A look at the political dominoes that could fall in Prince George’s County
The end of 2025 saw big political shake-ups in D.C. Two members of the city council started their run for delegate in the House of Representatives. In October, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced her decision to forgo running for a fourth term, triggering more movement on the council.
The early part of 2026 could be Prince George’s County’s turn to see similar upheaval.
On Dec. 29, Prince George’s County Council member Wala Blegay moved from representing District 6 to becoming one of two at-large members on the council. She swapped seats after being chosen from a list of about three dozen candidates who all applied for the at-large spot.
A similar process will play out for the District 6 seat she just vacated. Applications for that opening close at 5 p.m. Monday. On Friday, Blegay and the rest of the council will hear from those applicants and pick their newest colleague.
But a lot more pieces could also begin to move around the county’s political chessboard between now and Feb. 24 — the deadline to file for county office this year.
For one, a source tells WTOP at least one more council member could be giving up their seat. And further shake-ups could occur if Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer decides not to run for reelection.
Democrats in the county had expected an announcement from Hoyer back in November, but so far that hasn’t happened.
Initially, the belief was that he was ready to leave office at the end of his current term. The departure of his longtime chief of staff Jim Notter for a similar role in Sen. Angela Alsobrooks’ office was seen as an indication that Stoyer would not seek reelection. Now, county Democrats aren’t so sure.
A source close to Hoyer tells WTOP that no decision has been made one way or the other.
Over the years, the list of those talked about as potential successors have gone to take other jobs instead. That includes Alsobrooks, who ran for and won an open Senate seat in 2024. More recently, Michael Jackson, who was the county sheriff before he was elected to the state Senate, was appointed the head of Maryland State Police by Gov. Wes Moore. And outgoing Del. Jazz Lewis, who once worked for Hoyer, just took a job with the University of Maryland.
“Jazz’s leadership and service has benefited our entire state,” said Hoyer in a statement on Dec. 17. Even before giving up his seat in Annapolis, however, Lewis had sounded skeptical about pursuing life on Capitol Hill while also raising a young family.
If Hoyer decides to run again, any talk of a desire for generational change that you hear coming from Democrats around the country won’t apply here. Those who are eyeing the seat, should it open up, have no interest in pursuing what they believe would be a Sisyphean challenge against someone who is both well-funded and likable.
But should Hoyer decide not to run, it would set off a contested primary. Just in Prince George’s County, at least one member of the county council and one state delegate are waiting to see what Hoyer decides to do, with the intention of jumping in if the longtime incumbent decides to retire.
But a congressional seat that also includes Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s counties, as well as southern and Western Anne Arundel County, may draw a long list of candidates to what could quickly become a crowded primary.
The filing deadline for county office is Feb. 24, but the dominoes could begin to fall before that date arrives.