Erica Bennett wins Prince George’s District 9 school board race

Erica K. Bennett, a longtime Prince George’s County educator and principal of John H. Bayne Elementary School, appears poised to unseat the only incumbent school board member on Tuesday’s ballot, according to unofficial election results updated Wednesday.

Bennett, 55, received 19,171 votes, or 54.1%.

Her opponent, Chandrai “CJ” Jackson-Saunders, received 16,026 votes, or 45.2%.

All 42 Election Day precincts had reported, though provisional ballots had not yet been counted.

Both candidates acknowledged the outcome on social media Wednesday.

“District 9, thank you for trusting me,” Bennett wrote on Instagram.

“I am humbled, grateful, and ready to serve.”

Jackson-Saunders conceded defeat.

Bennett has spent more than 28 years in education, including about 25 in Prince George’s County Public Schools.

She campaigned on protecting classroom resources, improving transportation and special education services, and holding district leaders accountable.

A graduate of Oxon Hill High School and parent of two PGCPS graduates, Bennett said her experiences in the district gave her firsthand insight into how leadership’s decisions affect classrooms.

In an interview with The Banner before the election, she called for an independent organizational audit to identify inefficiencies before making further cuts to school-based positions.

“We just cannot continue to ask schools to do more with less without first examining how effectively we’re using the resources that we already have,” she said.

Bennett also proposed setting measurable performance goals for the superintendent, particularly in student achievement, transportation and communication with families.

Jackson-Saunders, 65, is a retired school psychologist.

She was appointed to the board in February to fill a vacancy.

She was the only sitting board member seeking a full term in Tuesday’s election.

During her brief tenure, Jackson-Saunders advocated for safer school transportation, greater transparency around special education staffing and stronger family engagement.

“Although I did not win, I am grateful to have served as your appointed School Board representative,” Jackson-Saunders wrote in a caption on an unrelated Instagram post Wednesday.

She said her term continues through Dec. 7.

Without missing a beat, she encouraged families to attend a Thursday evening meeting on the district’s educational facilities master plan at Gwynn Park High School.

District 9 covers much of southern Prince George’s County.

The race drew attention because Jackson-Saunders was the only incumbent on the ballot, making it a test of voter sentiment toward the current board.

School board elections in Maryland are nonpartisan, but they often become referendums on district leadership and budget priorities.

Prince George’s County Public Schools is one of the largest school systems in Maryland, serving over 130,000 students.

The district has faced ongoing challenges with school transportation, aging facilities and special education staffing.

Bennett’s victory means the board will gain a member who has worked inside the schools she will now help govern.

Her call for an independent audit before cutting school-based positions signals a potential shift in how the board approaches budget decisions.

The audit proposal would examine how the district spends its money at the central office level, rather than focusing cuts on individual schools.

Bennett has argued that the district should look at administrative inefficiencies before reducing resources that directly affect students and teachers.

She has also emphasized the need for clearer performance metrics for the superintendent, including measurable goals in student achievement and family communication.

The superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools is Dr. Millard House II, who took the role in 2023.

House has focused on improving literacy rates and addressing disparities in student outcomes across the district.

Bennett’s push for accountability metrics could create a new dynamic between the board and the superintendent’s office.

The election results are still unofficial until provisional ballots are counted, but the margin makes a reversal unlikely.

Bennett will take office in December, replacing Jackson-Saunders when her appointed term ends.

The board will then have seven elected members and one student member.

Bennett’s background as a school principal gives her a perspective that is relatively rare on school boards, which often include parents, business leaders and former educators but fewer current classroom administrators.

She has worked at John H. Bayne Elementary since 2015.

Before that, she served as an assistant principal and teacher in the district.

Her campaign focused on the idea that the people making decisions about schools should understand how those decisions play out in real classrooms.

“We just cannot continue to ask schools to do more with less without first examining how effectively we’re using the resources that we already have,” she repeated on the campaign trail.

That message resonated with voters in District 9, which includes parts of Clinton, Oxon Hill, Fort Washington and Accokeek.

The district has a mix of suburban and semi-rural areas, with a population that is predominantly African American.

Voter turnout in school board races is typically lower than in general elections, but this year’s contest drew more attention because of the open seat and the broader debate over school funding.

Jackson-Saunders was appointed in February after the previous board member resigned.

She had less than a year to establish a record before facing voters.

In her concession statement, she did not express bitterness or disappointment, instead focusing on the work still ahead.