New Endorsements for County Council Special Election
While the Prince George’s County Executive race has been the main topic of discussion in ongoing civic affairs, the special election for the Council seat in District 5 is also heating up.
Candidates are getting new endorsements and sending out mailers targeting registered voters.
Kendal Gray, a former Prince George’s County Council staffer, sent a mailer emphasizing his goals for local seniors, including eliminating the $.10 bag tax for seniors, expanding senior check-in programs, and creating a county office for senior affairs.
“Like many of our neighbors, my wife and I find ourselves helping as caregivers to our parents at the same time our daughter came home from college,” said Gray. “I know it is hard and I believe the government needs to do more to help and provide better resources and tax incentives to families caring for their adult family members.”
Former Board of Education member Shayla Adams-Stafford has announced endorsements from County Council Tom Dernoga (D-District 1) and Board of Education Member Jonathan Briggs (District 2), who called her “an advocate for change.”
The Metropolitan Washington AFL-CIO, who endorsed State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy for county executive, is also supporting Adams-Stafford in her race for the District 5 seat on the council.
Working toward the council meant Adams-Stafford had to sacrifice her District 4 seat on the Prince George’s Board of Education. The rules of the board require resignation before filing for an outside office, and now the District 4 seat will be vacant until further notice.
“Shayla has always put community interests ahead of special interests,” said Councilmember Dernoga in his endorsement. “We need her experience as a leader now more than ever as we face challenges that we have never seen before.”
Having worked with her on the school board, Briggs emphasized Adams-Stafford’s proactive leadership.
“I am confident that Shayla Adams-Stafford will not only speak about change during her tenure as a county council member, but she will also actively implement it,” said Briggs.
Former U.S. Senator Ben Cardin endorsed CountyStat Director Ryan Middleton, who worked with the Democratic federal legislator from 2014 to 2018.
“Ryan served as my official representative in Prince George’s County for nearly five years, during which he demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the residents and their needs. I have seen firsthand how Ryan works tirelessly to address issues that matter most to the community. His dedication, innovative approach to problem-solving, and deep-rooted love for Prince George’s County make him an ideal choice for the County Council,” said Cardin, who is also supporting County Council Chair Jolene Ivey for county executive. “I am proud to endorse Ryan Middleton for Prince George’s County Council, District 5.”
Mail-in ballots have been sent to most registered voters, and Early Vote will begin on Feb. 26. Election Day will be held on March 4.
Maryland Dems Call For Accountability Against Trump Administration
Maryland’s congressional Democrats have been active and vocal in the first weeks of the Trump Administration to criticize and speak against the many policies that are already harming everyday Marylanders, particularly low-income households, senior citizens, and civil servants.
During the unprecedented and illegal limbo period where federal funds were withheld from countless programs and agencies, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D) and Angela Alsobrooks (D) raised alarm about the impending impacts. Van Hollen called this “an illegal abuse of power”.
“The Administration’s immediate halt of federal funding would devastate hardworking Marylanders. Countless have already called my office today afraid of what this means for them, for their kids, for their families,” she said on Jan. 28. “These funds support our local police departments that keep our communities safe, hospitals that keep people alive, food programs like SNAP that feed hungry kids, veterans in need of housing after serving this nation, and more. Public service is about trying to make people’s lives better. Not ripping away critical resources Americans rely on. The Administration needs to clean up this mess immediately and reverse course.”
During a hearing where she questioned Robert Kennedy Jr., he made several comments that justify medical racism, including limited vaccine access for Black communities and doctors assuming that Black patients have a higher pain tolerance. Alsobrooks pledged to vote against RFK Jr.’s appointment, and cited his answers as “dangerous”. During a press conference with doctors to raise concerns regarding RFK Jr., Van Hollen repeated the words of President John F. Kennedy regarding his desire to see vaccines for all children, and the hypocrisy of the late President’s nephew serving to destroy that goal.
Senators Van Hollen and Alsbrooks and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D- District 8) have also called on the Trump Administration to restore funding to the National Institutes of Health, which is based in Bethesda.
Congressman Glenn Ivey (D- District 4) denounced the Trump Administration’s policy changes that will allow Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement (ICE) officials to target schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Numerous advocates have also said that these policies will make communities less safe.
“It is shocking that the Trump Administration is now targeting churches and other places of worship for ICE raids. This cruelty not only contradicts longstanding ICE policy, but the idea of armed law enforcement dragging out worshippers violates the right to attend religious services at sacred spaces protected by the First Amendment,” said Congressman Ivey. “The risk of racial profiling makes this unconscionable defiance of basic constitutional protections even worse. That’s why I support efforts to push back in Congress and in the courts.”