Paschall Announces Run for Hyattsville Ward 3 Seat

Residents of Hyattsville's Ward 3 looking to find a replacement for departing City Council president and Ward 3 representative Matt McKnight have at least one option, for now. 

Patrick Paschall, a Ward 3 resident living at 4014 Nicholson Street, was among the first candidates to register for the spring municipal election, set for May 7. 

"I really care about Hyattsville. I love it here. It's one of the best kept secrets in the region," said Paschall in an interview. "I bring the experience of being an attorney and having a strong policy experience and drafting policies, it's a skill I want to bring to the Hyattsville City Council."

Paschall currently works as a policy counsel with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force as an advocate for policies at the federal level benefiting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, according to his campaign biography.

Also registering today was incumbent Council Vice President David Hiles (Ward 2). As of 4:50 p.m., Monday afternoon, no other candidates had yet registered, according to the city website. 

If elected, Paschall writes on his campaign website that he would like to focus on encouraging community involvement in the local public schools, bringing an indoor swimming facility to the area, enhancing safety for pedestrians crossing Queens Chapel Road and East West Highway, and attracting development to the areas around the city's two Metro stations. 

Paschall is a recent transplant to Hyattsville, moving to the city with his wife, Sara Bendoraitis, in November 2011. He is a member of the Hyattsville Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association and is a commissioner on the recently formed Hyattsville Ethics Commission. 

A native of Galveston, TX, Paschall was the first member of his family to graduate college, earning a bachelors degree in Political Science from Texas A&M before earning his law degree at the Hofstra University School of Law in Long Island, New York, according to his campaign biography.