School Board Candidate Running Unopposed After Opponent Drops Out: Report

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The Capital reported Thursday that Gloria Dent, an Anne Arundel County Board of Education incumbent, will run unopposed in the District 1 General Election on Nov. 5. Dent's opponent dropped out, The Capital said, and election officials aren't elevating the third-place finisher to fill the vacancy.

"This is like a 1% scenario," County Board of Elections Director David Garreis told The Capital. "This is [the] first time I've seen a situation like this in Anne Arundel County."

Dent finished first in the primary for District 1, which covers Brooklyn Park, Jessup, Linthicum, Hanover, Severn, and parts of Fort Meade and Glen Burnie. Dent collected 34 percent of the vote with 3,031 ballots in her favor.

Former County Council Member Sarah Lacey finished in second. Lacey had originally suspended her campaign in mid-March after the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County endorsed Dent.

Lacey never officially removed her name from the primary election ballot, however. She collected 25 percent of the electorate with 2,195 votes. Lacey's second-place finish meant she could've technically advanced to the General Election, but The Capital said she decided against it.

The school board General Election features the top two vote-getters or unopposed candidates.

The first candidate to miss the cut was Hunter Voss, who finished in third with 21 percent of the vote and 1,902 supporters. The Anne Arundel County Board of Elections ruled that state law doesn't require them to elevate a replacement if the second-place candidate drops out, The Capital said.

Dent called Lacey "a true asset to our community."

"She has an important voice; she has been an impressive advocate for the North County and Meade Feeders," Dent said of Lacey on Facebook. "I look forward to having more great conversations with her about how to move our schools forward. I hope the community can join me in thanking her for her interest and advocacy on behalf of our schools."

Patch emailed Lacey and Voss for comments, but they haven't responded. We will update this story if they reply.

Ciera Harlee finished in fourth with 20 percent of the vote and 1,784 ballots cast for her.

The results of the school board primary election are posted here.

School board districts are the same as County Council districts. Voters can check their district at this link.

To learn more about the District 1 election, read The Capital's story. Only subscribers of The Capital can access the article, however.

Anybody with an Anne Arundel County Public Library card number can read The Capital's story at this link by searching "Sarah Lacey."