We are calling on County Executive Angela Alsobrooks to stand up for clean and accountable governance in Prince George’s and for the voting rights of the people in our majority-minority county.

The U.S. conducts a nationwide census every 10 years. If there is a change in the population in a congressional, state or local district, then the boundaries of districts in that state or county may need to be redrawn to ensure that each district represents a population of equal size. This is the main driver behind the nationwide redistricting effort that follows the decadal census. The redrawing of districts should occur in a transparent and open fashion, informed by input from residents and communities, and holding boundary changes to the minimum.

And this is exactly how it all began in Prince George’s with the appointment of the Redistricting Commission in January 2021 After convening eleven public meetings and two public hearings, and reviewing the new census numbers, the Commission released a modified councilmanic district map on September 1st.

All hell broke loose on October 14th when, in a move that surprised even some of their colleagues, Council Member Davis introduced and five colleagues supported a gerrymandered councilmanic district map that was produced in stealth with no public input. That gerrymandered map differs radically from the Redistricting Commission’s map. It does nothing to create equity or enhance fairness. Instead, it slices up communities, and carves districts out from under the feet of certain progressive candidates who have already announced their decision to run for office in communities that support them. You can see that illustrated in a graphic created by geographer D.W Rowlands.

Council Member Jolene Ivey, who opposes the Council’s map has shared a detailed description of the law, the process of redistricting, what has transpired in our county, and the impact of the new map. We recommend the factual details in this writeup that may answer many of the questions we have.

Many of us have been sending letters to the Council protesting their corrupt, gerrymandered map and many of us will testify on November 16th before the Council. The voice of the County Executive is critical in this countywide debate, and yet Executive Alsobrooks has been singularly non-committal.

Executive Alsobrooks has made vague statements in the news saying that “process matters” and “transparency is important”. She has also coyly said that redistricting is entirely within the purview of the Council and that the Executive has no authority over it. Absence of authority must not be construed as an absence of responsibility.  

While voting on the final map is the Council’s purview, speaking up for good governance and against corrupt practices falls well within the County Executive’s responsibility.

Fill out your name and address and send this letter to tell the County Executive we are listening to her words and watching her actions. You can edit the language in the letter is you wish.

Anything short of clear opposition will be a failure in responsibility that the County Executive will carry into the future.