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Kettering resident Marvin E. Holmes Jr., 61, recently filed to run for a third term representing District 23B in the Maryland House of Delegates.

The district stretches from Route 50 south through the southern half of Bowie along both sides of Route 301 to the town of Upper Marlboro.

A delegate since 2003, Holmes has served as Deputy Majority Whip in the House since 2006. As of Tuesday, no one had filed to run against him.

Educated as a civil engineer at Tuskegee University in Alabama, Holmes is a Realtor, and is currently a project manager with national home building company K. Hovnanian Homes.

With more than 35 years of experience in development, real estate and housing, Holmes said he has the background that has enabled him to focus on those areas in the General Assembly.

"Why am I running again? Because there's a lot of work yet to be done," he said. "My primary emphasis in the next two years is on economic recovery primarily focused on housing. I want to increase the light rail transportation in Prince George's County around Metro stations."

Holmes said he has started work on legislation that would mandate zoning changes intended to foster high-density development around transit stations.

Holmes said he realizes it may take years to win the necessary votes because local councils tend to resist any loss of their control over zoning. But Holmes said building around transit stations reflects the state's Smart Growth policy, and would help revive the housing sector and the economy.

"It's important, because no economic recovery can be accomplished without including housing," he said.

Holmes said he is also working on bringing a pilot project to Prince George's County that is modeled on a Norwegian program designed to prevent bullying in schools. He believes he can do so at no cost to the county, because of support from insurance companies that include BlueCross BlueShield.

In addition, he said he plans to introduce legislation, as he has for each of the past eight years, that would divert 75 percent of the lottery money now going to the Stadium Authority back into education statewide. The remaining 25 percent would go to the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold, he said.

"I want to get that money back to education, which is where it should be," he said.

In past sessions, Holmes said that as a member of the Housing and Real Property Subcommittee, he has played a key role in working with foreclosure regulations to give owners more time to find ways to stay in their homes.

In the area of storm water management, Holmes said he served as chairman of the Natural Resources subcommittee, taking the lead on a compromise to develop emergency storm water regulations earlier this year.

In addition, Holmes said he filed legislation in 2008 to create a task force to study the idea of locating a major state agency to Prince George's County. Earlier this month, the governor announced that the Department of Housing and Community Development would move from Crownsville in Anne Arundel County to somewhere in the county.

Holmes said he has received endorsements from the Maryland State Education Association, which represents public school employees, and the Maryland Association of Realtors.

E-mail Virginia Terhune at vterhune@gazette.net.

Position sought: Delegate, Maryland House of Delegates, District 23B

Place of residence: Kettering

Age: 61

Place of birth: Cleveland

Current Occupation: Project manager with K. Hovnanian Homes; Realtor

Education: Tuskegee University, Alabama

Community associations, involvement: Kettering Civic Federation, president; Citizens for Greenbelt, president; Watkins Park Homeowners Association, president; Prince George's County Council of Democratic Clubs, vice president; Governor Oden Bowie Democratic Club; Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt Democratic Club; Prince George's Leadership Alumni Association, executive president; City of Greenbelt, Community Relations Advisory Board; Spring Speakers Toastmasters, president

Professional associations: Suburban Maryland Engineers Society, president; Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation, board of directors; Prince George's Board of Realtors; Consulting Engineers Council; Minority Building Industry Association, board of directors; Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland; National Association of Black Engineers; Maryland National Capital Building Industry Association, board of directors; American Society of Civil Engineers; Construction Development Institute, board of advisors; Project Management Institute; Society of Project Management; National Institute of Parliamentarians; American Institute of Parliamentarians

Family: Married; four daughters

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign office address and telephone: P.O. Box 1631, Upper Marlboro, MD 20773-1631; 301-249-2602

Candidate's website: www.meholmes.com