Former Student Association President Lamar Thorpe has begun a campaign to represent Maryland’s 47th District in the state’s House of Delegates.
“Anyone who lives in the 47th District knows that there is a great deal of work to be done to make our community and county stronger, and as the gateway to Washington, D.C., our neighborhoods are ripe with potential,” Thorpe, 29, said on his campaign Web site.
His priorities, according to his campaign announcement, include improving public school systems with “innovative programs,” and “preparing all of our children to become educated, productive and prosperous adults who give back to their community.”
His campaign also emphasizes the importance of public health and confronting domestic violence.
“I will make excellence our standard by recognizing that all of these issues are interrelated. For too long we’ve settled for band-aid solutions, now it’s time for innovative ideas,” he said on his Web site.
Thorpe did not return an e-mail request for comment Sunday afternoon.
Raised by Mexican immigrants in California, Thorpe enlisted in the Navy and was sent to Guam before enrolling at GW. Thorpe graduated from GW with a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies and sociology in Spring 2007.
He won the position of president of the SA in a runoff election against Morgan Corr and served for the 2006-2007 academic term.
Thorpe’s accomplishments as leader of the SA included providing free condoms in all freshman dorms and participating in the selection of current University President Steven Knapp for that post.
Student Judicial Services found Thorpe guilty of disorderly conduct, The Hatchet reported in August 2007. He had been charged with sexual harassment, but was found innocent of those charges, which stemmed from a complaint that he encouraged an intoxicated girl to perform sexual acts with him and another member of the SA, according to a University Police Department report.
Thorpe later became a Presidential Administrative Fellow at GW. He graduated in 2009 with a master’s degree in women’s studies.
As of Sept. 3, only Democrat Wanda Shelton-Martin had registered with the Maryland State Board of Elections to run in the 47th District, which is located in Prince George’s County.
The current representatives for Prince George’s County are Democrats Jolene Ivey, Victor Ramirez and Doyle Niemann.
The primary election is Sept. 14, 2010.
