Today via social media, former Gaithersburg City Councilmember and current Montgomery County Councilmember, Laurie-Anne Sayles, announced her run for Congress. The full announcement and additional information on Sayles can be seen below:
“Today, I’m announcing my run for Congress in Maryland’s 6th District because Washington needs to work for us — for families in Garrett County to Gaithersburg and everywhere in between. We’ve got a lot of work to do as a country, and I get the job done.
Growing up, my mom could turn 15¢ into a dollar because she had to. My parents immigrated from Jamaica with nothing in their pockets. I was born and raised right here in Maryland, and as the youngest of six, my parents taught me the values of working hard and giving back. Mom was a social worker who worked two jobs and ran a small business while Dad was deployed serving our country.
I became the first Black Councilmember elected in Gaithersburg, working to make the city safer and grow our bio-tech corridor. As a Montgomery County Councilmember, I made our county work for everyone.
I’m running for Congress because I cannot sit idly by when there’s so much at stake. Learn more about me and what I will fight for as your next Congresswoman.”
More on Laurie-Anne Sayles, per her Montgomery County Government bio: Laurie-Anne Sayles is a change agent, a policymaker, and an advocate who believes you can achieve any goals you set for yourself if you work hard. This life has afforded her many opportunities to overcome challenging situations and use her life experiences to fuel a steadfast commitment to helping others who are less fortunate. She has fought for expanded access to early childhood education, a $15 minimum wage, a cleaner, safer, healthier environment, equal rights, and immigration reform, just to name a few.
Elected in 2017, Laurie-Anne made history, becoming the first African American councilmember in Gaithersburg, and she has hit the ground running ever since.
In the National League of Cities, she chairs its Community and Economic Development Committee and serves on its Board of Directors. She also served on its Transportation and Infrastructure Services Committee and two of its constituency groups – twice on the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials as Region 3 Director, and Second Vice Chair of Women in Municipal Government. She was the 2020 WIMG Leadership Award winner.
Recognized for her substantial community involvement and advocacy for increased female representation in public service, Laurie-Anne was awarded the 2018 Daily Record Top 100 Women in Maryland award. Laurie-Anne also chairs the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Chesapeake Bay & Water Resources Policy Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Municipal League (MML), and is a member of its Legislative Committee.
Laurie-Anne Sayles was born and raised in Maryland and is the youngest of six children to Hilda and Perry Sayles. Her parents immigrated from Jamaica in search of the American dream and instilled a value of service, advocacy, and compassion, which has shaped her political and professional career.
She currently lives in Gaithersburg and has a daughter, Mikayla, who is a Montgomery County Public School and University of Maryland, College Park, School of Communications graduate. During her free time, she enjoys hiking the Muddy Branch trails in Gaithersburg, supporting small businesses across the county, and volunteering wherever she is needed to fulfill her passion for helping others.
Career: With over a decade of a career in public service, Laurie-Anne has shaped local, regional, and national policy; promoted educational and health equity; advocated for environmental protection; and encouraged thousands in voting, campaigns, and other parts of the political process.
Throughout her career in public health, Laurie-Anne has advocated for health equity and access to care. Professionally, she previously served as a senior consultant with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, working to ensure the manufacture and distribution of effective and safe drugs, treatments, practices, and medical products for all residents in the United States. She has also worked as a Paraeducator and Substitute Teacher with MCPS and Senior Project Manager in consultation with the Nature Conservancy and the National Institutes of Health.
Education: Laurie-Anne earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Baltimore School of Public Administration, where she received a graduate fellowship to hone her policymaking skills at the Schaefer Center for Public Policy.