Candidates seek Vacant Prince George’s Council seat

Several candidates have already declared their intentions to fill the open District 5 Prince George’s County Council seat, vacated by David Harrington, who replaced the deceased Gwendolyn Britt in the state Senate.

Andrea Fletcher Harrison, a longtime aide to Harrington, has announced her candidacy to fill the seat. Harrison is the daughter of former council member James C. Fletcher, Jr. In 2002, she ran for a House Delegate position in District 24, but did not make it past the Democratic primary.

While Harrington’s support for Harrison may help her bid, Adrion Howell, another candidate, has the backing of Kweisi Mfume, the former president of the NAACP and Maryland congressman.

Howell, a Democratic strategist, is also reported to be actively seeking the endorsement of Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson. The two men are close, and Howell used to serve as Johnson’s liaison to the county council.

Adam Ortiz, the Democratic mayor of Edmonston, has also declared his intention to seek the position. Ortiz was elected mayor in 2005. Previously, he served as Maryland Field Director for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign.

Theresa Dudley, a member of the Prince George’s County Education Association and teacher at Kenmoor Middle School, is another candidate. In 2004, Dudley was the Green Party’s nominee in Maryland’s Fourth Congressional District, running against incumbent Democrat Al Wynn and Republican John McKinnis. She placed third, receiving 4.54% of the vote.

The county has announced that a special primary election will be held on April 1, while the general election will be on May 6. Prospective candidates have until 9:00pm on March 4 to file with the Prince George’s County Board of Elections.

Residents of the Fifth Council District have until March 11 to register to vote to be eligible to cast a primary ballot, while April 15 is the deadline to register for the general election.