A former student member of the Montgomery County’s Board of Education has joined the group of candidates hoping to fill an upcoming vacancy in the House of Delegates for District 14.
Matt Post, 23, a lifelong Olney resident, said in an interview he is seeking the opening because he wants to serve the community that he has loved his entire life. His constituents would be the people he grew up with, residents he carpooled with, teachers who have mentored him, and others he knows in the eastern part of Montgomery County, he said.
The delegate seat is opening up because Eric Luedtke is resigning next month to join Gov.-elect Wes Moore’s administration. The county’s Democratic Central Committee is tasked with selecting someone to fill the vacancy. Applicants are being accepted through 5 p.m. today.
District 14 covers part of Damascus, Laytonsville, Olney, Sandy Spring, Burtonsville and other eastern parts of the county.
Post, who also served as a field strategist for March for our Lives, a student-led national movement supporting gun control legislation, said that three issues are defining his campaign: improving local schools, reducing gun violence and bringing more people into the political process — especially young, disenchanted voters.
Post has advocated for a universal free meals program, and making sure the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future — a education state bill that affects everything from universal pre-K to vocational career training to better teacher pay — is fully funded and implemented.
The state has more room to be innovative on gun violence — including more funding for violence intervention programs, Post said. He added he would be present in the community — at farmer’s markets, town halls and other places — to get more residents involved in local politics, including young people who feel left out of the process.
“As a party, we have a chance to implement a legislative vision that can show the whole country and the world what progress can look like, what a progressive state can look like,” Post said about Democrats and the next four years.
In response to criticism from some critics that Post is too young to serve, he highlighted accomplishments from his time on the Board of Education, including voting to expand pre-K in the county and more funding for vocational programs and career training in schools.
Post added he has been impressed by the teamwork of the current District 14 delegation — Delegates Anne Kaiser, Pam Queen and Leudtke, along with State Sen. Craig Zucker — and would build on that as a delegate.
“I’m a ripe old 23 and in my mind, it’s not about how many years you have behind you, it’s how you use them, Post said. It’s unclear how many people will apply for the seat, but historically, around a dozen or more people have typically applied for recent legislative vacancies.
After today’s deadline, the rest of the central committee process for filling the vacancy is:
- There is a public forum for candidates at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 21
- Letters of support for a candidate will be received until 5 p.m. on Dec. 29
- The central committee meets on Jan. 3 to select a candidate. The governor must confirm the committee’s pick, per state law
