Tara H. Jackson, the interim state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, formally launched a campaign on Tuesday to keep her seat, setting up a contest for the county’s top law enforcement position next year that pits two politically connected Democrats against one another.
Council member Wanika B. Fisher (D-District 2) has also launched a bid for County Executive Aisha Braveboy’s (D) former seat in a county that has contended with a stubbornly high homicide rate that began to tick up into the triple-digits in 2020 after more than a decade of lower-than-average violent crime.
Tara H. Jackson, the interim state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, formally launched a campaign on Tuesday to keep her seat, setting up a contest for the county’s top law enforcement position next year that pits two politically connected Democrats against one another.
Council member Wanika B. Fisher (D-District 2) has also launched a bid for County Executive Aisha Braveboy’s (D) former seat in a county that has contended with a stubbornly high homicide rate that began to tick up into the triple-digits in 2020 after more than a decade of lower-than-average violent crime.
Crime has become an increasingly important issue for voters in the county, with the number of people citing it as their top concern, increasing from just 9 percent in 2019 to 33 percent in 2024, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. In addition to homicides, a pandemic-fueled jump in carjackings — which rose from 86 in 2019 to 508 in 2023 before dipping somewhat last year — has also spurred more county residents to rank crime as a top concern.
“As State’s Attorney, I’ve seen firsthand both the challenges and opportunities before us,” Jackson said in a statement shared with The Washington Post. “Our justice system must hold people accountable while also providing a path to redemption. I’m running to continue building a system rooted in fairness, safety, and integrity — one that protects residents, uplifts families, and strengthens every corner of our County.”
Jackson enters the race with an influential endorsement from Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Maryland), a political powerhouse in Prince George’s who previously served as state’s attorney and county executive. She also has the backing of several other key figures in Prince George’s County politics, including former county executive Rushern L. Baker III, state Sen. Ron Watson and Sheila R. Tillerson Adams, the retired chief and administrative judge for the 7th Judicial Circuit.
Fisher announced her campaign in June, days before Jackson was picked by Prince George’s County judges to serve as acting county executive. She is also backed by several heavy hitters from Prince George’s County. Since announcing her candidacy, Fisher has received endorsements from Democratic state Sens. Malcolm Augustine and Nick Charles and state delegates Jazz Lewis and Jeffrie Long.
Jackson served as a principal deputy state’s attorney and prosecuted violent offenses including gun crimes, child abuse and homicide during Alsobrooks’s tenure leading the office, at a time when violent crime in the county dipped by 50 percent.
She also served as deputy chief administrative officer for Government Operations and chief administrative officer when Alsobrooks was county executive. After Alsobrooks was elected to the U.S. Senate, Jackson briefly served as acting county executive.
If elected, Jackson said, her top priorities would be holding violent offenders accountable, expanding pathways to rehabilitation, building stronger partnerships with law enforcement and community organizations, protecting victims and survivors through trauma-informed practices, and ensuring transparency and fairness across the Office of the State’s Attorney.
“Tara Jackson has been a steady, principled, and compassionate leader for Prince George’s County,” Alsobrooks said in a statement shared with The Post. “She understands the balance between accountability and opportunity — and she knows how to deliver results … Tara’s integrity, work ethic, and love for our community make her the right choice to serve as our next State’s Attorney.”
Fisher announced a platform with a focus on tackling drug addiction, homelessness and violent crimes in Prince George’s County. She also emphasized efforts to protect seniors from financial abuse and shield children from gun violence.
Fisher was among a group of several local lawmakers who submitted a letter to Prince George’s County sitting judges, asking them not to select someone who will be running for the state’s attorney’s position in the 2026 election cycle to serve as the acting state’s attorney.
“Appointing an individual who will seek to run for the office will give an unfair platform and usurp the voices of the voters,” the group of lawmakers said in the letter obtained by The Post. “We feel that this request is consistent with the Judges’ position that Judges should not be involved in the electoral process.”
When Fisher ran to represent District 2 in Prince George’s, Alsobrooks endorsed Fisher over former state senator Victor Ramirez (D). Alsobrooks called Fisher “a strong pillar” in addressing needs of residents and said her accomplishments in Prince George’s state delegation made her the right person to represent District 2 as a council member. Fisher also endorsed Alsobrooks’s in her Senate campaign.
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