Takoma Park Councilmember Dan Robinson Will Not Seek Re-election

Takoma Park Ward 3 Councilman Dan Robinson will not seek re-election to a third term in November, he announced in an e-mail sent out to constituents June 11. Robinson’s decision has accelerated the plans for at least one candidate for the seat.

Robinson’s e-mail does not provide any specific reasons for his not seeking re-election to the council seat he has held since 2007. The e-mail says:

“After considerable sifting through priorities and talking with spouse, friends, family and others . . . I've decided not to run for re-election this November.

“I want to let everyone know so that any of you who have an interest can gear up. It's a democracy.

“These last three and a half years have been great, and I'm looking forward to the next months too. Call or email anytime to keep me on my toes, or if you have any questions or concerns, as usual. I'm also glad to talk about any and all aspects of what being on the Takoma Park City Council is like.”

In addition, Robinson told Patch.com that he is “ready to do something else,” but that he “loves city affairs,” and will “find some way to keep my hand in them in one way or another.”

Robinson said he might remain in government, but not as an elected official. “Politicians are often ambitious, but I’m not sure if it is elected office that will draw me to staying in politics,” he said.

But Robinson has not ruled out further runs for office, provided the conditions are right for him.

“In the city, there are structural issues in the city that make it hard for people to run for mayor, because everyone is in the same pot, but we’ve made progress,” he said. At “the county (level), I don’t have any interest in running for county office. And (at) the state (level)…it’s three years away, we’ll see what happens,” he said.

Robinson said one thing he will not do is get involved in the election of a successor, and he does not plan on endorsing any candidates that vie for the Ward 3 seat.

Robinson’s decision has prompted at least one Ward 3 resident to announce her intention to run for that council seat. Kay Daniels-Cohen, who is a member of the Takoma Juntion Task Force and the Takoma Park Recreation Committee, as well as president of the SS Carroll Neighborhood Association, made public her candidacy for that seat not long after Robinson said he would not seek re-election.

Daniels-Cohen anticipates there will be others who will vie for the Ward 3 seat, but she adds she has not heard anything about specific candidates. Daniels-Cohen said she’s running for city council because she is “really interested in Takoma Park,” and in “making a difference for the city.”

Daniels-Cohen said “dual taxation” is an issue she would like to get involved with if elected to the council. “We’re taxed in Takoma Park and we’re also taxed by Montgomery County; I don’t think we get our fair share,” she said, adding there are others who believe Takoma Park does not get an equal return for its taxes.