A McDonough High School alumnus and career educator has thrown his hat into the race for a seat on the board of Charles County commissioners.
Ralph Patterson II, 46, of Waldorf entered the 2022 election on Sept. 1 as a Democrat for the District 4 seat currently held by Commissioner Vice President Bobby Rucci (D).
Patterson has spent the last 12 years in education teaching across the country, including in Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and Maryland.
“I’ve seen a lot and seen it done different ways,” Patterson said. “You see how they do it Georgia versus Alabama versus here, and you see what does work and what doesn’t work.”
Patterson said he chose to run to help Charles County move forward, and to expand opportunities for business in an effort to reduce inequality in the county.
One of the ways Patterson would do that is to help develop areas in Charles based on the uniqueness of each region of the county. Patterson would like to see more resources in the county directed to areas such as Bryans Road and Indian Head, which he said have stagnated in development.
“We don’t want everywhere to look like Waldorf, but we think that everywhere in Charles County should be developed to their own specifications and their own liking,” Patterson said.
Patterson would also work with internet service providers to help close the digital divide by removing barriers to help expand internet service in the county.
Patterson has two daughters, Ryann, 15, and Evan, 13, and has been formally endorsed by Indian Head Mayor Brandon Paulin.
All five commissioner seats are up for election next year. The only other person to file for Charles County commissioner as of earlier this week was Bryantown resident Richard E. Cook, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the District 1 seat.
