A 27-year-old Brentwood Town Council member who once lived in foster care is set to take over one of Prince George's County's school board seats after declaring victory in the District 3 race. Juan Arango-Millan led Jamie McGonnigal by a wide margin in unofficial results reported as of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, with all 28 Election Day precincts in and provisional ballots still to be counted.
Arango-Millan, a former educator who now works in workforce development, pulled in 8,368 votes, or 58.4%, compared with McGonnigal's 5,892 votes, or 41.1%, according to The Baltimore Banner. The outlet reported that provisional ballots had not yet been tallied even though every Election Day precinct had reported. Arango-Millan is poised to succeed Pamela Boozer-Strother, whose term expires at the end of the year, representing District 3, which covers Hyattsville, University Park, Brentwood, North Brentwood, Mount Rainier and Edmonston.
A Campaign Rooted in Personal Struggle
Arango-Millan built his campaign around protecting classroom resources amid district budget cuts, improving school facilities and strengthening communication with families, the same report noted. He also emphasized directing Blueprint for Maryland's Future funding toward classrooms, improving academic performance and expanding outreach to Spanish-speaking families. Speaking with The Diamondback before the election, he said he wanted to represent the county's Spanish-speaking community and improve communication with vulnerable parents, as The Diamondback reported.
He told the outlet he hoped to improve school facilities and amenities and close equity gaps, and said the school board needed better solutions for students who miss instruction because of fears tied to immigration enforcement. Arango-Millan grew up in foster care and experienced housing instability, saying those experiences shaped his commitment to public education. He wrote that public schools were his lifeline.
McGonnigal Concedes, Plans to Step Back
McGonnigal, a 51-year-old Hyattsville Elementary School PTA leader and parent of a district student, conceded defeat and wrote that he was deeply disappointed, per the same account. He said he planned to step back from his advocacy work to spend time with his family. McGonnigal had campaigned on improving transportation reliability, strengthening accountability and giving families a greater voice in school decisions, the report noted.
McGonnigal previously told Patch he had served as president of the Hyattsville Elementary School PTA and worked with families, educators and community organizations on school issues, according to Patch. He also told The Diamondback that communication between the school board and community should be a two-way street.
Endorsements on Both Sides
Arango-Millan drew backing from House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, state Sen. Malcolm Augustine and outgoing board member Pamela Boozer-Strother herself, the Banner's report noted. McGonnigal, meanwhile, had the support of Gov. Wes Moore, state Sen. Alonzo Washington and the Prince George's County Educators' Association. Arango-Millan did not respond to an interview request Wednesday, the outlet reported, though in a written statement he thanked McGonnigal for his advocacy and pledged to represent all District 3 families.
“My responsibility is to every student and family in District 3, and it is an honor to serve you,” Arango-Millan wrote.
Other Races Across the County
District 3 was one of four Prince George's County school board seats decided this election cycle. In District 2, Terence Clegg led Caroline Decaire-Goldin with 60% of the vote as of 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, while in District 6, Tyra Janet Bennett led Ashley Kearney with about 53%, according to the same Banner report on countywide results. In District 9, Erica K. Bennett led incumbent Chandrai “CJ” Jackson-Saunders with about 53% of the vote at that same point Tuesday night. All four winners, including Arango-Millan, are scheduled to be sworn in on Dec. 4.
