Special Election for the Office of Mayor
The City of College Park will hold a Special Election for the Office of Mayor.
The elected Mayor will serve from May to November 2023. The candidates are:
Bryan Haddad
My name is Bryan Haddad and I am running for Mayor of College Park, MD in the upcoming special election on Saturday, May 6th. I am running as a single issue candidate to increase penalties against illegally modified vehicles. I believe that city code enforcement can be strengthened to more effectively write tickets against such vehicles by citing already existing state laws. I have lived in the Edgewood neighborhood in north College Park for 13 years. Prior to that I went to school at UMD for 4 years. I received a BA in Philosophy and served on the Sigma Phi Epsilon executive board. I am a small business owner. I own The Bamboo Eater, which has been in business for 13 years at the same location in north College Park. I am committed to meaningful progress. As a single issue candidate you can be assured that the work I do while in office will be consistently focused towards a realistic goal. Strengthening city code against illegally modified vehicles will have a tangible effect on the quality of our community in terms of safety and noise reduction. A vote for me is a vote for a more peaceful community.
S. M. Fazlul Kabir
Dr. Fazlul Kabir has been the longest continuously serving member of the City Council for the past 12 years. He and his wife bought their first home in College Park two decades ago and raised their two boys. He has a Ph.D. in Engineering and works as an information architect for the Federal Government. He also taught at the University of Maryland for eight years. In close collaboration with residents and the City Council, he helped found College Park Day, restart the College Park Parade, start the new “Here & Now” College Park newspaper, and start a Farmer’s Market and a community garden. He successfully advocated for a new Duvall Field, a Dog Park, protected bike lanes, affordable housing and a community center. He also advocated funding for local schools and lowered the city's property tax rate.
Kabir has also been running a daily blog, https://KabirCares.org, since 2009. As Mayor, Kabir aims to lead College Park by bringing the community together, enhancing transparency and fostering trust. He will advocate improving quality of life with strong public safety, better code enforcement, smart economic development, new small businesses, sustainable and green programs, aging-in-place for our seniors, enhanced school education, and more affordable housing.
Catherine Hope Kennedy
Catherine “Kate” Kennedy has served for nearly six years on the city council. During her tenure, she has led multiple initiatives including establishing a $15 million community housing trust to promote affordable housing while also stabilizing communities, reorganizing the city committees to make them more accessible to the community, and bringing a new tutoring program to a local elementary school to aid in COVID learning loss.
Kate serves on multiple regional committees and boards including serving as Vice-Chair on the Washington Council of Government’s FARM Committee, focused on alleviating food insecurity.
Professionally, Kate is a nonprofit fundraising executive who has raised funds for the Girl Scouts, the League of Women Voters, and a tuition-free private school in Anacostia. She currently fundraises for a national nonprofit working to end childhood hunger. She also holds an MBA from Georgetown University.
She is now running for mayor of College Park to build on the progress we’ve made and ensure that our city continues to be a leader in environmental sustainability and smart business development, while also being affordable enough so that we don’t push out the students, entrepreneurs, and families that make our city so vibrant and unique.
Denise C. Mitchell
My family and I moved to College Park in 1975. I worked in Early Childhood Education for thirty years and now for Prince George’s County Government. I received my undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, and my Masters in Early Childhood from the University of the District of Columbia.
I was elected to City Council in 2009, serving for six years as Mayor Pro Tem. After a term off, I re-joined the Council in 2017 and am serving as Mayor Pro Tem. I serve as President of the Maryland Municipal League, on the board of the National League of Cities, a member of the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and as Vice-Chair for the College Park City-University Partnership Education Committee.
I have created initiatives such as streaming captions during Council Meetings, helped start the Aging in Place Task Force, and creating a Youth Advisory Council. As Mayor, I plan to create a thriving economy, supporting quality schools, and ensuring resources for local businesses.
Through collaborations with the Prince George’s County Council, Maryland General Assembly, and the University of Maryland, we can create substantial economic development through tax credits for long-term residents, electric car drivers, and more.
Early Voting: Tuesday, May 2, 2023 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Davis Hall, 9217 51st Avenue, College Park, MD 20740
Election Day: Saturday, May 6, 2023 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
City Hall, 7401 Baltimore Avenue, Community Room 1st Floor, College Park, MD 20740
Vote by Mail: Now through April 26, 2023
Qualified voters my download an application from our website, pick up an application from any of or our buildings or call us at 240- 487-3501 and we will mail you an application.
Return your completed application to City of College Park, Board of Election Supervisors, P.O. Box 626, College Park, MD 20741, or to one of our secure Ballot Drop Boxes:
- Davis Hall: 9217 51st Avenue, near the front door of building.
- Hollywood Shopping Center, on the corner by Mom’s.
- On Campus: west side of Stamp Student Union on Union Lane, next to the USPS/FedEx Drop Boxes.
- City Hall: 7401 Baltimore Avenue, on the Yale Avenue entrance side of the building.
We must receive your application by April 26 to allow time to mail your ballot. Starting April 27, you may apply in person for a ballot at 7401 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 201, between 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.
LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE SPECIAL ELECTION IS TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2023.
If you are already registered to vote with the Prince George’s County Board of Elections at your current City address, you are automatically registered to vote in the City Election. However, if you have moved or changed your name since the last election, you must update your Voter Registration with current information.
There are several ways to register to vote:
You can complete an Online Voter Registration Application provided by the State Board of Elections at Voter Registration (maryland.gov)
- You can obtain a Voter Registration Application at any of the following:
- Motor Vehicles Administration
- Any City Building Monday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- You can request a voter registration application by phone with the Prince George’s County Board of Elections at (301) 341-7300 or the City of College Park at 240-487-3501.
- You can visit the Prince George’s County Board of Election office at 1100 Mercantile Lane, Suite 115A, Largo MD 20774. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
- You can download and mail in a completed application English Voter Registration Application (PDF), Spanish Voter Registration Application (PDF)
- For additional information visit: the Board of Election for: County Website or the State Website