By SHARON O’MALLEY

Credit: Kelsey Ward
Two candidates so far have announced they will run for the District 3 College Park City Council seat vacated by the resignation of Councilmember Stuart Adams.
Michael Meadow, who lives in Old Town, and Ray Ranker, a College Park Estates resident, told College Park Here & Now they hope to win the March 11 special election the city will hold to fill the vacancy.
Candidates have until Feb. 5 to collect 20 signatures on a petition and register with the city at collegeparkmd.gov. College Park Here & Now’s February issue will feature profiles of any additional candidates who sign up by that deadline.
Meadow, a lifelong resident of College Park and a University of Maryland (UMD) graduate, said he would focus on helping the city “grow and prosper, but at the same time I want to take care of the small business owners.”

Courtesy of Mike Meadow
An engineer who works for the federal government, Meadow, 44 and recently married, said he hopes to raise a family in the city where he grew up.
“I’ve seen the city through the eyes of a child, through the eyes of a University of Maryland student, through the eyes of a working professional, someone who is starting a family,” he said. “I love this community and I want to make sure it grows in a very sustainable and smart way. It’s come a long way from 44 years ago.”
Ranker, 42, also graduated from the University of Maryland and moved back to College Park 12 years ago to raise his family. He said he is running “not just because I want to have a seat at the table personally, but because I want to think of our government as a way to engage people more broadly. So while there are issues that I’m passionate about, I’m really passionate about bringing people to the table who have expertise on issues that matter.”
Ranker, who is UMD’s Lutheran chaplain, added: “There’s only so much one person can do for the community. With our neighbors, with others who live and work in College Park, we can really do amazing things.”
As a member of the council, Ranker said, he would advocate for a city that is “livable, walkable, bikeable, a place that can offer support to students, to families, to seniors. I want to keep building on those pieces. I also want to keep an eye out especially for the most vulnerable in our city, making sure they can also access services.”
Ranker, who speaks Spanish, said he “wants to make sure that those whose primary language is not English, that they’re not left behind.”

Courtesy of Ijeoma Opara
Meadow, who is running for office for the first time, said he would push for a balance between development and the well-being of locally owned businesses.
“Route 1 is definitely completely flipped with all the development,” he observed. “It’s unfortunate that with that development, a lot of our mom-and-pop stores … are getting pushed out and we’re not filling the vacancies as quickly as we’d like to.”
As a member of the council, Meadow said, “I’d like to preserve our mom-and-pops, help them out as much as we can … and help others get started here.”
Ranker, who made an unsuccessful run for the Maryland House of Delegates in 2018, said he supports development that promotes “people living near where they work and study. … I’m a big proponent of smart growth in general, concentrating the growth in sustainable ways to offer good quality of life for people.”
That includes students living in the city, Ranker said. A long-time member of the committee that organizes Good Neighbor Day—a partnership that brings College Park residents and UMD students together for a day of service, Ranker noted, “There are so many other possibilities around that,” pointing to a campus ministry project that pairs college students with children at Hollywood Elementary School in North College Park for tutoring and mentoring.
Ranker, who helped revive College Park Estates’ Civic Association and regularly hosts neighborhood get-togethers at his home, served on a city commission tasked with recommending term lengths for elected officials.
Meadow serves on the city’s Advisory Planning Commission and volunteers for a committee focusing on historic preservation.
Both candidates said they oppose another residential tax increase—the city raised taxes last year for the first time in a decade—and do not support starting a city police force.
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Special election
College Park will hold a special election on March 11 to replace City Councilmember Stuart Adams (District 3), who resigned.
Candidates may register until Feb. 5, when a 20-signature petition and other forms are due to the city.
Voting information:
Tuesday, March 11
8 a.m.-8 p.m.
City Hall
7401 Baltimore Ave.