WASHINGTON INFORMER: Last month, longtime Laurel Mayor Craig Moe (D) announced his retirement, following over 20 years of service to the town. It is very likely that this election will give Laurel its first Black Mayor in the history of the town. The first two candidates to announce have been Councilman At-Large Martin Mitchell (D) and Ward 2 Councilman Keith Sydnor (D).
Mitchell announced his campaign shortly after Moe’s retirement in late April, and was joined for his announcement at City Hall by municipal leaders from across Prince George’s County such as Greenbelt Councilman Ric Gordon (D) and Bladensburg Councilwoman Jocelyn Route (D).
The At-Large councilman is known as an advocate particularly on housing and cannabis legalization. He sponsored rent-stabilization legislation in Laurel alongside Councilman Carl DeWalt (R) and supported County Councilwoman Krysal Oriadha’s (D) legislation to implement rent stabilization in the County. If elected, Mitchell pledges to implement further measures to support tenants and to make Laurel’s Main Street a statewide attraction that can draw both future residents and visiting customers. He has also supported unionizing efforts from the City’s Department of Public Works.
Sydnor is a U.S. Navy veteran who also served as a union organizer, and was first elected to the Council in 2017. He was voted Council President in 2019. Sydnor was elected to the Democratic Central Committee in 2022, but resigned his position, sources say likely to focus on his mayoral campaign and Council duties. Some of Sydnor’s accomplishments that he noted in his announcement were sponsoring the Laurel Emergency Assistance Relief COVID-19 Act, nominating the first African American woman to serve as Council President and leading efforts to recognize Juneteenth as a permanent official city holiday.
“It’s time to make sure our government is meeting people at their places of need,” said Sydnor in his May 1 campaign announcement. “I’m running for mayor because you deserve a true partner that will keep our communities first, place service above self-interest and leverage every resource available to improve the quality of life for all neighbors that live within our city’s limits.”
Ward 2 Councilman Brencis Smith (D) is a potential candidate for Mayor. Smith previously ran for Delegate in Maryland’s 21st District, which overlaps with Laurel.Perennial candidate Jeffrey Mills (D), who lost to Moe in the last mayoral election, is supporting Mitchell for Mayor.
Laurel is a unique municipality, as parts of the town are in Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery County. Laurel is also the only town in Prince George’s County with local zoning rights.
Photo: Councilman Martin Mitchell (with microphone) speaks at a rally with CASA to support tenants’ organizing efforts in Laurel. (Courtesy of Mitchell)
