Graciela Rivera-Oven, the sitting president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, is running for reelection to the District 1 seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The race is nonpartisan.

Rivera-Oven has represented District 1 since 2023 and chairs the Committee on Special Populations, her board biography shows. She became board president on Dec. 1, 2025. BallotReady election data lists her as certified for the ballot.

Candidate information

  • Residence: Germantown, Maryland
  • Birthplace: La Paz, Bolivia; came to the United States as a child and grew up in Montgomery County Public Schools
  • High school: Gaithersburg High School
  • Education: Criminal justice, Montgomery College; bachelor's degree in legal studies, Hood College
  • Family: Mother of three children, all of whom attended Montgomery County Public Schools

Experience and public service

Rivera-Oven's background includes legal work, community organizing and elected office. She has worked at the Maryland Public Defender's Office and the Maryland State's Attorney's Office, according to her board biography and her BallotReady profile.

In 2020 she founded The Upcounty Hub, where she serves as chief executive officer. She has held the District 1 board seat since 2023, according to her BallotReady profile. She serves as board president and chairs the Committee on Special Populations, which focuses on students who require targeted support, according to her board biography.

On the issues

Family engagement in education

Rivera-Oven described family engagement as a shared responsibility and a bridge between schools and communities, according to her candidate questionnaire response. She said she believes that when families feel welcomed, respected and included in decision-making, students benefit directly. Students whose families are engaged are more confident, supported and successful, she said.

Rivera-Oven framed the issue as central to her work on the board, saying schools and families must partner in ways that make every parent feel respected and heard.

The candidate's issue positions above are drawn from Rivera-Oven's own questionnaire responses and do not represent reporting by the Potomac Beacon.

Endorsements

Rivera-Oven has been endorsed by the Maryland State Education Association, according to BallotReady, which credits the endorsement to the endorser.

  • Maryland State Education Association