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She has spent 12 years in the state legislature, but Upper Marlboro's Melony Griffith is not done with Maryland politics yet.

Griffith, 47, will run to keep her seat as a District 25 representative for the Maryland House of Delegates.

Also running for the three open seats are incumbents Aisha Braveboy and Dereck Davis and challengers Erek Barron, Antonio Faunteroy, Davion Percy and Michelle Wright. District 25 covers areas such as District Heights, Forestville, Largo, Mitchellville and Suitland. She was elected chair of the Prince George's County House Delegation in December 2009.

Griffith, vice chair of the capital budget and a member of the House Appropriations Committee, will center her campaign on creating jobs and wealth in Prince George's County and fighting for safe communities and programs to keep residents active.

One of her triumphs in the past four years was advocating that the date Maryland real taxable income is calculated, an indicator of a county's overall wealth, be changed from September to November. State aid to counties is dependent on tax returns submitted in late summer, but the incomes of wealthier residents in other counties might not be counted because they are more likely to request extensions to file later.

"They missed late filers, so it was wealth artificially inflated," said Griffith. After the date change, the state was able to give Prince George's County $18 million in aid, Griffith added.

She said one of her biggest disappointments in the past four years was the defeat of a bill for a feasibility study on a new stadium for the D.C. United Soccer team. She said some county residents failed to see the residual effects of having a stadium, such as a commercial rebirth similar to the one in Chinatown outside the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

"That type of proposal is something that we as a county absolutely must pursue," Griffith said.

Beatrice Tignor, a former District 25 state senator and current city manager in Glenarden, said she has known Griffith since 1994, when she was a member of the Suitland Civic Association and a mentor for area children, including homeless youth. Tignor served in the legislature from 1992 to 1995.

Tignor said Griffith is a hard worker and enthusiastic about advancing Prince George's County.

"She's quite a visionary [and] quite a team player," Tignor said. "She's futuristic. And she's a very dedicated, committed, kind person. She can take the tough stands. She's a leader, but she knows how to follow."

District Heights Vice Mayor Eddie Martin credited both Griffith and Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Dist. 25) of Forestville for helping secure state bond bills in 2009 and 2010 that total $420,000 to go toward the ball field renovation at the District Heights Municipal Building. Martin said Griffith is a knowledgeable and "extremely helpful" resource to District 25.

"She's a real community-oriented person that really cares about what she does, and she's really good at what she does," Martin said.

-Position sought, party affiliation: House of Delegates District 25; Democrat

-Place of residence: Upper Marlboro

-How long she has lived in county: 25 years

-Age: 47

-Place of birth: Abilene, Texas

-Current occupation: Director of External Affairs, Greater Baden Medical Services

-Education: Bachelor of Science, Master of Social Work

-Community associations: Charles Herbert Flowers Band Parents Association, Prince George's Chapter-Howard University Alumni Association, Maryland State Arts Council, Perrywood Homeowners Association, Zion Church

-Family: 2 sons

-Campaign telephone number, website: 240-280-5068; www.melonygriffith.com