andrea's Forward Story:

Incumbent City Councilperson for Laurel City, Ward 1.

Two term President Pro Tempore of the Laurel City Council. Chairman of the Laurel Environmental Affairs Committee and Laurel Pride Day Planning Committee. Former Commissioner on the City of Laurel Ethics Commission.

Landscape Professional with a BS in Landscape Contracting – Design/Build from Penn State University. Former Board Member for the Board of Directors for the Landscape Contractors Association of MD/DC/VA.

Believes that all elected officials should work together collaboratively to come up with solutions that meet the needs of all residents.

Policy Objectives - continued Fiscal Responsibility, Enhanced Environmental Sustainability Initiatives, and continued Commitment to Public Safety.

I am excited to be endorsed by Forward. Until very recently, I was unaware that there was an actual third party that aligned with my views, leading me to believe the only way I could be a voice not beholden to a party, was to remain unaffiliated.

I am running to continue hearing, serving, and representing ALL residents in Laurel, regardless of their political views and engagement. In my next term, I hope to introduce an independent Election Reform Task Force to make recommendations for changes to the City Charter for ways to make campaign rules clear and equitable for all candidates, as well as explore other voting options instead of winner take all.

Jame's Forward Story: 

I grew up in a Republican household. In college, I registered as a Democrat feeling that their party more closely aligned with my values. After observing National and State politics, I quickly learned that the two party system was not representing the majority of Americans on all of the issues, often times leading us to vote for a candidate that is the lesser of two evils versus a more qualified candidate that doesn’t make it to the general election ballot. Since then, I have been registered unaffiliated, only registering to participate in closed primaries. I believe that only through compromise and working together can elected officials truly solve the issues facing their communities.

Community advocate, former linebacker for University of Alabama at Birmingham, current advocate for asylum seekers fleeing religious persecution, government retaliation for political dissent, and gang extortion.

Previously a professional para-educator in Montessori School in Columbia, MD, he obtained his Masters in Law from WashU Law, St. Louis, MO.

Testified before Budget and Taxation Committee, Maryland Senate to repeal sunset date on Tax Clinics Bill.

Community Liaison and campaign manager for Craig Zucker, MD State Senator. Canvassed extensively for Maryland's first black governor, Wes Moore.

Advocate for wage parity for para-educators through innovative budgetary solutions. Wants to enforce full usage of appropriated funds for instructional salaries. Desires allocation of $1.9M from MCPS Fund Balance to instructional salaries to aggressively hire para-educators and increase wages of existing educators.

Advocates for closing the achievement gap by instating compulsory after-school activities, extended learning, rigorous courses and individualized learning.

Wants to institute safeguards and best practices for transparency and implement an oversight and accountability committee in the Montgomery County Board of Education.

A focal point in his campaign is quelling political polarization and getting back to the centrist bipartisan consensus. "Centrist organizations such as the Forward Party are committed to good-faith discourse and common-sense policies in lieu of partisan politics. I am elated to be endorsed by the Forward Party. Together, the Forward Party and I will work collaboratively to quell political tensions in our communities."

While in college at the University of Maryland, he served as President Obama’s Maryland Student Director, where he organized campuses across this state to pass the 2010 Maryland Dream Act in Annapolis and the Education Reconciliation Act in Congress. The first ensured that undocumented students, who graduated from Maryland high schools, can qualify for in-state tuition; the second put a cap on annual loan payments for college grads and increased the number of Pell Grants offered to low-income students.

Served in the Obama White House Office of Personnel, where he diversified the federal government by helping appoint over 700 Women, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Veterans, LGBTQ people, and those who have disabilities to key leadership roles.

While at the U.S. Department of Housing, he built a team to expand broadband access for those in public housing; extend the Maryland Housing Trust Fund to increase the supply of affordable housing in our state; and fund the Veteran Supportive Housing Program to provide veterans with rental assistance, case management and clinical services.

Had the opportunity to work for you in the U.S. Department of Health, where more than 400K Marylanders got access to the Affordable Care Act during his tenure. He also had the distinct pleasure of working with then-Vice President Biden as his Director of Outreach for the Cancer Moonshot, where he helped get the NIH and the FDA - both housed here in Maryland - billions in additional funding. His efforts were later recognized by the Center for Medicare Advocacy when they presented him with their Social Justice Award.

Currently Program Director for the National Kidney Foundation, where he leads community health programs to connect patients with care and treatment.

Ran for governor of Maryland in 2022 on a crowd-sourced campaign, refusing to take "big money."