Tekesha Martinez

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Tekesha Martinez
17th Mayor of Hagerstown
Assumed office
February 7, 2023
Preceded byEmily Keller
Member of the Hagerstown City Council
In office
November 23, 2020 – February 7, 2023
Succeeded byMatthew J. Schindler
Personal details
Born1978 (age 45–46)
Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children5
WebsiteOfficial website

Tekesha A. Martinez (born 1978)[1] is an American politician who is the mayor of Hagerstown, Maryland. She was appointed to be Hagerstown's first Black mayor in 2023.[2]

Prior to her mayoral appointment in Hagerstown, Martinez was elected to a seat on the City Council, becoming one of the first Black women Councilmembers elected in the City's history.[3] Martinez has also worked at the Washington County Boys and Girls Club and served as a community mediator for the Washington County Community Mediation Center.[1]

Early life[edit]

Martinez was born and raised in Hagerstown, Maryland, where she attended local schools and grew up in the Washington County Foster Care system. While still at high school, she became pregnant and gave birth to her first of five children at the age of 17. Martinez experienced difficulty with raising her child and sought help from social service agencies, who ignored her, prompting her to move to Baltimore, where she became interested in poetry. She moved back to Hagerstown and took multiple jobs in hospitality, retail, and construction.[1][4] She then became involved with the Washington County Boys and Girls Club.[5]

Community mediation and political career[edit]

Martinez then worked as a program director at the Robert W. Johnson Community Center, getting connected with an opportunity for employment at the Washington County Community Mediation Center (WCCMC). The WCCMC provides assistance in resolving disagreements, including landlord-tenant disputes and conflicts among neighbors. Martinez became a community mediator at WCCMC and went on to co-lead the program in 2019 even after the Hagerstown Community Action Council canceled the program due to funding.[5] Martinez first became interested in politics after working at the WCMC and the Robert W. Johnson Community Center.[1]

Hagerstown City Council[edit]

Martinez ran for Hagerstown City Council in 2020. In the primary election, she placed 9th out of 13 candidates, with the 10 candidates earning the most votes advancing to the general election.[6] She then placed third in the general election in November and was elected to the City Council.[7]

While serving out her Council term from 2020 to 2023, Martinez focused on helping the Jonathan Street community and addressing public safety.[8]

Mayor of Hagerstown[edit]

In January 2023, following Maryland Governor-elect Wes Moore's appointment of Hagerstown mayor Emily Keller as Special Secretary of Opioid Response, Martinez applied to serve out the remainder of Keller's term as mayor. The Hagerstown City Council unanimously voted to appoint Martinez as mayor on February 7, 2023.[9] She was succeeded on the Hagerstown City Council by Matthew J. Schindler.[10]

As Mayor of Hagerstown, Martinez has focused on implementing the existing strategic plan from Mayor Keller's administration.[2] One project of focus is a proposed indoor sports complex aiming to draw in visitors for competitive regional athletic tournaments and promote recreation.[11]

2024 congressional campaign[edit]

Main article: 2024 Maryland's 6th congressional district election

In July 2023, Martinez filed to run for Congress in Maryland's 6th congressional district.[12] She announced her campaign on July 12, 2023 in Hagerstown.[13] Martinez was seen as a strong fundraiser and leading candidate during the Democratic primary, but behind frontrunners Joe Vogel and April McClain-Delaney,[14] and ran on a platform including public safety, local economic development, homelessness, mental illness recovery programs, and public education.[15]

Electoral history[edit]

Hagerstown City Council primary election, 2020[16]
Candidate Votes %
Kristin B. Aleshire 3,762 13.2
Shelley McIntire 3,052 10.7
Bob Bruchey 2,517 8.8
Tiara Burnett 2,513 8.8
Penny May Nigh 2,451 8.6
Brenda J. Thiam 2,420 8.5
Peter E. Perini, Sr 2,021 7.1
Austin Heffernan 1,990 7.0
Tekesha A. Martinez 1,972 6.9
Brooke Grossman 1,907 6.7
Chip Snyder 1,825 6.4
Matthew J. Schindler 1,586 5.5
Travis Aaron Sites 585 2.0
Hagerstown City Council general election, 2020[17]
Candidate Votes %
Tiara Burnett 6,840 13.6
Kristin B. Aleshire 6,178 12.5
Tekesha A. Martinez 5,601 11.3
Shelley McIntire 5,380 10.8
Bob Bruchey 4,770 9.6
Peter E. Perini, Sr. 4,717 9.5
Brooke Grossman 4,293 8.7
Penny May Nigh 4,024 8.1
Austin Heffernan 3,817 7.7
Brenda J. Thiam (withdrawn) 3,772 7.6
Write-in 202 0.4

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d McMillion, Dave (June 12, 2023). "She once hated Hagerstown. Why? An in-depth interview with Mayor Tekesha Martinez". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Hagerstown appoints first Black mayor". FOX 5 DC. February 8, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  3. ^ Davis, Roshan (February 1, 2022). "Highlighting Hagerstown's history-making city councilwomen". DC News Now. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "Hagerstown Mayor Martinez says her superpower is listening". Tri-State Alert. WEEO-FM. March 13, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Bell, Valerie (July 26, 2019). "Mediation First program taken over, aims to resolve conflict in community". DC News Now. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. ^ Fitzpatrick, Alexis (November 13, 2020). "Washington County youths help organize successful local political campaign". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  7. ^ Fitzpatrick, Alexis (November 3, 2020). "Keller leads mayoral race, Burnett leads for Hagerstown City Council". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  8. ^ Bansil, Sapna; Hamelin, Braden (July 17, 2023). "For Black community, ties to Maryland city's baseball traditions are complicated". The Daily Record. Capital News Service. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  9. ^ McMillion, Dave (February 7, 2023). "'It's surreal': Hagerstown celebrates Tekesha Martinez as its first black mayor". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  10. ^ McMillion, Dave (March 15, 2023). "Matthew J. Schindler picked for open Hagerstown council seat; formal vote set for Tuesday". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  11. ^ Cohen, Steven (February 16, 2023). "Hagerstown's new mayor setting priorities in second week on the job". DC News Now. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  12. ^ "FEC Form 2: Statement of Candidacy". Federal Election Commission. July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  13. ^ Ford, William; Kurtz, Josh. "Political notes: Hagerstown mayor to run for 6th District seat, O's advocacy in D.C." Maryland Matters.
  14. ^ Kurtz, Josh (April 25, 2024). "Political notes: Reunion on the airwaves, Johnny 'O,' Parrott snags CPAC nod, Martinez's theory of the case". Maryland Matters. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  15. ^ Bixby, Ginny (July 17, 2023). "Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez enters 6th Congressional District race". MoCo360. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  16. ^ "Official 2020 Presidential Primary Election results for Washington County". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. July 2, 2020.
  17. ^ "Official 2020 Presidential General Election results for Washington County". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. December 4, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2022.

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