Takoma Park Election Results 2026: Mayor and City Council

Takoma Park Mayor Talisha Searcy leads challenger Tom Gagliardo, 3,104 votes to 1,899, in the city’s unofficial results as of 10:39 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5.

The results are unofficial. The city says vote totals “may change as more ballots that were postmarked by Election Day are received by the City Clerk in the days following the election” and that final results “are typically complete about one week after Election Day.” The City Clerk contacts voters to correct eligible ballot problems by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, the Board of Elections reviews unresolved ballots Tuesday, Nov. 10, and certification is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, at a special City Council meeting, according to the city’s Voting Process page.

As of the end of day on November 5, 5,076 ballots had been scanned and tabulated, including 1,015 votes cast in person on Election Day at the Community Center and 4,063 mail-in ballots accepted as of Nov. 5, according to the city’s election page. Another 866 ballots had been received but not yet processed, and the city says “some small number may still arrive by mail or from Montgomery County.”

Four of the seven races were contested: mayor and the Ward 1, Ward 2 and Ward 6 council seats. Wards 3, 4 and 5 each had one candidate on the ballot. The current councilmembers in Wards 1, 2 and 3, Jessica Landman, Cindy Dyballa and Roger Schlegel, were not among the nominees. Takoma Park uses ranked-choice voting, but no race this year had more than two candidates on the ballot, so first-choice votes decide each race.

Mayor

Mayor Talisha Searcy, first elected mayor in 2022 according to her city biography, faced Tom Gagliardo.

Talisha Searcy leads Tom Gagliardo, 3,104 votes (61.5%) to 1,899 (37.6%), a margin of 1,205, in the city’s unofficial results.

Candidate	Votes	Share
Tom Gagliardo	1,899	37.6%
Talisha Searcy (incumbent)	3,104	61.5%
Write-in	42	0.8%
Total	5,045

City Council, Ward 1

Shana Fulcher and Doug Glynn ran for the open Ward 1 seat. Fulcher ran for the Ward 1 seat in 2024 and lost to Jessica Landman, 727 votes to 619, according to the city’s certified 2024 results.

Shana Fulcher leads Doug Glynn, 663 votes (53.8%) to 560 (45.4%), a margin of 103, in the city’s unofficial results.

Candidate	Votes	Share
Shana Fulcher	663	53.8%
Doug Glynn	560	45.4%
Write-in	10	0.8%
Total	1,233

City Council, Ward 2

Jim Della-Giacoma and Suzy Stimler ran for the open Ward 2 seat, now held by Cindy Dyballa.

Jim Della-Giacoma leads Suzy Stimler, 655 votes (64.2%) to 357 (35.0%), a margin of 298, in the city’s unofficial results.

Candidate	Votes	Share
Jim Della-Giacoma	655	64.2%
Suzy Stimler	357	35.0%
Write-in	9	0.9%
Total	1,021

City Council, Ward 3

Tom Wallack was the only candidate on the Ward 3 ballot, for the seat now held by Roger Schlegel. A second nominee, Joe Howard, declined the nomination, according to the city’s candidate list.

Tom Wallack had 1,000 votes (95.1%), with 51 write-in votes, in the unofficial results.

Candidate	Votes	Share
Tom Wallack	1,000	95.1%
Write-in	51	4.9%
Total	1,051

City Council, Ward 4

Councilmember Kurt Gilbert was the only candidate on the Ward 4 ballot.

Kurt U. Gilbert had 564 votes (97.6%), with 14 write-in votes, in the unofficial results.

Candidate	Votes	Share
Kurt U. Gilbert (incumbent)	564	97.6%
Write-in	14	2.4%
Total	578

City Council, Ward 5

Councilmember Cara Honzak was the only candidate on the Ward 5 ballot.

Cara Honzak had 317 votes (95.8%), with 14 write-in votes, in the unofficial results.

Candidate	Votes	Share
Cara Honzak (incumbent)	317	95.8%
Write-in	14	4.2%
Total	331

City Council, Ward 6

Ward 6 was a rematch. In 2024, Councilmember Amy Wesolek led Ambroise Agosse 260 to 252 in the first round, with Jason B. Small at 210, and won the instant runoff 380 to 334, according to the city’s certified 2024 results.

Amy Wesolek leads Ambroise Agosse, 337 votes (56.0%) to 260 (43.2%), a margin of 77, in the city’s unofficial results.

Candidate	Votes	Share
Ambroise Agosse	260	43.2%
Amy Wesolek (incumbent)	337	56.0%
Write-in	5	0.8%
Total	602

Who could vote

Takoma Park residents who live within city limits and are 16 or older on Election Day may vote in city elections, and “residents do not need to be U.S. citizens to vote in the city election,” according to the city’s voter registration page. The city mailed ballots to all registered voters, and in-person voting was at the Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave., on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Full results are on the city’s City Election 2026 page.

For the last city election, read our 2024 story, Leaves of Change: Jessica Landman and the Fall of the Incumbents in Takoma Park.

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