Tonya Sweat to run as write-in candidate after losing appeal in state Supreme Court

Tonya Sweat will run for Prince George’s County executive as a write-in candidate after unsuccessfully challenging the local elections board’s determination that she didn’t secure enough signatures to appear on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate.

Sweat, a consultant, attorney and community advocate who represented herself in court, appealed to the state Supreme Court after a Circuit Court judge declined her request to reverse the Prince George’s County Board of Elections determination and put her on General Election ballots.

Sweat and an attorney for the county elections board testified before the high court during a brief hearing Wednesday, and the justices upheld the Circuit Court’s ruling in an order issued the same day.

“The circuit court did not abuse its discretion in determining that the record contains insufficient evidence to establish that Ms. Sweat qualified for the November 2026 general election ballot,” the ruling says.

In a social media post Wednesday, Sweat wrote, “So now it’s The People v. The Power. Voting will decide this one.”

County Executive Aisha Braveboy, a Democrat who has been in office since winning a special election in June 2025, is running for reelection. No Republicans filed to run.

Sweat had said she planned to run as a write-in candidate if she were to lose in court.

To be eligible, Sweat will need to file a certificate of candidacy and other documents by Oct. 15.