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Howard County Democratic Central Committee candidate Taneeka Richardson

Taneeka Richardson

Taneeka currently works as a Housing Policy Analyst for a local non-profit and has years of both personal and professional experiences relating to local, state and federal housing policy issues. Taneeka was born and raised in public housing in Baltimore City and when she was a young adult, she received a mobility housing choice voucher to relocate her family to Howard County. She has resided in the county for 16 years and is a strong affordable housing advocate in the community. Most recently, she served on the Howard County’s Racial Equity Task Force and the Attorney General’s Covid 19 Access to Justice Task Force. She also sits on various other committees statewide regarding housing and equity issues within Maryland. As a result of her experiences, she is often sought out to participate in expert panels on various housing policy topics where she shares both her professional and personal experiences with mobility voucher programs. She recently accepted a 5-year position to be an evaluator for HUD’s nationwide mobility demonstration. Taneeka holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Health and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Maryland. She is a single mom 5 and has two OMHS graduates. She is running for Howard County Central Committee, because she believes it is far past the time for elected officials to work for the best interest of  the voters and not special interests. 

Sanjeev Sriram candidate for Howard County Democratic Central Committee

Sanjeev Sriram

Sanjeev has lived in Howard County for 5 years and practices general pediatrics at a federally qualified health center. He is also Senior Advisor for Social Security Works, a grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and expanding Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. He was a National Surrogate for the 2020 Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign. He leads the All Means All campaign to make racial equity a cornerstone of Medicare For All. He is also “Dr. America,” a Health Justice Correspondent for We Act Radio and act.TV, writing op-eds and making innovative media to draw connections between health policy, inequity, and social determinants of health. Dr. Sriram completed his medical degree and residency at UCLA, where he served as Chief Resident at the Department of Pediatrics. In June 2009, he earned his Masters in Public Health after completing the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy at the Harvard School of Public Health. 

Carla Tevelow running for Howard County Democratic Central Committee

Carla Tevelow

Carla is a community activist who has been advocating on issues facing Howard County over the past 38 years. Most recently she has been involved with Progressive Democrats of HoCo, HoCo Climate Action, HoCo Indivisible Immigration Action, Less Plastics Please and Our Revolution HoCo. In the past several decades she has campaigned for several democratic candidates,  worked with MoveOn.org, was executive director and helped to create/develop the non-profit Teen Community Forum (an organization focusing on empowerment to the teens of Howard County), worked on the diversity committee of the county’s charrette (early 2000’s), volunteered with CAPP (Coalition for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention), was on the Consumer Advisory Board of Howard County (early 1990’s), volunteered in various childrens’ classrooms assisting teachers with their students throughout the county. Carla is looking to ensure our democratic politicians focus on citizen advocacy and environmental solutions, as well as help to grow the Howard County democratic base.

Dedrick Asante-Muhammad Democratic Central Committee candidate for Howard County

Dedrick Asante-Muhammad

Dedrick was raised in Columbia, MD, graduating from Oakland Mills High School.  He went on to William College where he majored in Political Science.  Dedrick would go on to work at Oberlin College and Williams College in Multicultural Affairs.  He would then go onto New York City where he got his Master’s of Arts in Theology and would work as a coordinator for a college program at the Maximum Security Prison for women in New York State, Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.  After Bedford Dedrick went on to work for Rev. Al Sharpon’s National Action Network as National Field Coordinator.  
A few years later Dedrick would begin his career as an analyst of the racial wealth divide which he has continued for the last 20 years working at United For A Fair Economy, the Institute for Policy Studies, the National NAACP, Prosperity Now and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. Dedrick moved back to Columbia, MD in 2010 with his wife where they have been raising their two daughters.
Moe Imran running for Howard County Democratic Central Committee

Moe Imran

Moe has been working as an auditor over 25 years for maintaining the regulatory compliance of the drug development industries especially for the Pharmaceutical Development Services.  Being an immigrant American we always knew that America is the beacon of hope.  Following  Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 Moe wanted to become more involved in inspiring people from my community for participating in the local, State and general election process.   Moe has devoted substantial time to efforts to promote the awareness of getting engaged in the public policy, so that collectively we can bring improvement to communities need. He strongly believes that if you have a deeper conviction for bringing a change for the good of the society surely it will happen one day. 

Howard County Democratic Central Committee Joy Jenkins candidate

Joy Jenkins

Joy has been a Howard County resident for over 20 yrs. Her children attended Howard County Public Schools. She helped build a grassroots library at the Howard County Detention Center but was inspired to get more involved to affect change after the 2016 election. She was dissatisfied with the climate and wanted to make a difference. She has decided to be proactive and be the example she expects in her leadership by being a voice for the least among us in the community. She refuses to diminish her integrity by putting corporate financial greed before the interests of the need of the people here in Howard County. 

Rick Kohn running for Howard County Democratic Central Committee

Rick Kohn

Rick is a professor at the University of Maryland, and he and his family have lived in the Oakland Mills Community in Columbia Maryland for more than 25 years. Rick has been active in promoting environmental stewardship, equity, quality education, and social justice through his activity in Indivisible, Our Revolution, Friends of Latin America, and Progressive Dems of Howard County.  He has participated in Howard County schools, and he was a member of Calvin Ball’s transition team for education.  Professionally, Rick uses mathematical modeling to evaluate the impacts of policy choices on climate change and other environmental issues. He also used his analytical skills to explain effects of Howard County school redistricting on income demographics and its disparities.  Rick is respectful of people with different points of view, and will bring the analysis of specific policies to the table for Howard County residents.  

Eduardo Ribeiro running for Howard County Democratic Central Committee

Eduardo Ribeiro

Eduardo is a medical interpreter working with the Latin American diaspora in Maryland. A South American immigrant, he moved to the US over two decades ago and has lived since 2016 in the Laurel/Savage area with his children, who attend Howard County public schools. A member of the Howard County Coalition for Immigrant Rights and Friends of Latin America, he has been involved in progressive social activism since high school.  A former journalist, he has also been deeply engaged in cultural and educational projects among indigenous communities in the Amazon, where he conducted research towards his doctoral degree (PhD, University of Chicago). As a HoCo resident actively dedicated to immigrant rights, he was a member of the county’s Racial Equity Task Force, which further convinced him of the need to prevent county politicians from controlling the narrative to their benefit. He believes the Democratic Central Committee should hold allegiance to the county’s residents, rather than providing uncritical support to corporate-owned elected officials. 

Liset Rajaratnam running for Howard County Democratic Central Committee

Liset Rajaratnam

Liset is a  grassroot activist, Hispanic leader, mother, and outreach liaison for minorities. She has done a lot of advocacy for, to and with the underrepresented people in all three states she has lived. With her progressive thinking that big business corporations are a detriment to the public good and to the Democratic process, she as a  local citizen would bring back the collective support of our public legacy: The People.

Claudia Koenig running for Howard County Democratic Central Committee

Claudia Koenig

Claudia has lived in Howard County with her family for 27 years. She was drawn to this special county because of its progressive ideals, excellent schools and integration of nature in the various communities. She wishes to help keep this county special and will endeavor to do so.

Ahmad Khan running for Howard County Democratic Central Committee

Ahmad Khan

Ahmad is a psychiatrist practicing at Howard County General, and has lived in Columbia since 2005.   His wife is an educator and his son is in a graduate program after completing his bachelor’s at University of Maryland, College Park.  Ahmad is a member of the BMANA (Bangladesh Medical Association of North America).  He actively fundraised and campaigned for President Obama in 2008 and in the gubernatorial election of 2018.  In that same year, he also actively supported many local democratic candidates like Calvin Ball, Katie Hester and Courtney Watson.    

Jake Burdett

Jake Burdett is a 24 year old activist who has been working to try to make the Democratic Party more representative of working class people and voters since his time in college at Salisbury University, where he served as Co-President of the SU College Democrats and Vice President of MD College Democrats. Since graduating and returning home to HoCo, where he was born and raised, Jake has served as the President of the Columbia Democratic Club, and is the current President of the recently-formed Progressive Democrats of Howard County.  Jake has worked on many Democratic campaigns in Howard County and other parts of the state, and hopes to continue the work of reforming the Party from within that he began while serving as Vice Chair of the Wicomico County Democratic Central Committee in college.  One of Jake’s most important issues he’d like to bring to the forefront when running for Central Committee in Howard County is ridding the local, state, and national Democratic Party of corporate influence and campaign donations.

Meagan Braganca

Meagan lives in Ellicott City & is a long-time climate & environmental activist.  From 2013-2018 she served on the Sierra Club Howard County executive committee and more recently, served as an At-Large member of the Our Revolution Howard County Steering Committee.  She has played an active role in several environmental initiatives like pesticide and fossil fuel reduction.  She has also canvassed and electioneered for national, state-wide and local Democratic candidates for the past few election cycles.  Last summer, she was a founding member of the Progressive Democrats of Howard County and is the  Vice President of that organization.  Her current focus is in getting special interest money out of politics.  She has three kids in the Howard County Public School System.  As a member of the Democratic Central Committee, she hopes to let ALL Democratic voices matter, because currently progressive voices are pushed aside & excluded from most of the Party’s dialogue.

Kiana Fok candidate for Howard County Democratic Central Committee

Kiana Fok

Kiana has grown up in Howard County and is an active community member since her high school years. Besides being a longtime volunteer, she is a member of Howard County Our Revolution, Friends of Latin America, and Howard County Poor People’s Campaign, and Howard County Sunrise Movement, and is passionate about political accountability, community empowerment, and ending homelessness. 

Hiruy Hadgu candidate for Democratic Central Committee in Howard County

Hiruy Hadgu

Hiruy Hadgu is a community activist focused on improving laws that affect land-use and zoning. As a founding member of the Progressive Democrats of Howard County, he works to bring attention to how such laws affect public infrastructure such as schools, roads, public transit, the environment, and the county’s budget. The equitable allocation of resources relies on wealthy developer corporations paying their fair share.

Howard County Democratic Central Committee candidate Drew Roth running with HoCo4Us slate

Drew Roth

Drew has a long and ongoing history of community activism.  He is a past president of the Greater Elkridge Community Association (GECA), where he lead the successful effort to stop the proposed CSX Intermodal Freight Yard on Race Road. He lead GECA’s efforts to address the noise impacts resulting from the FAA Nextgen program at BWI, resulting in Howard County legislation to authorize legal action against the FAA. He spearheaded GECA’s advocacy for a new high school to be located in Elkridge, resulting in the designation of the Troy Hill site as the preferred location for High School 14.  He is an original member and past chair of the BWI Roundtable.  As chair, Drew guided the creation of a joint proposal from the Roundtable, the MAA, and the commercial airline industry to modify flight procedures to reduce the noise impact on surrounding communities. This proposal is currently undergoing review by the FAA.  Drew was also a member of the Howard County Historic Preservation Commission from 2014 to 2021, providing advisory comments to developments affecting historic properties throughout the county. He advocated for the HPC to become a consulting party to the Army Corps of Engineer’s review of the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan for flood mitigation. Drew retired after a 36 year career as a working engineer with the federal government. He lives in Elkridge with his spouse Debra and his teenage son Max.



Howard County Central Committee candidate Karin Emery running for a Howard County United

Karin Emery

A lifelong Democrat, Karin is committed to voter education and getting money out of politics. She grew up in Howard County, having moved to Columbia at the age of 5 and graduating from Oakland Mills High School in 1983.  She grew up with the inclusionary ideals espoused and practiced by Jim Rouse when building Columbia as well as a fundamental belief in fairness and human rights. She believes in strong environmental stewardship, public education, and a living wage. From a young age she has always been involved in the community, from volunteering as a recreational soccer coach for SAC for many years to fostering for animal rescue. Her first political experience was volunteering for Barbara Mikulsi’s successful Senate run in 1986.  More recently she knocked on doors for Dan Medinger’s campaign for state Delegate in 2018 and then became secretary of the Ellicott City and Western Howard County Democratic Club where she served for 2 terms.  She supported Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Presidential Primary.  In 2021 she became a founding member of the newest democratic club, Progressive Democrats of Howard County and is the current secretary.  Through the club she works to educate voters on issues affecting their daily lives such as land use and its impacts on the environment and our public schools and is working towards publicly financed campaigns where elected officials are more accountable to their voters.  She is also an active member with Our Revolution Howard County.