The new, temporary leader of Prince George’s County, Maryland, introduced herself to the public Wednesday and acknowledged there are “challenging economic times” ahead as she takes over for Angela Alsobrooks, who resigned as county executive earlier this week.
Alsobrooks left the county’s top job to head to the U.S. Senate after she defeated Republican Larry Hogan in last month’s election, becoming the state’s first Black senator.
Tara Jackson, the county’s chief administrative officer, is now the acting county executive.
“I may be new to the position of county executive, but I have a long-standing dedication to this county,” Jackson said.
She was, however, quick to say that she was not interested in running for the position of county executive in the special election that will be held in the coming months to replace Alsobrooks on a permanent basis.
“I’m here to maintain the stability of the government and to help us transition smoothly when a new county executive is elected,” Jackson said. “I want to handle this transition well, the people deserve it.”
Jackson has been in public service for almost 20 years and has been committed to “leading with principal” and “serving with integrity,” she said.
She has served in numerous positions in the county, including as a prosecutor and as an attorney who provided legal counsel to government agencies.
“I really learned the government in that role,” Jackson said.
She’ll take over at a time when the county is facing a projected budget deficit of about $150 million for the 2026 fiscal year, which starts in July.
“We are certainly in challenging economic times,” Jackson said, adding that she has worked on budgets in the past in her role as the county’s chief administrative officer.
“I’ve taken that responsibility very seriously, and I’m going to continue to do so,” Jackson said.
At least three people have announced plans to run for county executive, including Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy and Council members Calvin Hawkins and Jolene Ivey.
The council will meet soon for a vote to determine exactly when the special election will be held to replace Alsobrooks.
When asked whether she thought the council members who are running in the special election should recuse themselves from those votes, Jackson refused to answer.
“I’m going to let the council members’ conscience guide them as they make those decisions,” Jackson said. “I’m not going to offer an opinion on that.”
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