A Local Election Guide - This Year’s MCPS Board of Education Races
10/26/2026 | Tula Dasgupta
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington advertises a candidate forum they hosted on October 12, featuring all candidates in contested races for seats at the BOE.
As election day approaches on November 3rd, MCR SGA hopes to make each middle and high schooler feel as informed as possible about the Board of Education elections that directly impact students. We’ve created an election breakdown of each candidate and their platform, particularly the two main contested ones, for students to understand and develop opinions on. While many students are too young to vote, you can still make a difference by sharing this this with any eligible voters you know
This year, four seats were up for reelection: one of the two at-large seats, District 1, District 3, and District 5, where the remaining District 2, District 4, and other at-large seat are occupied by Natalie Zimmermann, Laura Stewart, and Rita Montoya, consecutively, with terms set to end in 2028.
Since the Board of Education is non-partisan (meaning that the two candidates are not nominated by Democrats or Republicans), any general election with two candidates may be considered contested. In this election guide, we’ll refer to any race with two nominees from the primary as a “contested” race.
At-large seat (contested): Omar Lazo vs. Brenda Diaz
The Montgomery County BOE divides their representation by district—one for each of the five county districts, and two “at-large” seats that represent the entire county as a whole. Karla Silvestre, former at-large member of the BOE, decided to leave after years of service with MCPS and toss her hat in the ring for County Council, leaving a vacancy for new candidates. This year, candidates Omar Lazo and Brenda Diaz came out on top in the primaries, receiving 30,090 votes and 27,991 votes respectively, beating out Wylea Chase and Tiffany E. Wicks to advance to the general election.
About Omar Lazo
Currently serving in Montgomery County government, Lazo boasts decades of local public service experience. His campaign particularly emphasizes his skills with financing, budgeting, and organizing within large institutions such as Montgomery College, where he serves on the Board of Trustees. His personal campaign site asserts that “every child—regardless of ZIP code, race, language, or family income—deserves access to excellent schools, safe learning environments, and strong pathways to college and careers.” Among many other interest groups, Lazo has been endorsed by the Montgomery County & Maryland State Education Associations (listed on the Apple Ballot) and incumbent governor Wes Moore’s campaign, Wes Moore for Maryland.
About Brenda Diaz
Diaz has taught within MCPS for 10 years working in various social studies classes, and as JV softball coach at two different MCPS high schools. She now works at an online global school called Fusion Global Academy, and has a “five pillars of success” platform centered around increasing academic success, responsible resource allocation, and a strong emphasis on inclusion of parent voices. However, Diaz’s recent success in the primary election has made her one of the most polarizing Board of Education candidates in a long time: she has denied allegations of being a part of the hyper-conservative political organization Moms For Liberty, but has historically taken stances closely in line with the organization’s platform. Notably, she left her job as a social studies teacher at Gaithersburg High School in 2022 after asking MCPS for a “religious exemption” from the statewide mask mandate. Her subsequent rejection and placement on unpaid leave led to her resignation shortly thereafter. “I did not just defy a rule,” she said in an interview with Montgomery Fix. “I acted as an employee who exhausted every available legal remedy while a government institution violated my constitutional rights.” Diaz holds no prominent endorsements at this time.
District 1 (uncontested): Grace Rivera-Oven
District 1, representing up-county regions like Germantown, Poolesville, and Clarksburg, is the only BOE seat up for reelection that hasn’t been vacated—the incumbent, Grace Rivera-Oven, is the sole contender for this seat, running unopposed for her second term on the Board.
About Grace Rivera-Oven
Grace Rivera-Oven was elected by her fellow board members in November, 2025, to serve as the President of the MCPS Board of Education for a one-year term. Rivera-Oven grew up in Montgomery County Public Schools herself as an English learner and a member of the local Latinx community. She sought to be on the school board first in 2022 to represent more people like herself. Because she is running unopposed, she does not run an active campaign, but Rivera-Oven’s commitment to her community is emphasized most in her personal biography—she founded The Upcounty Hub during the COVID-19 pandemic, a nonprofit that now provides vital resources and social services to families in the up-county region.
District 3 (contested): Sally McCarthy vs. Cassandra Sung
The district 3 seat represents southwestern area of Montgomery County, including Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Kensington, among other towns. The spot was vacated by Julie Yang, former president of the Board of Education, who also retired from the MCPS BOE to run for County Council. With no incumbent, this seat was highly contested in the primary election. Candidates Sally McCarthy and Cassandra “Cassi” Sung came up on top, with 40,736 votes going to McCarthy and 15,528 votes going to Sung, beating out Sharon Creed, Andrew Frykman, and Brett DiResta.
About Sally McCarthy
McCarthy is an MCPS graduate who has worked various teaching and directing positions at the University of Maryland, College Park. With a heavy PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) and public advocacy background, McCarthy hopes to connect the Board of Education directly with students and their families. She emphasizes clear, consistent communication, transparency, improved engagement in school, and safer facilities, and hopes to make this happen using the skills she brings to the table. “...through authentic dialogue, we can establish a shared purpose to develop new solutions and transformational pathways for real change in MCPS,” McCarthy says in her campaign platform. Among others, McCarthy has been endorsed by the Montgomery County & Maryland State Education Associations (listed on the Apple Ballot), Gun Sense Voters, and Progressive Maryland.
About Cassandra Sung
Sung is a mother, prominent community leader, and experienced advocate. Her campaign focuses on her involvement within her community, from running local neighborhood groups to working in motherhood and other similar support groups. She claims her background with her community allows her to bring fresh ideas centered around improving school safety and diversity inclusion: “I bring a unique perspective shaped by lived experience and a proven track record of bringing people together to solve problems.” Sung holds one official endorsement from the Gun Sense Voters.
District 5 (uncontested): Elma Lorraine-Diggs
District 5 was a spot vacated by Brenda Wolff, who is retiring after serving her third term on the BOE. District 5 represents the eastern and southeastern parts of Montgomery County, including Olney, Rockville, Flower Valley, and more. The sole candidate for the District 5 seat is Elma Lorraine-Diggs.
About Elma Lorraine-Diggs
Lorraine-Diggs has dedicated over 15 years to humanitarian service and advocacy. In an interview with the Sentinel, she says that her unique problem solving skills she developed while working in the U.S. Agency for International Development and UNICEF allow her to bring new ideas to the table. In addition to her work in the federal government, she has a background as a long-term substitute and PTA president in MCPS. She emphasizes her commitment to engagement, empowerment, and elevation of students, faculty, and families of students. “Montgomery County Public Schools must show the community how its feedback was used in decision making. Our families, community members and local experts offer excellent resources, and their insight must be taken into account,” Lorraine-Diggs explains in her interview.
We hope you found this election guide useful!Even if you can’t vote yourself, you can get involved by sharing this guide with anyone you know who may find it useful and starting dialogues about candidate’s platforms. The general election is on November 3rd; encourage any eligible voters you know to get registered and cast their vote, because every vote counts!
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