CHELTENHAM, MD — Imara Crooms has entered the race for Prince George's County Council District 9. Patch posed questions to each candidate running for office.
Below you will find Crooms' responses, verbatim:
Name: Imara Crooms
Age on Election Day: 45
Place of residence: Cheltenham
Political Affiliation: Democrat
Email address: info@imaracrooms.com
Campaign website/Facebook page: www.facebook.com/p/Imara-Crooms-for-County-Council-District-9-61578332976177 and www.imaracrooms.com/
Do you have any previous political experience?
If so, please state and explain how that experience will influence your time in office if elected.
I’ve spent over a decade of my life working on the front lines of democracy and anti-corruption advocacy both locally and around the world. My professional background includes 15 years leading international democracy, governance, and anti-corruption programs across some three dozen countries for the likes of USAID and the US Department of State. In parallel,
I've worked domestically as a community organizer and activist with groups from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to Democratic Socialists of America, both of which I served as an elected leader. These two aspects of my life have given me a deep, practical understanding of how to build power for everyday people, rather than special interests. Once elected, I will bring my international and local community organizing experience to challenge the status quo on day one, and fight for the residents of District 9. I will bring a focus on transparency, rigorous policy-making, and a commitment to government accountability to the residents of South County.
What do you believe is the single-most important issue facing voters in the district you’re looking to represent? How do you intend to address those issues?
Over the course of thousands of conversations on the doorsteps of regular Prince Georgians, my team and I have heard neighbors’ frustrations time and again. Everyone knows that our infrastructure cannot support endless, unplanned sprawl, and South County is tired of being treated as a dumping ground for every development rejected elsewhere.
I will break this cycle by demanding community consent before any major project moves forward. I will fight for the standard that requires sufficient infrastructure, from transit, to utilities, public safety resources and schools, before approval. We need leadership that prioritizes people over power.
How do you differ from other candidates running against you?
What truly sets my campaign apart is my independence. I am the only candidate in this race participating in Maryland's Fair Election Fund. By rejecting corporate PACs, lobbyists, and developers, I ensure my only obligation is to District 9, rather than the powerful interests that have held our county hostage for decades. My campaign is built by neighbors, not donors or corporate lobbyists. Finally, I bring over a decade of international experience making local government work for everyday people, allowing me to hit the ground running for you on day one.
How would your work experience benefit the goals/objectives you’ve outlined in your campaign and/or the office you’re seeking?
My fifteen years experience promoting democracy and fighting corruption globally has taught me that effective governance requires more than just good intentions. Good governance requires the structural tools to ensure transparency and accountability. I have navigated complex bureaucracies in difficult environments around the world to deliver real, measurable results for those living under inequality. I will bring this same technical expertise to District 9, focusing on rigorous oversight, and replacing pay-to-play politics with a system that centers our residents’ needs over the demands of the powerful.
What is your opinion of the work being done by the current office holder, and how will you improve on it? If that is you - how do you plan to continue improving upon what you've already accomplished?
I have a great deal of respect for Councilmember Harrison’s tenure and the foundation he has built for South County’s future, even as we approach governance from fundamentally different perspectives. While his focus has consistently prioritized business and development to drive growth, I will shift our local perspective to prioritize the people who live here. Where his approach centered on attracting capital, mine focuses on community-controlled development and ensuring that the economy works for our working families.
I believe we can continue to diversify our local economy while ensuring that infrastructure, services, and community consent remain the bedrock of every decision, rather than an afterthought. I am dedicated to proving that we can thrive economically while investing in our people, our youth, and our local entrepreneurs, ensuring that our growth is sustainable and truly serves every resident in District 9.
How do you feel about the school system in your area and what improvements would you like to see be made?
Our public schools are the heart of our community, but right now, far too many Prince Georgians are frustrated and disappointed by a system that hasn't delivered for their children. I believe, first and foremost, that we must fully fund the Blueprint, and that this expenditure of resources is a clear investment in our future. Further, I believe we have to ensure those dollars reach our actual classrooms, rather than remain stuck in administrative and capital improvement projects.
My priority is clear: we must invest in our educators and our students first. Before we pour our budget into massive capital investments that benefit contractors and developers, we need to ensure that every classroom has the resources it needs to thrive. Our children are our greatest asset, and they deserve a budget that reflects that belief.
How do you feel about crime in your area and what steps can be taken to reduce it?
First, I want to state that I feel deeply comfortable, happy, and safe in Prince George’s County. Unlike some who run for office, I wasn't born here; on the contrary, this is the place I consciously chose to plant my roots and raise my daughter. As in any American city, crime and harm exist, and I believe it is a core responsibility of government to prevent, address, and respond to both crime and the systemic factors that drive it.
As an elected official I am committed to ensuring all Prince Georgians are safe by investing in our community’s well-being rather than prioritizing the criminalization of its residents. Finally, I am concerned that local DMV media often paints our home as dangerous or lawless, a narrative that too frequently relies on our long history of institutionalized racism rather than the reality of our resilient, vibrant neighborhoods.
What do you think about the economic climate and business sector in your community, and what initiatives could propel it forward?
Our nation, and more narrowly our community, is navigating a uniquely difficult moment. Between the direct impacts of federal harms done by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the broader economic strain, our neighbors are feeling the pressure. To his credit, Councilmember Harrison laid a foundation for growth through his investment in local business development, including the planned medical innovation district. I will ensure that good work continues. I believe we must work to ensure that prosperity is shared by the many, not just the well-connected.
I plan to diversify our economy by conditioning all county-supported projects on Labor Peace Agreements, ensuring public dollars only go to companies that respect workers’ rights and pay living wages. Simultaneously, we must prioritize local small businesses and entrepreneurs, cutting the red tape that hinders local investment, everyone knows it is difficult to run a business here and we owe it to our residents to change that. By focusing on living wages for labor and supporting businesses that prioritize our residents, we can build a resilient, people-centered economy that thrives on local innovation rather than just outside extraction.
How do you feel about transportation options in the area and what, if anything, should be improved upon?
Transportation in District 9 is one of the most critical challenges we face; it is a central issue on my campaign platform and a subject I am personally passionate about. Further, our lack of adequate local transportation is a direct result of decades of systemic underinvestment in South County. It is frankly shameful that our residents have been left with so few reliable transit options, effectively forcing dependency on cars while our roads grow more dangerous and congested by the day.
I am fully committed to securing real investment in our transit future. This means prioritizing the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit (SMRT) system to provide the connectivity we’ve been promised for years along MD-5 and US-301. Under the "Go Prince George’s" initiatives, I will fight to ensure District 9 finally receives its fair share of funding, not just for roads, but for the sidewalks, bike trails, and expanded bus routes that make a community truly accessible. My goal is to build a transit network that serves everyone, whether you drive, walk, or ride.
What else would you like voters to know about you?
The most important thing I want voters to know is that we are at a turning point for Prince George’s County. We have lived too long with a system where political priorities are dictated by who writes the biggest checks, leading to a collapse of public faith and, at times, a history of corruption. I am running on the Fair Election Fund to break that cycle, not just for this campaign, but to set a new standard.
My deepest hope is that after I serve, using public financing becomes the expected norm, and that future candidates are questioned when they don’t use it. I want Prince Georgians to look at any politician and immediately ask, "If you aren't using this system, who are you actually working for?" It’s time we built a county government that belongs to the people, not the powerful.
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