By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com

While the race for county executive, county council, and senate contests are getting attention for the June 26 Democratic primary in Prince George’s County, the race for a seat on the Prince George’s County Democratic State Committee is no less compelling.

Monica Roebuck, an educator in the Prince George’s County public school system, is a candidate for the District 23A position on the committee. Roebuck wants voters in District 23A to elect her to the committee to improve political engagement.

Monica Roebuck, an educator in the Prince George’s County public school system, is seeking a seat on Democrat State Committee. (Courtesy photo)

“Voting is very important,” Roebuck told the AFRO. “The voter participation is not as high as it should be in Prince George’s County and we have to remember our history. Many people suffered so that we may have the right to vote.”

There are seven senatorial districts in Prince George’s County and four people are elected to the committee from each district. The committee serves as a powerful voice on who gets to serve in elected office.

For example, if there is a vacancy in the Maryland General Assembly, it is the committee, by majority vote, that decides who serves out the rest of the term. The governor is mandated by law to appoint that person to the seat.

There is also a central committee for Republicans in the county.

Prince George’s County has the largest number of registered Democrats in the state – 450,136 – while Montgomery County, Maryland’s most populous jurisdiction, has 377,786. It is almost impossible for a Democrat to win a statewide office without carrying Prince George’s County.

Given that Prince George’s County is 65 percent Black, it is safe to say it has Maryland’s largest bloc of registered African-Americans voters. Roebuck said those powerful numbers should be used to benefit county residents.

“We need to get people registered, engaged in the political process, and educate people on the candidates,” Roebuck said. “There is a connection between communities that have high voter turnouts and those that tend to get resources. We have to vote because this is participating in our own survival.”

District 23A consists of Bowie, Beltsville, and Laurel in northern Prince George’s County. The district is 61 percent Black, 26 percent White and 5 percent Latino.

Roebuck said if elected to the committee, she will spend her energy knocking on doors and fundraising for Democratic candidates from the White House to the county council.

Roebuck was born and raised in the county and attended its public schools. She attended Bowie State University for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She has served as the political director for one of the county’s Alpha Kappa Alpha chapters.

For some, the committee serves as a stepping stone to an elected office. Roebuck has a “wait-and-see” attitude on being a politician full or part-time. “Right now, I just want to get my feet wet,” she said. “I want to see how the process works and then I will take it from there. We as African Americans need to vote for people based on their qualifications and desire to serve and not on a popularity contest.”