Leaves of Change: Jessica Landman and the Fall of the Incumbents in Takoma Park

November 18, 2024 – By A.J. Campbell

In an election that will be remembered for its unexpected outcomes, Takoma Park witnessed two incumbents lose their seats in the recent 2024 city council races—a rare occurrence in the city’s political landscape. Ward 1’s incumbent, Shana Fulcher, was unseated by challenger Jessica Landman, who secured 727 votes against Fulcher’s 619. Similarly, in Ward 6, incumbent Jason Small lost to Amy Wesolek in a 3-way election that featured a Ranked Choice Voting-based instant runoff between the two top finishers.

In addition to these two incumbent upsets, there were two other Wards in which newcomers will fill the seats of retiring Councilmembers: 

In Ward 3: Roger Schlegel won after a 3-way race that also featured an instant runoff, securing 715 votes over Matt Bormet‘s 654. Schlegel’s campaign focused on his plans to bring innovative solutions to address local concerns, emphasizing sustainable development and active community involvement. And in Ward 4: Kurt Gilbert claimed victory with 464 votes against Tony Kyere‘s 215; Gilbert will hold the seat held by the retiring Terry Seamens, who has served uninterruptedly since 2003. 

The two races in which incumbents lost are notable in Takoma Park’s history, where incumbents traditionally have won reelection. For instance, in Ward 4, the incumbent ran unopposed in multiple elections between 2003 and 2022, 1997 and 1999. The last significant incumbent defeat occurred in 1985 when Mayor Sammie Abbott lost to Stephen Del Giudice. Before that, Abbott had narrowly lost to incumbent John D. Roth in 1978 but claimed the open mayoral seat in 1980, serving until 1985. No incumbent Councilmember has been defeated for reelection since 2001.

A Clash of Endorsements

One of the most intriguing aspects of Landman’s victory was the dynamics of political endorsements. Jessica Landman was endorsed by County Executive Marc Elrich. On the other hand, incumbent Shana Fulcher received endorsements from Montgomery County Council Member – and former Takoma Park Mayor – Kate Stewart, as well as from State Delegate David Moon (D-20), and the City’s Employees union. Fulcher also was backed by the pro-development “Takoma For All” organization. 

Despite the weight of these Establishment endorsements favoring the incumbent, Landman prevailed.  Her campaign message focused on community engagement and the importance of keeping Takoma Park affordable for Takoma Park’s vulnerable renters and fixed-income homeowners, both of which are also hallmarks of Elrich’s philosophy. Her victory suggests that these messages resonated better with Ward One voters than the nod from other county and state politicians.

The Power of Grassroots Engagement

Landman’s campaign was characterized by emphasizing transparency and communication between the Council and residents. “I wanted to connect with as many people as possible,” she shared during our interview. Early in the campaign she joined all the Ward One listservs that would allow it to reach as many residents as possible, as well as creating social media accounts on numerous platforms. Her efforts to engage with constituents in the Ward with the city’s highest voter turnout paid off.

A Candidate with Deep Roots and Expertise

A seasoned environmental lawyer with extensive experience working on Takoma Park issues, Jessica Landman has long been a familiar presence at Council meetings.  Having lived in Takoma Park for many years and served on local and County committees, it will be easier for her to hit the ground running. 

Looking Ahead

As Landman prepares to take office alongside three other newcomers to the City Council, new voices will outnumber the incumbents; the victories of Landman and Wesolek over incumbents, and that of newcomer Roger Schlegel who also prevailed in his 3-way race despite the same Establishment endorsements of his opponents, may be harbingers of a new rebellious streak in Takoma Park’s political landscape, signaling that local voters were paying close attention to the local races and were not persuaded that the County Council and State politicians knew best. 

---

The accompanying video features our in-depth interview with Jessica Landman, where she discusses her campaign, vision for Takoma Park, and thoughts on community engagement.

Video Transcript

Jessica Landman: Hi, Montgomery County, from the People’s Republic of Takoma Park. I’m Jessica Landman, and I’m the newly elected council member for Ward 1 in the Takoma Park City Council.

Interviewer: How long have you lived in Takoma Park?

Jessica Landman: I’ve been a Takoma Park resident since the mid-1990s – which doesn’t make me an old-timer by Takoma Park standards! People do tend to live here a very long time.

Interviewer: That’s right, I guess because they love it.

Jessica Landman: They love it. I love it. And, of course, Ward 1 is number one!

Interviewer: Tell us about your background.

Jessica Landman: I’m an environmental lawyer, and my specialty over the last few decades has been clean water and coastal and fishery protection. Here in Takoma Park, knowing a lot about the environment is a big asset for a city council member.

Interviewer: Takoma Park loves its trees.

Jessica Landman: We love our trees, we love our streams, and we love our gardens that are bee-friendly.

Interviewer: Was it not unique that you unseated an incumbent? That’s unusual for Takoma Park.

Jessica Landman: That’s right. Takoma Park has a long history of incumbents remaining in office for many, many years. It is very unusual to unseat an incumbent. This was an unusual election for Takoma Park, because two incumbents were unseated, and we actually have four new members on the incoming city council. [There were also two retirements, in addition to the two incumbents who were unseated.]

Interviewer: What are your big priorities for the Ward?

Jessica Landman: Takoma Park as a whole is taking a very close look at what development is going to bring to the city. We recently had amendments made to our minor master plan [the Minor Master Plan Amendments altered the zoning along Maple Avenue and at the site of the former Adventist Hospital] that affects a large chunk of the City’s modest amount of real estate. We’re only about 2.2 square miles in total. So, how the City evolves and changes is a big focus for people throughout the community, as well as in Ward 1. That’s going to be a major focus in the coming session of the Takoma Park City Council, along with the challenges of balancing the budget during times when a lot is changing in our national, state, and county governments.

Interviewer: When you were door-knocking, what were people telling you were their issues?

Jessica Landman: On a very local level, they said they wanted to hear more from their City Council representative and be more involved. On a City-wide basis, I heard from many people their concerns about whether their children would be able to afford a place to live in Takoma Park going forward and how we were going to balance the challenges for existing residents with the need to make room for additional residents to join us. I think that’s the challenge we’re going to face moving forward.

Interviewer: As a lawyer, I’m sure your experience will help you on the city council.

Jessica Landman: No doubt it will. I can see that there are going to be a lot of budget issues coming up, because we face challenging financial times. Additionally, my knowledge about zoning, stormwater regulation, and environmental issues will be helpful. The challenge in Montgomery County is finding ways to keep it affordable for current residents by preserving existing affordable housing —both naturally occurring and purpose-built— while welcoming new residents. Takoma Park is more than a microcosm of that challenge, because we have a significant share of the County’s affordable housing. Rents in Takoma Park are, on average, hundreds of dollars less per month than outside the City, thanks to our strong rent stabilization program. That program is very important to the people here. They support it, and want to figure out how to maintain it, while also ensuring that affordable housing units are kept in good condition and retrofitted for energy conservation to meet our environmental commitments.

Interviewer: When do you take office officially?

Jessica Landman: We’ll all be sworn in on Monday evening, this coming Monday. [November 18, 2024]

Interviewer: Are you excited?

Jessica Landman: I’m very excited. On top of everything else, there’s going to be a free dessert reception right after the swearing-in, so everyone in the city can come and get their just desserts.

Interviewer:  That’s a very Takoma Park touch!

For More Information:
https://takomaparkmd.gov/news/city-election-information/

Results of Past Elections

Incumbent losses in Takoma Park City Council and Mayoral Races

2024	Ward 1	Incumbent Shana Fulcher lost to Jessica Landman (727 votes vs. 619 votes).
2024	Ward 6	Incumbent Jason Small lost to Amy Wesolek (380 votes) in a runoff against Ambroise Agosse (334 votes)
2001	Ward 4	1997 Lisa Hawkins elected unopposed.1999 Terry Seamens succeeded Lisa Hawkins, running unopposed.2001 Incumbent Terry Seamends loses to Roland Dawes.2003 Terry Seamens returned to defeat incumbent Roland Dawes, who served until retiring in 2024.
1985	Mayor	Incumbent Sammie Abbott lost to Stephen Del Giudice.
1980	Mayor	Sammie Abbot claims an open seat till 1985
1978	Mayor	Incumbent John D. Roth narrowly defeated Sammie Abbott.

A.J. Campbell is a graphic designer who has worked for many campaigns over her 17 years in Takoma Park elections, including Jessica’s, Ambroise Agosse’s 2024-Ward 6, Jarrett Smith’s Ward 5 2018, 2020, and Mayor 2022 races,  and Roger Schlegel’s run for Mayor in 2020, and other races at the County level.

---