Lazo Holds Slight Lead in Tight Montgomery County Board Race

Omar Lazo led Brenda Diaz in the Montgomery County at-large school board race in early returns posted Tuesday night. The two candidates remained separated by a small margin in one of the county's most contested elections. This at-large seat is the final open position in the countywide portion of the board.

Lazo, a businessman and current Montgomery College trustee, campaigned with backing from Gov. Wes Moore and the local teachers union. The union’s Apple Ballot favored his candidacy. Diaz, a former public schools teacher, resigned her previous position after breaking the district's mask mandate during the pandemic. She positioned herself against the status quo to appeal to frustrated parents.

A super PAC spent tens of thousands of dollars attacking Diaz's campaign. The group labeled her "too extreme" for a politically blue district. The spending highlighted the financial intensity of the race. Local leaders split their endorsements, with many sitting board members supporting Lazo.

In District 3, Sally McCarthy led Cassandra "Cassi" Sung by a wide margin. Early data showed McCarthy capturing nearly 70% of the vote. McCarthy, a longtime PTA leader, maintained a large campaign bank account and a long list of endorsements throughout the election cycle. She held a decisive advantage over her opponent.

Two other seats had no opposition. Grace Rivera-Oven, the current board president, ran unopposed in District 1. Elma-Lorraine Diggs also ran unopposed in District 5. The elected winners will serve four-year terms on the eight-member board. The board oversees a district of roughly 152,000 students and controls the budget and superintendent evaluation. Members receive an annual salary of $25,000.