By JOE MURCHISON and MELANIE DZWONCHYK
The election for Laurel mayor and city council will be Nov. 7 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with one day of early voting on Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Citizens registered to vote through the state of Maryland or Prince George’s County are eligible to vote in the city election. Same-day registration is also possible; citizens must bring a state-issued identification card and a utility bill showing their address of residence.
The polling places are the Laurel Municipal Center, 8103 Sandy Spring Road, for Ward 1, and the DiPietro Community Center, 7901 Cypress Street, for Ward 2. A map of ward boundaries can be found on the city’s website at tinyurl.com/255cm49a.
Voters can hear the candidates respond to questions at two candidate forums hosted by The Laurel Board of Trade. Candidates for city council will appear on Oct. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the council chambers of the Laurel Municipal Center, 8103 Sandy Spring Road. A forum for mayoral candidates will be Oct. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the same location. Residents can attend the forums in person or access them through Laurel TV — Verizon FiOS Channel 12 or Comcast Channel 996 or 71 — or through live-streaming at laureltv.org/watch-live.
To view elections results on Nov. 8, go to the city’s website, cityoflaurel.org, or The Laurel Independent’s site at streetcarsurburbs.news.
MAYOR
Five candidates are running for mayor: Seeta Deonauth, Martin Mitchell, Brencis Smith, Keith Sydnor and Sophady Uong. Two of the candidates were profiled in the September issue of The Laurel Independent, and two more are profiled in this issue. The fifth candidate, Deonauth, has not responded to our attempts to contact her.
CITY COUNCIL
Eleven candidates are running for city council. Below are their answers to a basic set of questions; we have edited their answers for brevity. Photos of the candidates are included if they were submitted.
WARD 1 (two seats)
Courtesy of Carl DeWalt
Carl DeWalt, 68, in Laurel 38 years
Grew up: Western Pennsylvania
Education: B.S. in criminal justice, Northwestern University; Associate in Science in law enforcement, University of Cincinnati; Police staff and command graduate of the Maryland Municipal League Academy for Excellence In Local Governance
Occupation: Laurel police officer 28 years (retired)
Special interests, hobbies and civic involvement combined: Laurel City Council since 2017, American Legion Post #60, Laurel Cats, Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services (LARS), fundraiser at Oliver’s Saloon to support families for Christmas, Brighter Brites, neighborhood clean-ups, The History Boys – Voices of Laurel newspaper
Why running: If re-elected, I will continue to work on the many concerns of our citizens of Laurel: rent stabilization, speeding vehicles through our neighborhoods, stop excessive high-density development in our city and to make Laurel more walkable with safety as a priority. Now that Laurel will be getting a new mayor as of November 2023, I feel as though our hands will no longer be tied. This will enable the council to work as a close committee and perform our duties as described in the City Charter, which will ultimately enhance more government transparency. Support unionization for DPW and all city employees. Displaying the Hometown Hero banners on Main Street.
Courtesy of James Kole
James Kole, 34, in Laurel 11 years
Grew up: North-central Pennsylvania
Education: B.S. in landscape contracting, Penn State University
Occupation: Branch manager for commercial landscape company in D.C.
Civic involvement: Laurel City Council since 2021, Laurel Historical Society, Laurel for the Patuxent, Laurel Board of Trade, city Environmental Affairs Committee, city Pride Day Committee, city Historic District Commission, formerly on city Ethics Commission
Special interests: Gardening, entertaining friends, helping others
Why running: To make Laurel better for everyone. I support fiscal responsibility, increased sustainability initiatives and increased traffic-calming measures.
Connie Lucas, in Laurel 35-plus years
Grew up: Berwyn
Education: College financial classes, no degree
Occupation: Office manager, retired
Civic involvement: I always voted but was never politically involved. Since my grandchildren came along, I’ve become more aware of Maryland’s state of affairs that trickle down to our municipalities
Special interests: Taking care of family and watching mainstream and subscription (OAN, etc.) media on television to obtain a general picture of what is taking place in the USA and the world
Why running: See my ad in this issue explaining what I stand for, what I oppose and what I want for Laurel. We need to support our police, and I favor a moratorium on raising city taxes (without diminishing city employees’ wages or benefits).
Courtesy of Stephen J. Wallace
Stephen J. Wallace, 39, in Laurel 13 years
Grew up: Endwell, New York
Education: B.A. in history and computer information science, Franciscan University of Steubenville; J.D. at University of Notre Dame Law School
Occupation: Estate planning attorney with the Downs Law Firm on Main Street
Civic involvement: Executive director of Maryland nonprofit for seven years, volunteer, teacher and coach for basketball and soccer at St. Mary of the Mills, Knights of Columbus, various nonprofit board memberships and volunteer work
Special interests: Faithful Catholic, active athlete in basketball and football, reading, board games, Michigan and Notre Dame football, camping, hiking.
Why running: Being a husband, a father of five, a coach and a leader, have taught me the importance of sacrifice and teamwork for a greater good. I will work to make our city safer and more prosperous for ourselves and our children.
WARD 2 (two seats)
Courtesy of Kyla Clark
Kyla Clark, 44, in Laurel nine years
Grew up: Syracuse, New York
Education: B.S. from Le Moyne College, MBA from American Intercontinental University
Occupation: Stormwater management communications specialist and marketing/human resources consultant (woman-owned business)
Civic involvement: Vice chair, city Environmental Affairs Committee, member city Citizens Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities, Prince George’s County election judge, volunteer court-appointed advocate for neglected and abused children
Special interests: Gardening, volunteering, family time
Why running: The time is right for a female leader to be a part of the council, who has a unique perspective, experience and is not afraid to ask the tough questions.
Courtesy of Melvin Lindsley
Melvin E. Lindsley, 75, in Laurel 22 years
Grew up: Tennessee
Education: B.A. in criminal justice from American University, MDiv and MA in biblical studies from Capital Bible Seminary and Lancaster Bible College, PhD candidate at Capital Bible Seminary
Occupation: U.S. Marine Corps (with one year combat in Vietnam), 20 years in law enforcement, small-business owner and consultant in waste-management industry
Civic involvement: President of Ashford Homeowners Association, former vice president of Allentown Boys & Girls Club in southern Prince George’s County, JV/varsity football coach at High Point High School
Special interests: Church, fishing, golfing, motorcycle riding, chess
Why running: As a veteran, public servant and small-business owner, I have the experience in marketing, business and finance, public safety, public works and community service necessary to be an effective council member.
Courtesy of Thomas Matthews Jr.
Thomas Matthews Jr., 62
Grew up: Laurel
Education: High school graduate, U.S. Army Motor Transport School
Occupation: Assistant funeral director
Civic involvement: Chairman of Laurel’s Emancipation Day Celebration, NAACP member, Prince Hall Master Mason, Commander of American Legion Post 235 in Beltsville
Why running: Becoming a council member will allow me to provide services to my community, make the required changes to address the current climate of our community needs, and build a long, effective relationship with the citizens of Laurel.
Courtesy of Jeffrey Mills
Jeffrey W. Mills, 51, in Laurel 13 years
Grew up: Seat Pleasant
Education: Attended Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Howard community colleges
Occupation: CEO of the CDL BookClub LLC (commercial driver’s licenses) and driving coach
Civic involvement: Civic association group of Seat Pleasant, member of Nation of Islam
Special interests: Race cars, fishing, skydiving, helping people grow
Why running: Simply I’m for the people and the people are for Mills
AT-LARGE (one seat)
Courtesy of Christine Johnson
Christine Johnson, 46, in Laurel 21 years
Grew up: Lanham
Education: B.A. in sociology, University of Maryland
Occupation: Group administrator, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Civic involvement: Woman’s Club of Laurel, The Laurel Board of Trade, Friends of Laurel Library, coordinated city’s MLK Day of Service for six years
Special interests: Volunteering, taking care of senior citizens, children’s literacy
Why running: As an active resident and at my previous job at city hall working the front desk, I heard and became aware of some of the issues Laurel citizens had. While I could answer some questions and direct them to different departments, I’ve always felt like I wanted to do more.
Courtesy of Enrico McCleary
Enrico McLeary II, 37, in Laurel nine years
Grew up: Loudoun County, Virginia
Education: B.A. in political science, Coppin State University; JD, Penn State Dickinson School of Law
Occupation: Private attorney — criminal defense, personal injury, family law, estate planning
Civic involvement: Laurel Boys and Girls Club board, counsel to Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation Foundation, volunteer speaker for Coppin State on real estate investing and estate planning
Why running: Laurel is where I chose to build my home and raise my family. I have encountered some constituents in the city who don’t believe the existing administration is open to hearing from everyone, and I want to assure that everyone is being heard and everyone is being treated fairly.
Courtesy of Adrian Simmons
Adrian Simmons, 44, lifelong in Laurel
Education: B.B.A. in accounting and MBA with concentration in finance, Loyola University of Maryland
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant, owns Elements CPA LLC on Main Street
Civic involvement: Raising three kids, Laurel Boys and Girls Club, Scouting (Eagle), Finance Advisory Council at St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church, provides professional services to Laurel nonprofits at discount or pro bono
Special interests: Cycling, letterpress printing, Orioles, coaching my kids’ teams
Why running: To contribute to making Laurel a great place to live, work and play for residents and families. To preserve the uniqueness of who Laurel is, and to support its small-business community
