Sonya Dunn, a Bowie Republican, is challenging Brooke Elizabeth Lierman, the Democratic candidate, for Maryland comptroller in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Dunn has no previous political experience, according to the Baltimore Sun's 2026 voter guide. She said she is running because "Maryland deserves financial leadership that puts people first …" according to her campaign website.

Candidate information

  • Party: Republican
  • Age: 54 on election day
  • Hometown: Bowie, Maryland
  • Education: Dunn said she holds a bachelor of arts in film, radio and television production with a minor in business from the University of Central Oklahoma; a master of arts in producing film, television and emerging media from American University; a master of arts in procurement and acquisition management from Webster University; and a master of business administration from Webster University. She said she is pursuing a doctor of business administration in finance at Liberty University.
  • Family: Dunn said she is the spouse of a retired United States Air Force major general, the daughter of pastors and the mother of four adult children, including two sons with developmental disabilities.

Dunn said she is the only African American woman nominated by the Republican Party for a statewide constitutional office in the United States, according to a Black PR Wire press release. If elected, she said she would become the first Republican elected comptroller of Maryland in more than a century, the first African American woman elected to statewide executive office in Maryland history and the first African American woman elected as a state comptroller in United States history.

Experience and public service

Dunn said she brings more than 25 years of experience in operations, finance, procurement and media.

According to BallotReady profile data, her work history includes:

  • CEO, JEMH Enterprises (2017–present)
  • Producer and radio host, DC Office of Cable Television (2018–present)
  • Chief content officer, SimlTV (2020–2022)
  • Founder, MilitaryHomeLife.com (2015–2022)

On the issues

Government accountability and fiscal oversight

Dunn said she would serve as a nonpartisan, independent taxpayer watchdog committed to protecting every taxpayer dollar, strengthening procurement oversight, fighting fraud, waste and abuse, and modernizing financial systems through technology innovation and data transparency.

Procurement and government spending

Dunn described the role as hands-on. She said her procurement management background and graduate-level training prepare her for what she called technical work on the Board of Public Works. "There will be no rubber-stamping," Dunn said in her Baltimore Sun questionnaire response.

Taxes and budget

In her first 100 days, Dunn said she would introduce legislation to repeal or restructure underperforming tax policies, provide 10-year stress testing for the 2027 legislative session, strengthen Board of Public Works procurement oversight, launch independent audits, work to maximize federal funding and build a near-real-time financial dashboard for taxpayers.

Candidate responses were drawn from the Baltimore Sun's 2026 voter guide, Black PR Wire and BallotReady questionnaire data. Voters can find more information on Dunn's campaign website at votesonyadunn.com.