Board of Education At Large in Montgomery County School District, Maryland

2026 Primary Election

• Wylea Chase — Board of Education At Large in Montgomery County At-Large, Maryland

  Wylea Chase is a nonpartisan candidate running for the Montgomery County Board of Education At-Large seat in Maryland. A Gaithersburg resident and mother of four, Chase has spent over two decades as a dedicated education advocate. Her extensive leadership experience includes serving as Chief Operating Officer for the Black & Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence and Senior Director of Collaborative Impact at Leadership Montgomery. She has also served as a Gaithersburg Cluster Coordinator and MCCPTA DEI Committee Vice President. Chase’s campaign focuses on advancing systemic equity and ensuring educators receive strong support.

• Brenda M. Diaz — Board of Education At Large in Montgomery County At-Large, Maryland

  Brenda M. Diaz is an educator with over twenty years of experience across a wide range of educational environments, from pre-kindergarten to high school. Throughout her extensive career, she has served in several key roles, including as a Spanish teacher and a Curriculum Coordinator. More recently, Diaz has been a Middle and High School Social Studies teacher at Fusion Global Academy. In addition to her work in traditional school settings, she is the Founder and Director of Heart of Joy Learning, a specialized farm and forest program designed for homeschooled children. Diaz has also been active in public service, running as a nonpartisan candidate for the Montgomery County Board of Education At Large. A mother of three, her children have experience in both Montgomery County Public Schools and homeschooling.

• Omar Lazo — Board of Education At Large in Montgomery County At-Large, Maryland

  Omar Lazo is a non-partisan candidate for the At-Large seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education. A resident of the county for over 30 years, he is a business owner and the parent of three children attending Montgomery County Public Schools. In 2021, Lazo was appointed to the Montgomery College Board of Trustees. He also serves as chair of the Montgomery County Workforce Development Board and has been involved with the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence. The son of immigrants from El Salvador, Lazo earned a bachelor's degree in General Business and Management from the University of Maryland, College Park. His background informs his community involvement and educational advocacy.

• Tiffany E. Wicks — Board of Education At Large in Montgomery County At-Large, Maryland

  Tiffany E. Wicks is a candidate for an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education. The school board race is non-partisan. Wicks possesses an extensive academic and professional background relevant to community wellness and education. She earned a Doctorate of Education from Johns Hopkins University and holds a Master's degree in Counseling from Southern Methodist University. Her career includes experience as a professor at George Washington University. Additionally, Wicks is a licensed professional counselor who operates a practice with a specific focus on reproductive and mental health. Her research interests align with her practice, concentrating on maternal health and mental health within marginalized communities.

• Brett DiResta — Board of Education in Board of Education District 3, Maryland

  Brett DiResta is a nonpartisan candidate running for an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education in Maryland. A longtime community member, DiResta is the founder of The Maccabee Group, a political consulting firm that has advised campaigns across the country. He previously worked as a congressional staffer. DiResta brings extensive educational experience as a college professor who has taught at George Washington University and other institutions for fifteen years. As a father of three Montgomery County Public Schools students and a youth baseball coach, his campaign focuses on lowering class sizes, ensuring school safety, and implementing a responsible AI policy.

• Rosarie Tucci — Democratic Central Committee At Large in Montgomery County At-Large, Maryland

  Rosarie Tucci is a non-partisan candidate who ran for an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education in Maryland. Although she initially entered the 2026 race, she will not appear on the June primary ballot. Professionally, Tucci is a democracy advocate with extensive foreign policy experience. She served as a Deputy Assistant Administrator at USAID in the Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization. Previously, she was a director at both USAID and the U.S. Institute of Peace. Tucci holds a B.A. from Boston College and a master's in international human rights law from the University of Nottingham.