Prince George’s County Council member Derrick Leon Davis is resigning from the 6th District council seat, effective April 15.
Davis, who has served on the council since 2011, issued a statement Friday saying the time had come to “rest, restore and prepare for the next leg of this journey,” but did not say why he is resigning or what the next step in that journey would entail.
In the fall, Davis was at the center of a controversy over a redistricting plan for the county council. The map devised by Davis sliced some primary council candidates out of their own districts.
Ultimately, the map was tossed after the Maryland Court of Appeals upheld the decision by a circuit court that rejected the map on procedural grounds. The map was adopted by a resolution instead of legislation, a violation of the county’s own laws.
Davis’ resignation comes just months before the Maryland state primary set for July 19, when all 11 council seats will be on the ballot.
His term was set to expire Dec. 5. Under county code, the 10 remaining county council members have to fill the vacancy within 30 days of the resignation.
The council is asking people interested in filling the vacancy to apply for the post by 5 p.m. on April 21. On April 26, the council will hold a meeting to hear from applicants under consideration for filling Davis’ seat. The public can attend that meeting either in person or remotely.
Last November, another county council member, Monique Anderson-Walker, resigned to run as a candidate for lieutenant governor alongside Comptroller Peter Franchot, who is running for governor.
