BY SOPHIE GORMAN ORIANI
The City of Hyattsville’s election results are officially in! On May 11, the city’s Board of Supervisors of Elections certified the results.
Robert Croslin, the incumbent mayor of Hyattsville, ran unopposed and won with 1341 votes, 91% of the total ballots cast.
Ward 1 councilmember Joanne Waszczak, Ward 2 councilmember Danny Schaible, and Ward 5 councilmember Joseph Solomon all ran unopposed for reelection and won their races, as well. Waszczak received 420 votes, or just under 92% of the total ballots cast in Ward 1. Schaible received 448 votes, or just under 84% of the total Ward 2 ballots. Solomon received 174 votes, or 90% of the total Ward 5 ballots.
In Ward 3, Councilmember Ben Simasek decided not to run for reelection, and two candidates stepped up to vie for the role. Kareem Redmond beat Alexander Houck, receiving 171 votes to Houck’s 98. Redmond, who has lived in Ward 3 since 2012, serves as One Independence Plaza condo building’s homeowners association president, according to the city’s election guide.
In Ward 4, Michelle Lee was the only candidate for the seat Ben Peabody vacated. She received 161 votes and joins Waszczak and Councilmember Emily Strab (Ward 2) as one of the city’s three female elected officials. Lee was born in Prince George’s County and has lived in Hyattsville for 10 years, according to the city’s election guide. Lee said one of her priorities is to increase civic engagement in Ward 4.
Overall, 1636 Hyattsville residents cast a ballot in the election, which is a voter turnout of 13.8%. The highest turnout percentage was in Ward 2, with 17.8%, and the lowest was in Ward 4, with 9.5%.