Williams nominated for Takoma Park mayor; one council seat contested

Residents who gathered at the council chamber inside the Takoma Park Community Center cited Williams’ experience and ability to work with others as qualities needed to lead the city.

No opponent was nominated to challenge Williams, and that trend continued with nominees for City Council in five of the six city wards. The sole exception is the Ward 3 council seat that Williams is leaving behind; veteran local activist Dan Robinson, 56, will run for that seat against political newcomer Bridget Bowers, 29, in the city’s only contested election.

In the biggest surprise of the night, no candidate was nominated to challenge two-term incumbent Councilman Doug Barry for his Ward 6 seat. Earlier this year, Ryan O’Donnell, communications director for the electoral reform group FairVote, had voiced his interest to run for the seat and even appeared alongside Barry for a Green Party candidates forum in September.

Candidates for mayor and council in Takoma Park must be nominated at the caucus.

‘‘I fully expected that [O’Donnell] would show up,” said Barry, who said O’Donnell’s decision not to run surprised him as much as anyone else.

In Ward 2, incumbent Councilwoman Colleen Clay was nominated to run for her second term.

In Ward 5, Councilman Reuben Snipper was nominated to run for his first full term. He won a special election in January to replace Marc Elrich, who was elected to the Montgomery County Council.

In Ward 1, Josh Wright, a former Random House division president who has been involved in local organizations such as Safe Takoma, was nominated to succeed Councilwoman Joy Austin-Lane, who is leaving the council.

In Ward 4, incumbent Councilman Terry Seamens, who has spent six of the last eight years on the City Council, was also nominated to run again.