*Trailer* On the Record: Charles County w/ Dyotha Sweat

In this in-depth interview,  host Carlos Childs sits down with candidate for Charles County Commissioner President Dyotha Sweat shares her extensive background in the Navy, activism, and her vision for Charles County. She discusses key issues like housing, economic development, infrastructure, and her plans to transform the county through community engagement and strategic leadership.

Dyotha Sweat: 

• Campaign website

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is again me talking, not you talking. I one of my biggest bones, bones of pick is with uh G.S. Proctor, just because they have been known to donate to candidates. They also lobby for different people companies to the county commissioners. And also when the county commissioners during the uh the uh general assembly session, the county hires them as a contractor to lobby for them on things. So so it's so it's kind of a revolving door for um them, them specifically, but you also have have the other uh corporate packs and things. You voluntarily choose choose to not take money from corporations, developer packs, real estate organizations, or or um uh GS Proctor and associates or different companies.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

So right now, no one's giving me any money. I am financing my own uh campaigns to this day. So let me be very, very clear. Campaigns are not cheap. I have interviewed with quite a few entities, and I have been very, very clear that my soul is not for sale. And so you can go with it, whatever that means for you, but my soul is not for sale. And I remember um when I ran the last time, I won't say who the entity was, but they endorsed me. And when I became the NAACP president, they were shocked that I was coming at them for some policies. My soul is not for sale. Okay, so if you're if I'm saying something that you think that you need to champion behind, then that's good. But my soul is not for sale, and so I want to uh be clear with that. And so do I need money? Yes, I do. Okay, but I have to make sure that they understand that I stand on principles, I stand on values, and I'm standing up for our citizens, our residents of Charles County. So I don't want to be holding to anyone. So if you think that if you uh providing finances and and I'm gonna I need to scratch your back later, I'm not your candidate.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

You have an itchy back.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Yeah, just be itching.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

So with that and kind of doing a little bit of uh pushback but also a clarification for it, given that a lot of politicians, or not politicians, a lot of candidates just say that in general. They all say, like kind of, I may take money from from like X group, but they don't guide guide my um decisions. And a lot of time, it's that kind of gray area for like residents, because it's like, well, how do I know that that's really the guiding factor? Is are there any kind of corporations, packs that you would not take money from just because you don't even want the appearance of you're doing something for a certain group because of the money?

SPEAKER_01 2:47

So to be honest with you, if if I don't want their money, I'm not even gonna interview with them. Okay, so I'm not even filling out, like I I got uh something from uh can't remember what the organization, I was just like, okay, I uh they're they're not in line with my moral values. Okay, um, so I don't think that uh this is how I look at this. And I'm telling uh residents when I'm out in in the streets, an elected official only gets away with what you allowed them to get away with. Okay, so if I stay, uh if I stood 10 toes down in my chest out saying that I would do X, Y, Z and I'm doing A, B, C, D, E, F, G, then you need to call me out on it. You need to say, hey, remember, you said this right here. And so um I think that a lot of times we as we don't hold elected officials accountable enough. And so they told a line, be like, okay, well, then nobody say nothing about that. So then nobody say it. And so no, hold me accountable. But I my moral compass is pretty calibrated, okay. And so I do things that's in line with because I um always think about what my mother would say, my grandmother, all I'm just I'm just down to earth like that. And I know if it's something that I would bring harm or discredit to my family, then I'm not gonna do that. And so I've had to be very, very candid during this candidacy, like, yeah, yeah, but no. Okay. Okay. And so I'm on record saying that. And so uh we can we'll be able to go back to the digital footprint and say, okay, well, on April the 15th, this is what you said. Right. And so, yeah, and I I think sometimes people forget that you're being recorded. Did you not realize that you said that on camera and things like that? So the thing is, is that I and I I will give you uh uh instance. So to do some mailers, just give you some numbers, do some mailers for about say 10,000 people.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

And I'm smiling because I already know it's expensive.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

That's gonna be a good car.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Okay. And so the thing is, is that do you need money to win? You do. But again, I will tell the individuals if you feel as though this is a scratch my back and not scratch your back situation, then I'm gonna have to decline the uh the money. Because that's not what who I am, and that's not what I'm gonna do.