Karla Silvestre, president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, is running for one of four at-large seats on the Montgomery County Council. The Democrat is certified for the ballot in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

At-large council members represent all county residents, including those in Potomac. Four other candidates are also in the race: Laurie-Anne Sayles, Marc Elrich and Scott Evan Goldberg, all Democrats, and Republican Sherwin Wells.

Voters will choose up to four candidates.

Candidate information

  • Residence: Silver Spring, Maryland
  • Party: Democratic
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in biology, Florida State University (1995); master's degree in education, University of Pennsylvania (2000)
  • Background: Silvestre's family fled Guatemala when she was eight years old after her father was blacklisted for organizing with Indigenous farmers, according to her campaign website. The family settled in York, Pennsylvania, and started over with nothing, Silvestre said. She moved to Maryland in 2007, according to Montgomery County Public Schools.

Experience and public service

Silvestre has served as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Board of Education since 2018 and is the board's current president, according to Montgomery County Public Schools. She has also served as chair of the board's Fiscal Management Committee, according to her campaign.

Her professional background includes work as director of community engagement at Montgomery College, a position she has held since 2014, according to BallotReady. She previously served as manager of the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center in Montgomery County, according to Montgomery County Public Schools. She also worked as Latino liaison in the county's Office of Community Partnerships under County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett.

Before moving to Maryland, Silvestre worked as vice president of Congreso de Latinos Unidos, as an education manager in the Philadelphia public school system and as a teacher trainer at the Penn-Merck Collaborative for Science Education, according to BallotReady.

On the issues

Silvestre outlined the following positions on her campaign website and through BallotReady.

Education: Silvestre's platform calls for protecting sustainable school funding and demanding transparent budgets showing how money is spent. She supports expanding college prep programs like ACES and CollegeTracks and strengthening pathways from MCPS to Montgomery College and four-year institutions.

Twenty-five percent of MCPS students do not go on to any post-secondary education, Silvestre said, making it critical to graduate students with workforce credentials through career and technical education.

Housing: On housing, Silvestre supports building more near transit, expanding "missing middle" options such as townhouses and apartment buildings, and increasing the use of accessory dwelling units (basement apartments). She said she wants to speed up permitting without cutting safety standards and align growth with schools and infrastructure.

Economy and workforce: Priorities include helping federal workers connect to new jobs, expanding apprenticeships, aligning workforce programs with real job demand and supporting small and minority-owned businesses, Silvestre said. She also called for streamlining permitting by eliminating redundant approvals.

Public safety: Silvestre supports hiring officers who reflect the community, investing in de-escalation and bias training, and expanding mental health and crisis response coordination, according to her campaign. Her platform also includes gun violence prevention focused on illegal firearms, ghost guns and safe gun storage.

Immigration and social services: Silvestre said she supports legal and crisis assistance for immigrant families, language access across county agencies and protecting residents' access to county services without fear.

On social services, her priorities include lowering child care costs, expanding programs for seniors to age in place and improving coordination between housing, transportation and health services for older adults.

Endorsements

The following endorsements are listed on Silvestre's campaign website:

  • Montgomery County Public Schools Retirees Association
  • Gino Renne, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO
  • Tom Perez
  • Nancy King, Maryland State Senate (D39)
  • Sara Love, Maryland State Senate (D16)
  • Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35
  • Travis Simon, SEIU Local 500
  • Anne Flomenhaft, New American Leaders Action Fund
  • Jeff Buddle, IAFF Local 1664

Candidate positions and background were drawn from Silvestre's campaign website and her responses submitted through BallotReady. The Potomac Beacon did not interview the candidate for this profile.