Takoma Park Mayor Seeking Re-Election: One of ‘the Best and Toughest Jobs I’ve Ever Had’

Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart

Kate Stewart, who has been mayor of Takoma Park since 2015, just announced she is seeking another term. She officially kicks off her campaign July 26 at a 2 p.m. Zoom meeting.

“Being mayor in the city is one of the best and toughest jobs I’ve ever had,” she said, adding she particularly relishes “the opportunity to make real change.”

She said she is most proud of her efforts to bring affordable housing to Takoma Park as well as work on racial equity.

Stewart noted she has worked on affordable housing throughout her entire time as mayor, beginning with community conversations leading all the way to a program in which renters can become homeowners and continue to live in Takoma Park. “Housing is a human right,” she said.

Helping the most needy need with the effects of COVID-19 also is important to her, and she said she was glad Takoma Park recently was able to have its own pop up testing site.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Takoma Park is twice as high as Montgomery County as a whole, Stewart said.

Half the residents are renters, and one-third of them were born outside the United States, according to Stewart.

She is a principal at ConwayStrategic and sits on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government. She first was elected to city council in 2014 during a special election in Ward 3.

The election for mayor as well as all council seats is Nov. 3.

https://twitter.com/KateforTakoma/status/1283740502689550337

About Suzanne Pollak

Suzanne is a freelance reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She has over 35 years professional experience writing for newspapers, magazines, non-profit newsletters and the web.

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