Takoma for All is pleased to share its endorsements for the 2026 Takoma Park City election. We thank all 11 candidates for responding to our questionnaire. All responses are available here: https://takomaforall.org/2026/10/11/2026-takoma-for-all-election-questionnaire/
Takoma for All members were eligible to vote. For each office, members could choose from the candidates or choose no endorsement. Each endorsed candidate received a majority of the votes, and in every contested office, no member voted for the other candidate. Voting members were also invited to provide brief comments about their votes. Based on the responses we received to our questionnaire, we endorsed the following candidates:
- Mayor: Talisha Searcy (unanimous)
Talisha Searcy led the creation of the City’s housing tax credits and helped pass the Minor Master Plan Amendment, which expanded zoning for housing and affordable homes in key areas of the city, and enabling the planning for nearly 100 new affordable apartment units at Edinburgh House. She supports practical updates to rent stabilization, such as simpler ways for small landlords to recover renovation and maintenance costs and a careful review of the exemption for new construction, while maintaining strong tenant protections.
What members said:- “Mayor Searcy’s work to include people throughout the city is incredibly impressive. She deserves reelection.”
- “I really appreciate Mayor Searcy’s inclusive, solution-driven approach to leadership. She led the City’s input to the MMPA and as a result we now have the first project proposed under the new zoning, which will bring 100 new affordable units to our city.”
- Ward 1: Shana Fulcher
Shana Fulcher supports missing middle housing, such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and small apartment buildings, across all of Takoma Park, including her own ward, along with denser housing near transit. She calls smart land use our most powerful climate tool and champions protected bike lanes and safer streets.
What members said:- “Shana is such a positive force in our community. She is always seeking out new ways to engage residents, particularly from underserved communities, and I like her comprehensive approach to building more housing.”
- Ward 2: Jim Della-Giacoma
Jim Della-Giacoma is an advocate for affordable housing, from volunteering on the Habitat for Humanity project on Garland Avenue to speaking in support of the Minor Master Plan Amendment. He says the Council should consider supporting zoning variations that increase density, especially with affordable housing, along New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard, and he supports better walking and biking access to the Purple Line.
- Ward 3: No endorsement
Takoma for All is not making an endorsement in Ward 3. We thank Tom Wallack for his responses, and we look forward to working with him and sharing Takoma for All’s views with him.
- Ward 4: Kurt Gilbert
Kurt Gilbert has been working with Montgomery Housing Partnership on the redevelopment project in Ward 4, raising questions about displacement and the eligibility of current residents to return. He supports development that strengthens the City’s tax base and safer streets around the Takoma Langley Crossroads.
- Ward 5: Cara Honzak
Cara Honzak advocates at the County to remove barriers to townhouses on single-family lots near the Purple Line and to make accessory dwelling units easier to use, and she voted for the Minor Master Plan Amendment. She sees land use and non-car transit as the most important remaining levers for meeting our climate goals.
- Ward 6: Amy Wesolek
Amy Wesolek is open to expanding zoning to allow more accessory dwelling units and duplexes, and she would rather act than keep waiting for a perfect solution. She welcomes new development as a way to add housing and ease the tax burden on homeowners, and she has made pedestrian safety around the Takoma Langley Purple Line station a top priority.
We look forward to working with everyone elected to make Takoma Park a great place to live, work, and do business, and to advance housing, clean transportation, and climate action. We also encourage everyone to be civil, kind, and respectful toward each other and all candidates.
Ballots are arriving by mail. If you are 16 or older and live in Takoma Park, you can register and vote through Election Day, November 3. Candidate information and voting instructions are on the City’s website: https://takomaparkmd.gov/2534/City-Election-2026
Takoma for All is an informal group of Takoma Park residents and does not spend money to influence local elections. We solicit these responses from candidates and make endorsements for informational purposes only.
