Candidate Profile: Michael Estève Runs For County Council District 4

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Candidates in the Democratic and Republican parties will be competing on Tuesday in their respective primaries to see who will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Patch has asked each of the candidates running in select races to fill out a questionnaire, sharing facts about themselves and why voters should choose them to represent their party in November.

Let's start with your name.

Michael Estève

What email should be used to contact your campaign?

michael.p.esteve@gmail.com

Does your campaign have a website?
https://michaelesteve.com

What city or town do you live in?
Bowie

What office are you seeking?
Prince George's County Council, District 4

What is your party affiliation?
Democrat

Please share with us with your education.
I attended Prince George's County Public elementary and middle schools, DeMatha, and received a BA from Loyola University in Baltimore.

What is your occupation?
I'm a seven-year member of the Bowie City Council and work in the non-profit sector supporting children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.
I was raised in Bowie by my mom, a PGCPS teacher, and my dad, a U.S. Army officer.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?
I served seven years on the Bowie City Council.

How old will you be as of Election Day?
32

Why are you seeking this office?
I'm running to protect forests and green space from additional sprawl development, to promote smart growth that will lessen new traffic congestion while offering more affordable housing in mass-transit corridors, and to reduce the influence of developers and special interests in county government.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Over-development

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have never taken a cent from developers and that shows in my seven-year voting record in local government. I consistently fight to protect green and open space and don't rubber-stamp new development projects.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Fully funding public financing for future county elections to even the playing field with special-interest-backed candidates, working to deliver faster school renovations and smaller classroom sizes, and maintaining open and transparent communication with Prince Georgians.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I helped significantly improve local communication with residents, deliver a unique municipal solar program to offset Bowie's carbon emissions, defeated proposed scmaglev train routes tearing through local schools and parks, protected hundreds of acres of forest from sprawl-development, and kept our municipal tax rate flat for fourteen consecutive years.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
A mentor handed me a compass my first day in local office and reminded me to not overthink things and just do what I knew and believed was best. I keep that compass on my desk as a daily reminder of my obligation to residents.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
You can learn more about me at michaelesteve.com.