Tekesha A. Martinez, born April 2, 1978, is an American politician who was the first Black mayor of Hagerstown, a city of 44,000 in western Maryland, from 2023 to 2024. Martinez, the daughter of Delores A Martinez, was born and raised in Hagerstown, Maryland. Prior to her mayoral appointment in Hagerstown, Martinez was elected to a seat on the City Council, becoming one of the first Black women Council members elected in the City’s history. She is the mother of five children, four girls and one son.
Mayor Martinez attended North Hagerstown High School and took classes at Hagerstown Community College. Due to her mother’s mental health challenges, Tekesha was placed in the foster care system. In foster care, she was raised in a nurturing household filled with books and music. Martinez found her voice through her love of poetry and started performing and hosting open-mic poetry readings. While offering poetry workshops at the community center, Martinez met former Hagerstown mayor David Gysberts, and through him, she discovered community mediation.
Growing up, Martinez gave little thought to politics. She worked as a hotel receptionist and telemarketer and then as a program director for the Washington County Community Mediation Center (WCCMC). The WCCMC assisted in resolving local disagreements, including landlord-tenant disputes and conflicts among neighbors. Initially, she served as a community mediator at WCCMC and went on to co-lead the program. After the Hagerstown Community Action Council canceled the program, she developed an interest in politics while working at the WCCMC. In 2020, Martinez became a politician, entering the citywide Hagerstown City Council race. Despite lacking a formal campaign, she secured a position on the council.
In February 2023, following the resignation of Mayor Emily Keller, the City Council voted to appoint Martinez to fill and complete the remainder of his term. With that appointment she became the first Black mayor of Hagerstown. During her tenure, Mayor Tekesha A. Martinez prioritized public safety and worked diligently to bolster the local economy. One of her projects focused on a proposed indoor sports complex to draw in visitors for competitive regional athletic tournaments and promote recreation.
In July 2023, Martinez filed to run for Congress in Maryland’s 6th congressional district. She announced her campaign on July 12, 2023, in Hagerstown. On May 14, 2024, Martinez was defeated by April McClain-Delaney in the Democratic primary election, placing fourth with 7.0 percent of the vote.
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Baltimore Sun Media, 2024 voter guide: Tekesha Martinez, candidate for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/04/11/tekesha-martinez/ 2024
Higher Heights for America PAC, Tekesha Martinez, https://www.higherheightsforamericapac.org/candidate/tekesha-martinez/, 2024
Dave McMillion, The Herald-Mail, ‘It’s surreal’: Hagerstown celebrates Tekesha Martinez as its first black mayor, https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/story/news/local/2023/02/07/hagerstown-md-mayor-seat-councilwoman-tekesha-martinez-replacing-emily-keller/69881572007/
