NEW COUNTY COUNCIL MAJORITY
(PHOTO Courtesy of their campaign websites, Wala Blegay/Krystal Oriadha)
A new majority will dictate the affairs of the Prince George’s County Council following the Nov. 8 general election.
District 47 Delegate Wanika Fisher won an open race in District 2, based around Hyattsville. Bowie City Councilwoman At Large Ingrid Harrison will represent District 4, based in Bowie and Upper Marlboro. Union legal counselor Wala Blegay will represent District 6, based in the county’s center. Progressive activist Krystal Oriadha will represent District 7, covering District Heights, Capitol Heights, and Seat Pleasant.
Former Councilmember Eric Olson, who served on the Council in the 2000s, is returning to the seat in District 3, based around New Carrollton and College Park. There are term limits for county councilmembers, but these term limits reset once an individual is out of office.
During their respective campaigns, Blegay, Oriadha, and Olson received support from local unions and Progressive Maryland. Harrison was supported by District 23 Senator Ron Watson and his slate, including newly-elected Delegate Kym Taylor and the Jobs 1st PAC.
Oriadha secured the support of Senator Joanne Benson and the Team 26 Slate, led by returning Senator C. Anthony Muse. Fisher was supported by County Executive Alsobrooks and defeated former Senator Victor Ramirez in a closely-contested race.
The newly elected members will be join a bloc of reform-minded councilmembers including Jolene Ivey, Edward Burroughs, and Tom Dernoga. There are rumors circulating that Ivey may be elected as the next Council Chair.
Recent efforts by the Council to alter the zoning process before the new Council majority is seated have been met with criticism. Some concerns the new members plan to address are overdevelopment, the lack of commercial tax revenue, food and housing security, and government transparency and oversight.
The Prince George’s County Council is responsible for zoning and land use, business, and health matters in the County. Currently, no municipality has independent zoning excluding Laurel. In the 2026 election, Councilmembers Tom Dernoga, Sydney Harrison, Mel Franklin, and Calvin Hawkins will be ineligible to run for their current seats as they are term limited.