By Adam Pagnucco.
Board of Education Member Karla Silvestre has announced her run for a county council at-large seat. Silvestre was first elected to an at-large seat on the school board in 2018 and reelected in 2022.
A few notes. Like fellow school board member Julie Yang, who is running in Council District 1, Silvestre will be leaving the board whether she wins or loses. That’s because board seats are staggered and both Yang and Silvestre have terms that coincide with most state and county offices. Board members who were elected last year (including at-large member Rita Montoya, District 2’s Natalie Zimmerman and District 4’s Laura Stewart, all of whom are freshmen) would be able to run for council and keep their board seats. Yang and Silvestre will now be up or out. Would anyone like to run for school board?
Two years ago, I published a list of fundraising totals of winning school board candidates since 2010. School board candidates don’t raise a lot of money – the winners only raised about $18,000 per cycle – and traditionally have relied on endorsements from the Washington Post and the teachers union. (The Post has stopped endorsing in school board elections). Yang was the leader on that list, raising $74,036 in the 2022 cycle. That’s why I think she will be a good fundraiser in her race and she has already claimed to raise enough money to get maximum public campaign financing matching funds. Silvestre raised $36,918 in the 2018 cycle and $10,930 in the 2022 cycle. She is also using public campaign financing, and as an at-large candidate, will face higher thresholds for matching funds than Yang.
One more factor is Silvestre’s relationship with the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA). They endorsed her in 2018. They made no endorsement in her race in 2022. That may not reflect individually on Silvestre as the union did not endorse any school board incumbents in either 2022 or 2024. (Last year, they defeated all three incumbents with their endorsed challengers.) That creates a question as to whether the union will endorse Silvestre this time. In a growing at-large field, every candidate will want a bite of that juicy, delicious Apple Ballot!
Silvestre’s press release appears below.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2025
Contact: Karla Silvestre
elect.karlasilvestre@gmail.com
Karla Silvestre Announces Candidacy for Montgomery County Council, At-large
Experienced leader announces campaign to foster a stronger, more resilient community focused on creating good paying jobs and preparing our workforce so everyone can thrive.
Silver Spring, MD – Karla Silvestre, M.S., announced today that she is launching her campaign for the Montgomery County Council, At-large seat. Emphasizing her proven experience, she plans to focus intently on bringing good paying jobs to our region, preparing our workforce, and ensuring all residents have a high quality of life.
“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”
Silvestre was elected to the Montgomery County Board of Education in 2018 and served as president for two consecutive years, providing bold leadership and direction to drive significant improvements. She currently chairs the Fiscal Management Committee where she leads the work to monitor the system’s $3.6 billion budget. She has focused on improving student achievement following the pandemic, return on investment in education, recruiting talented educators, and ensuring students are ready for college or the workplace upon graduation.
Silvestre has 25 years of experience in education, community engagement, and workforce development. She works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement where she helps county residents connect with educational and workforce opportunities. Previously, she worked for Montgomery County government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships helping residents engage with county government and county government to respond more effectively to its residents.
“I know how to work with others to get things done, build bridges, and at this critical time in our county we need serious leaders who will work everyday to put the needs and interests of our residents front and center. Montgomery County continues to be full of promise, and by working together to grow our economy, we can secure the resources like quality education, workforce training, childcare, affordable housing, and reliable transportation that are essential for every member of our diverse community to thrive.” Silvestre said.
Silvestre, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Guatemala, lives in Silver Spring with her family.