Four Candidates File for Three School Board Seats, Deadline Looms

With the deadline just days away, two incumbents and two challengers have officially filed their candidacies to run for the Howard County Board of Education. One incumbent said he plans to file Friday.

Incumbents Ellen Flynn Giles and Janet Siddiqui are running to retain their seats and incumbent Allen Dyer said Thursday he would file his candidacy paperwork Friday.

Leslie Kornreich of Hanover and Ann De Lacy of Columbia are the only two challengers to date, according to the Howard County Board of Elections website.

Dyer, who has had a tumultuous term on the school board, said he hopes there are many more candidates.

"We need to have a primary election, especially for the new candidates to get some exposure and to get their names out there," he said.

Concerned about transparency and the improper destruction of board records, especially emails, Dyer has filed lawsuits against the school board.

In response, the board passed a resolution requesting the State Board of Education to remove Dyer from the local board, a move that would be unprecedented in Maryland.

The deadline to file as a candidate for any Howard County office is Jan. 11.

The Board of Elections office will remain open until 9 p.m. to accommodate candidates who wish to file their paperwork on the final day, according to the board's website.

County Councilwoman Courtney Watson, a former school board member, offered via a message on her Facebook page to chat with candidates about what it's like to serve Howard County citizens through school board membership.