The race to replace former Prince George’s County Councilwoman Leslie Johnson is shaping up to be a rematch of last fall’s primary election, as the candidates Johnson defeated then prepare to run again. Four of the five candidates who ran against Johnson in September — Derrick Davis, Arthur Turner, Venus Bethea and Mark Polk — have all expressed an interest in running in the upcoming special primary election in District Six, representing the Mitchellville area.
Gerron Levi, a former Maryland state delegate who ran unsuccessfully for county executive against Rushern Baker last fall, is also rumored to run.
Johnson’s drawn-out resignation took effect Sunday. The former councilwoman pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit federal witness and evidence tampering charges, including stuffing $79,600 in cash down her bra and flushing a $100,000 check.
The County Council scheduled a special session for Tuesday to announce dates for the primary and general election to fill Johnson’s now-vacant seat. Officials have 45 to 60 days to hold the primary election.
Davis formally announced his candidacy at a fundraiser Thursday, where he drew $1,000 donations from council members Will Campos, D-Hyattsville, Andrea Harrison, D-Bladensburg, and Mel Franklin, D-Accokeek.
Baker and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks also attended the fundraiser.
The apparent front-runner — he lost to Johnson by about 1,400 votes in September — Davis already had about $5,000 left over from his last campaign, and has been going door-to-door since Johnson announced that she would resign.
Turner, who placed third behind Johnson last fall, is supported by former District Six Councilman Samuel Dean. Rumored to enter the race himself, Dean backed Turner via email in July, calling him an “exemplary, compassionate community leader and activist.”
Candidates can expect low turnout for the election, though some say the high-profile nature of Johnson’s guilty plea and resignation could drum up more excitement for the primary. The last special election for a Prince George’s council seat, won by Harrison in 2008, drew less than 8 percent of registered voters in District Five, which includes Bladensburg, Cheverly and Landover.
People for Change, a grass-roots organization in Johnson’s district, is organizing a candidate debate in August to raise awareness of the election.
Despite the prospect of a small turnout, some candidates are eager for a chance to be heard in a less crowded campaign environment. The five-candidate race for county executive last fall took some of the buzz away from candidates running for council, according to Polk.
“So many races were overshadowed by that singular race,” Polk said. “This is a unique, but unfortunate opportunity. … For myself, it’ll be an opportunity to separate from all the chatter.”
