Roll Call Tribute

The Honorable Kevin L. "Scooter" Ward
September 11, 1977 - January 25, 2022

Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward, the first the first African-American man to serve in that position, died on Tuesday, January 25.

Kevin attended Texas A&M and received his Bachelor's degree in Political Science. He was a member of the SGA Student Senate. He was a Senator in his Freshman year and was the Director of Minority Affairs in his Senior year from 1998-1999. He was also a part of MSC OPAS. He was a member of the Class of 1999. 

Ward, who was elected in May after serving as interim mayor and two-term city council member, was a longtime advocate for making the city more welcoming, promoting measures such as allowing non-citizens to vote in municipal elections, designating Hyattsville as a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants and renaming the city’s largest park after the late African-American artist David Driskell.

In his campaign for mayor, he called for helping local businesses hurt by the pandemic, promoting affordable housing, enhancing community policing and focusing on sustainability and environmental awareness, among other things.

In June, Ward received the inaugural LGBTQ Excellence in Government Award from Prince George’s County Pride at Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. during the city’s first pride parade, which took place at the same time as the Capital Pride Walk and Rally.

Ward moved to Hyattsville with his husband and two sons in 2014.

A formal obituary is not available at this time.