As speculation grows among political observers about who may run for Montgomery County Executive, County Councilmember Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) has raised more than $1 million, according to the latest Maryland State Board of Elections campaign fundraising reports, Maryland Matters first reported.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) is facing his final two years in office after voters passed a term-limit referendum on Election Day that amends the county charter to restrict the county executive to serving two terms. Elrich is serving the second year of his second four-year term, which will end in 2026.
The shake-up caused by the referendum’s passage has led to speculation about whether current councilmembers will run for the opening county executive seat.
Friedson did not confirm or deny whether he would run when asked via text message by Bethesda Today on Thursday morning.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement we’ve received,” Friedson wrote in a text. “We’re having lots of conversations about how our community meets this challenging moment and can bring people together to build an economy that’s as strong as the sum of our unrivaled parts and deliver county services deserving of our talented residents.”
When asked about a run in a December interview, Friedson told Bethesda Today that he hadn’t “made any formal decisions.”
“But I continue to believe that there are significant opportunities to serve the county, and it’s something that I feel very passionate about, and I’ll continue to decide how I best can serve the county and the community, and the only place I’ve ever called home,” Friedson said.
Nobody has officially announced a run for county executive, but a few other councilmembers have expressed interest. Potential contenders on the council include council Vice President Will Jawando (D-At-large), who has voiced aspirations for higher public office and runs a federal political action committee to fund the campaigns of progressive candidates across the country. Jawando, who led a short-lived campaign for U.S. Senate, has just $5.93 in his state fundraising account as of Jan. 8.
Councilmember Evan Glass (D-At-large) has neither confirmed nor denied consideration of a run. He has $1,161 in his state account. He previously participated in the county’s public financing program and has not fundraised since 2022.
Among other councilmembers who have not publicly voiced interest in a run:
- President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) has $2,697 on hand;
- Marilyn Balcombe (D-Dist. 2), has $1,161;
- Sidney Katz (D-Dist. 3), has $28,638;
- Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) has $3,582; and
- Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7) has $32,823.
Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz (D-At-large) and Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5) do not have active fundraising accounts. Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large), who ran in the Democratic primary for the Maryland 6th Congressional District seat, has no money in her state account.
Speculation concerning who may run for county executive has also included Rich Madaleno, the county’s chief administrative officer and former state delegate. He has not actively fundraised in recent years but has $43,468 in an open state account.
Proposed amendment for council leadership is dormant
A proposed amendment to the council’s Rules of Procedure that would require councilmembers holding the posts of president and vice president to step down from those leadership roles if they planned to run for a public office outside of the council seems to be on ice.
“[We] did not withdraw it. We simply had it removed from the calendar. It is still pending,” Luedtke, who co-sponsored the amendment with Fani-González, told Bethesda Today in an email Thursday morning.
Fani-González confirmed Luedtke’s statement in a separate email to Bethesda Today.
“[We] are putting forth an amendment to the council as a procedure … as a housekeeping measure to help keep the focus on the good of the body, the good of the whole and making sure we have a backup plan for our backup plan,” Luedtke said when introducing the amendment in December following council officer elections. “[We want] to make sure we are taking appropriate steps to keep the body functioning in the best way possible moving forward.”
