Ashley “Ash” Esposito and Kwame’ Jamal Kenyatta-Bey jumped out to an early lead Tuesday night as Baltimore voters weighed who should hold the two at-large, citywide seats on the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners. In this nonpartisan primary, the early numbers pointed toward continuity on a board that is about to welcome a new chief executive and wrestle with tough choices on budgets and potential school closures.
Early returns and what they show
Partial precinct counts and early-vote totals reported Tuesday put Esposito and Kenyatta-Bey ahead of five challengers for the two at-large seats. Unofficial figures on the state’s results page showed the incumbents out in front, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections.
The primary will narrow the field to four candidates, who will then compete in November for the two citywide spots on the school board.
Esposito’s coalition and focus
Esposito, a City Schools parent who has spoken about spending time in foster care, has built her campaign around students facing high dropout rates and low graduation rates. Her platform highlights support for those young people and their families, as outlined on her campaign site, Ash Esposito for Board.
She has drawn backing from teacher organizations and other civic groups, including union support listed in local voter resources such as the Blue Voter Guide.
Kenyatta-Bey’s classroom experience
Kenyatta-Bey, a graduate of Baltimore City schools and Morgan State University, points to more than three decades as an educator in the district. He currently serves as a commissioner on the school board, according to Baltimore City Public Schools.
Candidate profiles also underline his emphasis on arts education and on-the-ground classroom leadership, as noted by CNS Maryland.
A crowded field, tight margins
Challenger Domonique A. Flowers, an attorney, adjunct professor, and father of two, was running a close third in early returns. He has leaned on his experience representing students in IEP and 504 meetings as a key part of his pitch to voters.
Other contenders, including Jamar Day, Kevin W. Parson, Glenn J. Schatz, and Brian Michael Robertson, were still in the mix for the four slots that move on to November, according to early returns reported by The Banner. With several candidates bunched close together, late-counted ballots could still reshuffle the order.
Incoming CEO and the work ahead
Whoever emerges from this primary will join a board preparing to welcome Dr. Jermaine Dawson as the district’s CEO on July 1. The commissioners hire the CEO and approve the school system budget, and they are staring down rising costs, a new charter-school funding formula, and enrollment declines that have already sparked debates over closing smaller schools, according to Baltimore City Public Schools.
Those emotionally charged closure fights and the broader budget tradeoffs have played out in recent local coverage and are expected to be among the first big tests for whoever advances from this primary, as detailed in reporting from Baltimore Brew.
Unofficial returns are expected to shift as mail-in and provisional ballots are counted. Final certified results and any updates will be posted by the Maryland State Board of Elections.
