College Park voters will elect a mayor and eight City Councilmembers—two from each of four city districts—on Nov. 4.
In just one of those districts—District 2—three candidates are running for two seats. In Districts 1 and 4, the two incumbent councilmembers are running unopposed for reelection. In District 3, one incumbent and one newcomer are running, also unopposed.
Mayor Fazlul Kabir also is running unopposed.
The three candidates running for two District 2 seats include an information technology project manager, an IT security professional and an urban planner.
The three longtime College Park residents—Christopher Gill, Kelly Jordan and Holly Simmons—have been active in civic affairs, either through their neighborhood civic associations or on city committees.
Christopher Gill
Gill, an Oak Springs resident who has lived in College Park for more than 15 years, said he wants the city to become a place for people in all phases of life.
“People can move here as a young professional, as a student, stay here as a first-time homeowner, become a parent if they want, stay here to be a retiree if they want,” Gill said. “If somebody is having a problem with that, my goal as a councilmember would be to address them.”
Gill, 45, an IT project manager at the National Institutes of Health, said housing affordability is a major challenge and expressed concern about owner-occupied homes being flipped into rentals.
That trend, he said, disrupts neighborhood stability and contributes to rising housing costs. “I don’t want people to be pushed out of their community,” he said.
As a dad with 9-year-old twins, Gill said he wants to improve walkability and trail connections. He noted the Trolley Trail, which he and his kids use to bike to Berwyn and Lakeland or past Lake Artemesia, is a major asset.
“But it doesn’t often connect to the right places,” he said, pointing to difficulties at the intersection of Route 193 and Rhode Island Avenue.
Gill, who ran for city council in 2017, said he’s running again because “it is a time when people need to step up.” He is a former member of the city’s Advisory Planning Commission and serves on a committee tracking vacant and blighted property.
“I have experience and insight that I can offer on these issues,” Gill added.
Kelly Jordan
For nearly a decade, Jordan has been a steady presence in District 2 civic life—from co-leading the Berwyn District Civic Association to serving as treasurer of her children’s elementary school PTA.
Now, at 48, she is seeking to extend that service by running for city council.
Jordan, who grew up in South Carolina and moved to the Berwyn neighborhood nine years ago, said her campaign is rooted in representation.
“I want to make sure that there are lots of different interests that all get heard from and incorporated into the decision-making that goes into the policies,” she said. “I want to be a part of that.”
In fact, she said, she sees students as a key constituency, noting that District 2 councilmembers represent many University of Maryland dormitories and student homes.
“A lot of students don’t realize that they are eligible to vote in city elections,” she said. “And so I want to reach out to both the residents who are long-time or recently moved to College Park, but also the student body itself.”
Jordan’s career began in condensed matter physics, when she published research and traveled internationally to present it, before pivoting a decade ago into IT security.
That scientific background, she said, defines her approach to policy, as does her experience as the parent of four school-age children.
Although this is her first run for elected office, Jordan said she has long been active in community leadership.
“I’ve been on boards before, but I’ve never been on the governing body in this sense before,” she acknowledged.
Holly Simmons
When Simmons moved to College Park nine years ago, it was as a graduate student at the University of Maryland. Nearly a decade later, she said, “I really love the community that I found here.”
Simmons, who lives in the Berwyn neighborhood, said she has a passion for local government, adding, “Having someone who … really cares about District 2 and the community … will really serve the community well.”
She has nearly a decade of experience in urban planning and local government, having worked for municipalities in Prince George’s County. She now serves as an urban planner for the city of Rockville.
“I think it will help with my understanding of local government and kind of how things work, how to build consensus in that context, and how to work for solutions and with community members,” said Simmons, who is the acting treasurer of the Berwyn District Civic Association and has served on several city committees.
Simmons said she hopes to focus on affordability, restorative justice and livability. She pointed to the city’s efforts with affordable housing and the restorative justice initiative for the Lakeland community as priorities she would continue.
Simmons, who grew up in Florida, described District 2 as “the heart of College Park,” a diverse area bisected by Greenbelt Road and home to both long-term residents and a large student population from the University of Maryland.
“Students are integral to the community, truly,” she said. “I started as a student at the University of Maryland, which is what brought me to College Park, and I chose to stay because of the experiences that I had in College Park during that time.”