Takoma Park came out to vote last month on a new council, and there were a few surprises with two open seats and two incumbents failing to keep their positions for the first time in 20 years.
“It takes a lot to put yourself out there when running for public office,” said Mayor Talisha Searcy at the new council’s first meeting on November 18. Searcy ran for her second term unopposed and received 4,592 votes. “The fact that we were able to come out of this election season with our community values intact is a true testament to us as a city.”
In Ward 1, Shana Fulcher lost re-election to her seat to Jessica Landman. Fulcher received 619 votes to Landman’s 727, with 18
write-ins.
In Ward 2, Cindy Dyballa ran unopposed and received 734 votes, with 62 write-ins.
In Ward 3, during the first round of votes, Roger Schlegel received 624 votes, Matt Bormet received 478 votes, and Lucy Moore received 266 votes, with 36 write-ins. The vote then went to a runoff since none of the candidates secured more than 50 percent of the votes. In the runoff, Schlegel received 715 to Bormet’s 654.
In Ward 4, Kurt Gilbert received 464 votes and Tony Kyere received 215, with 15 write-in votes.
In Ward 5, Cara Honzak also ran unopposed and received 321 votes with 8 writeins.
Ward 6 also had a three-way race that resulted in a runoff vote. During the first round of votes, Amy Wesolek received 260 votes, Ambroise Agosse received 252 votes, and incumbent Jason B. Small received 210 votes. In the runoff, Wesolek won the majority of votes over Agosse, 380 to 334.
Councilmember Dyballa spoke first to her new colleagues at the swearing-in ceremony, saying, “I’m looking forward to the next two years as a team. While we may disagree, I am sure we will disagree respectfully. I think we share some common values, and if we can hang on to that, it’ll be a great couple of years.”
Councilmember Honzak welcomed her new colleagues and shared some advice she received from former Ward 4 Councilmember Terry Seamens, who did not seek re-election after serving since 1999, “If it’s already been said, you don’t need to say it again.”
After that, the four new councilmembers addressed the community in their new roles for the first time.
Councilmember Wesolek shared her top priorities for the upcoming term, including protecting the city’s large immigrant population.
“I’m very proud that Takoma Park is a sanctuary city, meaning we will not cooperate with any federal law enforcement regarding immigration. All are welcome here regardless of where they were born or what immigration papers they have.”
Councilmember Gilbert took time to thank his family, his new constituents, and his opponent.
“I want to thank God for this opportunity to serve my community again,” said Gilbert, a former member of the Takoma Park police department. “If I could just take a moment to acknowledge my mom. She is a very strong, powerful woman in my life, and I’m very grateful she’s here to see this day.”
Councilmember Schlegel also took timeto thank his family, including his wife and two children. He spoke of his parents and how their lessons will help shape his time in office.
“Dad always taught us that problemsolving was at its best when everybody in the room was being listened to, especially the person being least attended to,” he said. “Our mom was amazing at giving everyone the benefit of the doubt and finding a way to love every single person, and I hope to be able to do that from here.”
Councilmember Landman spoke last, saying she’s excited to serve her ward.
“I’m very honored to be representing Ward 1,” she said. “And I look forward to representing all ,of the residents of Ward 1, the ones who voted for me, the ones who didn’t vote, and even the ones who voted against me. Because that’s the most exciting thing, to find commonality. I think there are common values among everyone on the council.”
Mayor Searcy closed out the meeting with congratulations for the new council and words of hope for an uncertain future.
“I think one of the things that’s important as we continue to move forward as a city is that we embrace our character and we embrace our values and that we serve as that beacon of hope to other communities across this country when you have a group joined in a shared vision to make our community better,” she said. “We’re no longer running, now we have to lead.”
During the final meeting of the outgoing council right before the new council was sworn in, Mayor Searcy took a few minutes to recognize former Councilmember Seamens and his decades of service.
“As the Ward 4 councilmember, Councilmember Seamens advocated for residents, addressed food insecurities locally, and fought for police reform,” Searcy said. “Councilmembers Seamens and his wife, Joyce, are pillars of the community and have jointly worked to support Takoma Park residents by delivering food and connecting residents with social services.”
Before closing out the final meeting of the outgoing council, Searcy also told the story of Seamans and his wife urging her to run for mayor in 2022 and how he helped in her first years leading the city.
“Growing up in the South, my grandmother used to pass us little candies in church,” Searcy said through tears. “So, Councilmember Seamens, every council meeting when he would see things getting a little difficult, would pass me a candy. I cannot express how much I appreciate your leadership—you’ve given me room to fail—your dedication to the city and to each and every person in this community, regardless of where they live or their backgrounds. You’ve just shown pure love to the people of this community. Thank you very much.”
Mayor Searcy also thanked Fulcher and Smalls for their service on the council as well as former Councilmember Randy Gibson, who did not seek re-election.
For a full list of election results, visit the City Election Webpage.
This article appeared in the December Edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. Check out this article and more on the City webpage.
