Sonya Dunn, a Bowie Republican, is running against Democrat Brooke Elizabeth Lierman for Maryland comptroller in the Nov. 3 general election.

Dunn said on her campaign website that she is running because "Maryland deserves financial leadership that puts people first — not politics, not special interests, not status quo, and not bureaucracy." She has no previous political experience, according to the Baltimore Sun's 2026 voter guide.

Candidate information

  • Party: Republican
  • Age: 54 on election day
  • Hometown: Bowie, Maryland
  • Education: Dunn said she holds a bachelor of arts in film, radio and television production with a minor in business from the University of Central Oklahoma. She said she earned a master of arts in producing film, television and emerging media from American University, a master of arts in procurement and acquisition management from Webster University, and a master of business administration from Webster University. She said she is pursuing a doctor of business administration in finance at Liberty University.
  • Family: Dunn said she is the spouse of a retired United States Air Force major general and the mother of four adult children, including two sons with developmental disabilities. She said she is the daughter of pastors.

Experience and public service

Dunn said she brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in enterprise operations, finance, procurement, acquisition, technology integration, media, strategic communications and data asset management, according to a Black PR Wire press release.

According to BallotReady profile data, her professional history includes serving as CEO of JEMH Enterprises since 2017, as a producer and radio host at the DC Office of Cable Television since 2018, as chief content officer at SimlTV from 2020 to 2022, and as founder of MilitaryHomeLife.com from 2015 to 2022.

Dunn has not held elected office.

On the issues

Government accountability and fiscal oversight

Dunn said she would serve as a nonpartisan, independent taxpayer watchdog. She pledged to protect every taxpayer dollar, strengthen procurement oversight, fight fraud and abuse, and modernize financial systems through technology and data transparency.

Procurement and government spending

Dunn said her procurement management background and graduate-level training prepare her for the comptroller's seat on the Board of Public Works. She described the role as "a frontline safeguard for taxpayer dollars" and pledged there would be "no rubber-stamping" of contracts, according to her Baltimore Sun questionnaire response.

Taxes and budget

Dunn outlined a first-100-days agenda in her Baltimore Sun questionnaire response. She said she would introduce legislation to repeal or restructure underperforming tax policies and provide 10-year stress testing for the 2027 legislative session. She also pledged to strengthen Board of Public Works procurement oversight, launch independent audits, maximize federal funding and build a near-real-time financial dashboard for taxpayers.

Candidate responses were drawn from the Baltimore Sun's 2026 voter guide, BallotReady questionnaire data, the candidate's campaign website and a Black PR Wire press release. The Bethesda Beacon did not interview the candidate for this profile.