Candidate Spotlight: Eleanor A. Washington

Prince George's County Council District 9

View Eleanor A. Washington's profile on Civoren →

When Eleanor talks about voting, she starts with a confession.

Years ago, she often approached local elections the same way many voters do, relying on campaign mailers, party recommendations, and familiar names without spending much time researching the candidates themselves.

Looking back, she says that wasn't enough.

"I didn't really know who I was voting for. I had to start doing my own research."

That realization is one of the reasons she joined Civoren.

As a candidate for Prince George's County Council District 9, Eleanor believes voters deserve direct access to information about the people seeking to represent them. With nine candidates currently running for the seat, she wants residents to have the opportunity to look beyond endorsements and campaign literature and make informed decisions based on their own values and priorities.

"Vote with knowledge."

She hopes her Civoren profile helps residents understand not only what she stands for, but who she is, a longtime community advocate, educator, mother, and resident who believes District 9 deserves better than the status quo.

After nearly three decades living in the district, that's exactly why she decided to run.

"I think District 9 gets the short end of the stick."

District 9 stretches across communities including Clinton, Fort Washington, Brandywine, and Accokeek. Over the years, Eleanor has watched new housing developments appear throughout the area, but she believes the infrastructure and investment needed to support that growth never fully arrived.

She points to roads that take too long to repair, recurring flooding issues, and schools that haven't expanded at the pace needed to keep up with growing neighborhoods. One example that still stands out to her is Westphalia, a development residents were told would bring major retail and shopping opportunities to the area.

"Twenty years later, we're still waiting."

Those frustrations aren't what made her involved in the community, but they are what propels her to seek public office.

Before becoming a candidate, Eleanor had already spent years serving District 9 as a paraprofessional educator, PTA volunteer, Boys and Girls Club volunteer, and active community advocate. She never planned on becoming a politician, and she still doesn't describe herself as one.

"I'm not a politician. I'm a community member who is an activist for my community."

That perspective shapes how she views leadership.

Unlike candidates who campaign on sweeping promises, Eleanor says she prefers transparency. If elected, she plans to begin by reviewing budgets, projects, and plans already in place before making commitments about what can realistically be accomplished. She wants to understand what has been done, what hasn't been done, and why, then bring that information back to residents so they can be part of the conversation.

"My run is not about me. My run is about my community."

While Eleanor's platform focuses on schools, infrastructure, support for seniors, and economic growth, she says the role that has taught her the most about leadership isn't educator, advocate, or candidate.

It's being a mother.

As the mother of two children, including a son involved in multiple sports and a daughter with autism, she says motherhood taught her how to advocate, organize, multitask, and speak up when something wasn't working.

"Being a mom gave me my voice."

Over time, that advocacy expanded beyond her own family and into the broader community.

"Leadership starts with service. It starts with showing up for people."

That philosophy is reflected in a personal motto she often repeats:

"It's already done."

For Eleanor, those words represent a commitment to action rather than blank promises. The work begins long before campaign season, she says, and long before someone asks for help.

When asked what she hopes voters take away from her Civoren profile, her answer is simple.

She wants them to know she's a fighter. Someone who is transparent. Someone who follows through. Someone who isn't afraid to ask hard questions on behalf of the people she represents.

"I am here for them."

And after spending nearly 30 years living, working, volunteering, and raising a family in District 9, she believes that commitment is exactly what her community deserves.