The Together for Education Excellence Slate
A slate is a grouping of political candidates who coordinate their campaigns. Forming a slate allows the candidates to pool resources and produce campaign materials together. This year there are three openings on the Carroll County Board of Education, which means that it is possible for both Lisa Maisano and Julie Walsh to be elected. Their names will appear separately on the ballot – voters can choose to vote for one, both, or neither. But because Julie and Lisa have formed a slate, you will see their names together on signs, magnets, literature, etc.
Forming a Slate with One Another
After all the work Lisa and Julie did together over the past year, they can hardly imagine running this race without one another. The two work extremely well together – not only have they become good friends, but their different personalities and talents complement one another beautifully.
Lisa (on the left in this photo) is an engineer by training, and is adept at digging into budgets and reports, understanding systems, and spotting gaps. She asks great questions and knows how to look for answers.
Julie (on the right) has a background in State-level politics, having spent years as a lobbyist for a nonprofit in Annapolis. She understands political machinations in general and Maryland politics in particular. As a writer and a speaker, Julie appreciates (and seeks to craft) clear, persuasive arguments.
Forming a Bipartisan Slate
Slates are common enough in politics, but bipartisan slates are very unusual. Typically, candidates aim to boost, and want to campaign with, only members of their own party. Julie and Lisa expect that strong partisans on both sides of the political divide will be unhappy with their decision to run together. But they also expect that many in the middle will find their collaboration refreshing.
Lisa and Julie think they can’t be alone in their unhappiness at how divisive, and even ugly, politics has become. They want to see politicians who care more about working constructively toward practical solutions than scoring political points. They want to see a local politics that is focused on local (not national) issues and responsive to local concerns.
The two think it is important for politicians to be willing to work for, and with, everyone. They think it’s time to try something different.
Meet the Candidates
Lisa Maisano is a Maryland native. She and her husband have called Carroll County home for the past 18 years. They are raising their three children in Sykesville, where they attend public schools.
As an engineer, Lisa brings a natural problem-solving mindset to everything she does, as well as a commitment to digging into, and understanding, complex details.
An active member of her community, Lisa served as PTA President at her children’s elementary school, created a new PTA Advocacy Committee, helped to found the Carroll Education Coalition, and continues to volunteer as a Scout leader with her children’s unit.
She is a moderate Democrat who has never been involved in politics until her education advocacy over the past year, which led to her run for the Board of Education.
To learn more about Lisa, please visit her campaign website:
Julie Walsh is a mother of five children (aged 8 to 15) attending four Carroll County Public Schools. She lives with her husband and children in Mount Airy, where she and her family are deeply involved in their community.
Julie has long been interested in and had experience with politics, but never saw herself as a potential candidate until the last months of 2025. She came to this decision slowly, after an intense year of advocacy on behalf of the County’s schools, and after recognizing that community members had begun to approach her as a resource and guide.
Raised in a Republican family active in local politics, Julie followed political news from a young age and went on to study political science in college. She then spent a decade working first for the federal government, and then as a registered lobbyist in Annapolis, as an associate director of the Maryland Catholic Conference.
When her first child was born in 2010, Julie left paid work to become a stay-at-home mother. In the years since, she has been an active, involved member of her community, volunteering at schools and church and other nonprofits, and taking on leadership roles where such help was needed.
While Julie considers herself a fundamentally conservative person and has been a registered Republican for nearly thirty years, she is not particularly partisan. Julie cares more about acting in accordance with her deeply-held moral convictions than falling in line with any group.
To learn more about Julie, please visit her campaign website: