Bowie City Council Candidate's Husband, Outgoing Councilmember Tussle At Polling Site

BOWIE, MD — A fight broke out Tuesday afternoon outside a city polling site between outgoing at-large councilmember Henri Gardner and the husband of at-large candidate Wanda Rogers who was on the ballot hoping to fill Gardner’s seat. She ultimately was elected to the council, according to unofficial results released by the city after polls closed Tuesday night.

Gardner retired from the council and was at the polling site to support a rival of Rogers, a witness told WUSA. The incident unfolded in the parking lot of the Bowie Gymnasium at 4100 Northview Drive around 3:15 p.m. as outgoing Councilmember Gardner exchanged words with Terry Rogers, at-large council candidate Wanda Rogers' husband. Gardner was pushed to the ground as the men fought, witnesses told WUSA.

The police were called and an ambulance summoned to the site. Both men were questioned then Gardner was taken to the hospital in the ambulance with a leg injury. No charges were immediately filed and no arrest was made on the scene but Bowie police officers will investigate the incident, said Bowie Police Chief Dwayne Preston, who was among the officers to respond to the incident.

More than a dozen candidates ran for Districts 1-4 and two at-large seat on the Bowie City Council, while two candidates ran for mayor, Troy Stewart and current mayor, Tim Adams.

The unofficial results from the city of Bowie election are:

• Mayor - Tim Adams
• At-Large Councilmembers (2) - Dennis Brady and Wanda Rogers
• District 1 - Michael Esteve
• District 2 - Dufour Woolfley, incumbent
• District 3 - Clinton Truesdale
• District 4 - Roxy Ndebumadu

These results are considered unofficial until certified by the Board of Elections, the city noted.

Rogers works as a licensed realtor and office manager with her family-owned business. She told Patch she was running for office because she "loves Bowie" and "My proven leadership abilities and commitment to professionalism and excellence have provided me with the skills necessary to help Bowie become better."