Calvin, I've been tough on you and I realize that I was unduly harsh that you're a better man than I gave you credit for. Now when I look at the political situation and I compare you to the shenanigans we see from some members of council and some members of the administration. I realize that I owe you an apology. I am sorry Calvin.
In a county where political legacies are often shaped by scandal, silence, or survival, Councilman Calvin S. Hawkins II stands as a rare figure, one whose story is not defined by perfection, but by perseverance.
Born in Washington, D.C. in 1962 and raised in Oxon Hill, Hawkins came of age in a time and place where opportunity and temptation often walked hand in hand. At 21, he was convicted of armed robbery and served six years in prison—a consequence of a brief but destructive addiction to cocaine. That chapter, while painful, did not close the book on his life. Instead, it became the prologue to a career rooted in service, humility, and second chances.
After his release, Hawkins didn’t retreat from public life, he leaned into it. He began working with youth involved in crime, then served as a constituent aide to D.C. Councilmember Kevin Chavous. Over the next three decades, he built a reputation as a tireless advocate for Prince George’s County, serving as a senior advisor to County Executives Wayne Curry and Rushern Baker, and eventually winning election to the County Council in 2018.
As Council Chair during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hawkins led efforts to protect renters from eviction, support small businesses, and expand food access in underserved communities. He sponsored the Re-Entry Advisory Board, a body focused on helping returning citizens reintegrate through housing, employment, and mental health support—a policy that mirrored his own journey.
He’s also been instrumental in shaping the county’s future:
- Spearheading legislation to stabilize rent and expand rental assistance
- Advocating for economic development through town centers and commercial tax reform
- Leading youth mentorship initiatives to combat crime and truancy
Yes, Hawkins has faced criticism, including a sexual harassment case from 2008 that resulted in a jury award and later reinstatement after appeal. He acknowledged his behavior was inappropriate and sought counseling. That, too, is part of the record. But it’s also part of the arc of a man who has chosen accountability over denial, and growth over grievance.
In December 2024, Hawkins announced his candidacy for County Executive, stepping into the vacuum left by Angela Alsobrooks’ election to the U.S. Senate. His campaign is built not on erasure of the past, but on the belief that redemption is not just possible. It’s public policy.
> “That wasn’t the defining moment of my life,” Hawkins said of his incarceration. “It was during that time that my daughter became my agent, giving me the motivation to create a better future for myself and my family.”
In a political climate that often rewards image over integrity, Calvin Hawkins offers something different: a man who’s been tested, who’s stumbled, and who’s chosen to rise—not just for himself, but for the county he calls home.
Sources:
Prince George’s County Council Official Profile
Streetcar Suburbs Voter Guide
Prince George’s Suite Magazine
Wikitia Profile and Washington Post Reporting
WUSA9 Public Safety Listening Session Coverage
THE MAN IN THE ARENA
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Teddy Roosevelt