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Andrew Fellows cruised to victory as College Park's unopposed mayoral candidate Tuesday. The City's Council candidates didn't have it so easy.

For the first time since 1991, the city election featured contested races in all four districts, with 15 candidates vying for eight seats. Newcomers Marcus Afzali and Denise Mitchell unseated Dist. 4 council members Mary Cook and Karen Hampton incumbents and newcomer Christine Nagle was elected to replace Councilman Jonathan Molinatto (Dist. 1), who chose not to run.

In all, 1,415 residents cast ballots — according to unofficial results released Tuesday night — the most since 2001.

In the city's only uncontested race, Fellows received 1,161 votes and will replace four-term Mayor Stephen Brayman, who chose not to seek a fifth term so he could focus on other priorities and spend more time with his family.

Fellows — a District 3 city councilman from 2001 to 2007 — is the 12th mayor of College Park, which has not had a contested mayoral race since 1989. He said he would work hard to bring new businesses and development to the city's stretch of Route 1.

"I am optimistic that Route 1 will be revitalized and it will be something that people can be proud of," he said. "I just hope to follow the trend of really good mayors."

In District 1, incumbent Councilman Patrick Wojahn overcame a crowded field to win a second term in office, receiving 341 votes. Nagle received 281 votes.

Challengers Fazlul Kabir, Larry Bleau and Seth Gomoljak received 208, 135 and 35 votes respectively. Nagle credited her victory to her attention to the needs of residents.

"I'm going to keep those lines of communication open in making sure that my views on council represent them," Nagle said.

Incumbents retained their seats in District 2 as council members Robert Catlin and Jack Perry — the council's two longest-serving members — defeated Robert Weber.

Catlin and Perry won easily, receiving 137 and 115 votes, compared to Weber's 67. Catlin will serve his eighth term and Perry his 14th.

District 3 incumbents Mark Cook and Stephanie Stullich staved off the challenge of Robert McCeney, a 44-year-old teacher who ran unsuccessfully for council in 1989, 1991 and 1993. Stullich and Cook received 297 and 243 votes, while McCeney received 85.

"I think we have accomplished some really good things in the last two years," Stullich said, referring mainly to improvements in the city's police presence. "But I think there's a long way to go."

In District 4, challengers Afzali and Mitchell defeated Cook and Hampton thanks in part to an endorsement from Brayman, who often clashed with the incumbents during council meetings. Afzali, a 24-year-old doctoral student at the University of Maryland, College Park, led the way with 210 votes.

"What I've heard over and over again ... is that the people of College Park are anti-student," Afzali said. "I think the fact that they elected me proves that they're not anti-student."

Mitchell, chairwoman of the city's Education Advisory Committee, received 161 votes while Cook and Hampton received 115 and 86 votes apiece.

Voters said they were motivated by several issues, including crime, Route 1 development and the city's relations with the University of Maryland, College Park.

Sarah Treado, a District 3 resident, said she was pleased with the city's progress in fighting crime. Crime has decreased in College Park this year, and Treado said the city has benefited from its three full-time county police officers. The officers were added in late 2008 to supplement a pool of part-timers who cover the city.

"It's always good to have a good local presence that's more in touch with what's going on in the city," said Treado, who is the wife of former city councilman and current County Councilman Eric Olson (D-Dist. 3).

City election officials conducted an official ballot count Wednesday after press time. The new mayor and council will be sworn in during the Dec. 8 council meeting.

E-mail David Hill at dhill@gazette.net.