Greenbelt City Council member Brandon “Ric” Gordon, who was reelected for a second term earlier this month, died at age 41 on Sunday, the city of Greenbelt announced in a release.
The Prince George’s County native led efforts to make Greenbelt a more inclusive community for himself and others by starting the Greenbelt Pride festival in 2022 and adding a Pride parade this year. Gordon described himself to The Washington Post earlier this year as a transamorous heterosexual man.
Greenbelt Mayor Emmett V. Jordan in a statement called Gordon’s death “a great loss to the Greenbelt community, Prince George’s County, and the State of Maryland.”
“Ric Gordon was very passionate about Greenbelt, politics, and his important role as a council member. He will be missed tremendously,” Jordan said.
The cause of his death wasn’t released.
Advertisement
Most recently, Gordon said he was delighted that Greenbelt voters this month signaled that they were in favor of granting noncitizens ballot access in local elections. It was yet another sign that Greenbelt was hungry for change and ready to be “on the right side of history,” he told The Post.
“This shows who we are as a community. … We care for our neighbors, no matter the citizenship status,” he said in an interview. “We have a melting pot here in Greenbelt. We understand each other.”
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) called Gordon a “dedicated public servant.”
“We are collectively mourning this deeply felt loss,” she said in a statement. “Councilmember Gordon was not only a valued member of the Greenbelt City Council but also a cherished member of the Prince George’s County community. We will remember him for his commitment to making Greenbelt a better place for all.”
Advertisement
Gordon graduated from Morris College in Sumter, S.C., in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and prelaw and a minor in psychology. He later obtained a master’s degree in public administration from Strayer University and was scheduled to complete a certification program from the University of Maryland Public Policy Academy of Excellence in Local Governance this fall, according to his most recent candidate biography.
His efforts as an openly LGBTQ official earned him a Prince George’s County Pride Award for LGBTQ+ Excellence in Government in June 2022. He was honored alongside Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), who called Gordon “a crucial advocate for Greenbelt and his fellow Prince Georgians.”
“Whether standing together as co-recipients of the Prince George’s County Pride Award for LGBTQ+ Excellence in Government in 2022 or celebrating our successful effort to bring the new FBI headquarters to Greenbelt just the other week, I was pleased to work with my friend Ric Gordon to serve Marylanders,” Hoyer said in a statement.
Advertisement
At the time of his death, Gordon was employed at the U.S. Transportation Department under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a government contractor, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He and his wife, Carla, have four grown children and six grandchildren, the biography said.
Prince George’s County Council member Krystal Oriadha (D-District 7), who worked alongside Gordon to champion LGBTQ rights, in a statement credited his heart and commitment to his passion for the city.
“His service to the community set a precedent for future leaders, while inspiring others to be the change they seek in the world,” Oriadha said. “Gordon showed a generation that it is never too late to live your life as your most authentic self.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLGkecydZK%2BZX2d9c3%2BOamhoamdkv6qvjKCmq5yfo3qovsSepZudnKl6pLvUp5qipJ2Wu3A%3D