LaToya Nkongolo was sworn into the vacant District 31 seat in the Maryland House of Delegates Friday, rounding out the three-delegate, Republican-dominated district.

Nkongolo, 46, was joined by her mother, daughter and son on the dais at the front of the House chamber as she took the oath of office. The ceremony came after the Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee recommended her to fill the vacancy last week.

The seat was previously held by Rachel Muñoz, who said she resigned Jan. 1 to spend more time with her family.

Getting to this point, however, wasn’t easy for Nkongolo. In 2022, she ran as a Republican for one of the three District 31 seats, but did not advance past the primary. Last year, she also ran for the District 5 seat on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education, which is nonpartisan, but was edged out by incumbent Dana Schallheim.

“I think God wanted me to endure the pain to enjoy the game, and I’m enjoying this moment right here,” she said after taking the oath of office.

Nkongolo, a licensed therapist who runs a mental health facility in Glen Burnie, nodded to her career experience as something that will help her as a delegate.

“My job every day is to encourage people, to bring the best out of people and also find some common ground in difficult situations,” she said. “That’s what I’m going to bring to this House — I don’t like division, I like unity, I like for people to get along.”

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