Greenbelters can expect to see eight Democratic candidates for two at-large county council seats on their ballot in June, and, in November, the elimination of those seats for 2030 could also be a question on the ballot.
The two at-large seats have been with the council for less than a decade, though when the council was created in 1970 all seats were at-large. That changed with a ballot referendum in 1980, when councilmembers each began to represent a district. In 2016, the charter amendment to re-introduce at-large positions put the question as follows: “To provide for the election of council members by district and at large, to change the composition of the County Council to a system of nine district members and two at large members, and to provide that a Council member who has been elected to two consecutive terms of office as a district member shall not serve more than two consecutive terms as an at-large member.” Two-thirds of voters were in favor and the seats were introduced in 2018.
Those in favor saw the seats as an opportunity for more representation for county residents and for councilmembers whose interests would include the entire county rather than being limited to the parochial interests of a district. Those opposed argued it was a way to circumvent term limits and advance political aspirations.
The ability of the seats to bypass term limits was immediately evident. Mel Franklin was one of the councilmembers to support at-large seats and the expanded council in 2016. In 2018, at the completion of his second term representing District 9, where he was term-limited to two four-year terms, he then became one of the first two at-large councilmembers. Calvin S. Hawkins II, who had not previously served on the council, won the other seat.
Over recent months, the use of the seats for political advancement has drawn increasing scrutiny. A successful bid for an at-large seat might be proof of ability to win at the county level and also increase name recognition. Both current at-large county councilmembers – Jolene Ivey and Wala Blegay – moved to their
at-large seats from district seats and both ran for a different, higher position, within weeks of winning them.
Last month, District 1 Councilmember Tom Dernoga introduced a bill to eliminate the seats. Dernoga and opponents of the at-large seats argue they benefit well-funded candidates who use them as stepping stones to higher office and/or to circumvent term limits.
History of At-Large County Councilmembers
2018
Two at-large county council seats were created following a ballot measure in 2016.
2018 – 2024: Mel Franklin
Franklin served six years and resigned ahead of felony charges during his second term. Prior to that he served two terms as councilmember for District 5.
2018 – 2025: Calvin S. Hawkins II
Hawkins served for seven years as at-large councilmember. He resigned in December 2025 to take a job in the Office of the County Executive as an assistant deputy chief administrative officer for economic development. He is the only at-large councilmember to not move to the seat from another position on council as a district representative.
2024 – Current: Jolene Ivey
Ivey was serving her second term for District 5 when Franklin stepped down from one of the at-large seats ahead of charges of embezzlement, felony theft scheme and perjury. Ivey won the at-large seat in a special election on November 5, 2024. In early December she was sworn in and, around the same time, announced she was running for County Executive. Though she was a frontrunner in the County Executive race, she unexpectedly withdrew her candidacy shortly before the election, citing health reasons, and has subsequently been serving the rest of the term in her new at-large position. She is seeking re-election to the at-large seat this November.
December 2025 – Current: Wala Blegay
Blegay was elected to Prince George’s County Council in November 2022 to represent District 6. In December 2025, Hawkins resigned from his at-large county council seat in order to take the position of Assistant Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development in the office of County Executive. Following a brief nomination period Blegay was appointed by her fellow councilmembers to the at-large seat on December 29, 2025, one week after Hawkins’ resignation. Just over a month later, on February 4, Blegay announced she was running for Congress to represent Maryland’s 5th District. She will serve less than a year as an at-large member.
There are eight candidates for the two at-large Prince George’s County Council seats this year (see article on page 1). All are Democrats. If the at-large seats were to be eliminated, that would take effect after those who win this year have served the four-year term they are elected to.