Editor’s note: This story, originally published at 8:22 a.m. July 2, 2025, was updated at 10:35 a.m. to include comments from Gov. Wes Moore (D) about the county executive race.
Potomac businessman David Blair has endorsed Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) in his bid to become the next county executive, a post that Blair sought and narrowly lost twice.
“Montgomery County needs a leader with the vision to grow our economy and the experience to manage our $7.6 billion budget. At this pivotal moment, we need someone who can turn our shared values into meaningful progress. That leader is Andrew Friedson,” Blair said Tuesday in a release from Friedson’s campaign.
The endorsement is the latest for Friedson, who has also been backed by Democratic state Sens. Nancy King, Craig Zucker, Sara Love and Brian Feldman as he seeks the nod in the 2026 Democratic primary election. The two other front-runners in the primary race are his fellow councilmembers: Evan Glass (At-large) and Vice President Will Jawando (At-large).
Gov. Wes Moore (D) told Bethesda Today following his Tuesday night appearance at the Leisure World community north of Wheaton that he is not planning to endorse a candidate in the race.
“I think Montgomery County is fortunate that they have just a riches of really good and strong candidates in the race – most of whom I haven’t only worked with, I’ve worked very closely with,” Moore said in a brief interview. “And so I think Montgomery County has a lot of tremendous options on the table and, at the moment, I’m not planning on endorsing.”
Friedson and Glass were in the audience for Moore’s appearance before the Democratic Club of Leisure World. Jawando, who was among the first elected officials in the state to endorse Moore’s gubernatorial candidacy in 2022, was not in attendance.
Blair ran for county executive in 2018 and 2022 and narrowly lost in both Democratic primaries to Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D), who is prohibited by term limits from running for a third term. Blair spent a record $5.4 million of his own money on his first campaign and more than $6 million on his second.
Blair told Bethesda Today on Tuesday he decided not to run again for county executive because he learned he can create change in his community without serving in local government.
“I felt a calling to give back for the past 10 years, and I very much thought it was going to be in public service and serving the community in Montgomery County, where I grew up,” Blair said. “But for whatever reason, the universe didn’t dial that up for me, and I lost twice, so right now, I am fixing the broken prescription care delivery model.”
He founded Lucy Rx in 2023, which he said manages pharmacy benefits for more than 1 million members.
However, Blair still got involved in the upcoming election by publicly supporting Friedson, whom Blair said has the courage to make difficult decisions in office, regardless of the optics.
“He’s not a follower,” Blair said. “Oftentimes, you see politicians look at the polls and then make the decisions based on what the polls say versus what they actually believe and what they think the community needs. Andrew is the type of person who won’t be looking at the polls, and he has the courage to make the tough choices.”
Friedson said in Tuesday’s release that he is honored by Blair’s endorsement and values his business and community perspectives.
“David has been a tireless advocate for economic growth, innovation, and a more effective, inclusive Montgomery County,” Friedson said. “His endorsement reflects the growing momentum behind our campaign and our shared commitment to making Montgomery County a leader in opportunity, affordability, and good governance.”
Friedson announced in June that he would run to replace Elrich, who is serving his final two years in office after voters passed a term-limit referendum in November that restricts the county executive to serving two terms. Elrich is serving the second year of his second four-year term, which will end in 2026.
Elrich publicly endorsed Jawando at a May 21 event, during which both politicians appeared to attack Friedson and the size of his campaign war chest. Friedson has raised more than $1 million so far, according to state finance reports, putting him ahead of the other candidates.
“You cannot elect a county executive who already has millions of dollars from developers,” Elrich said while endorsing Jawando.
Both Glass and Jawando have opted to participate in the county’s public campaign financing system. In exchange for participating in this system, candidates must refuse to accept contributions from groups, organizations and corporations. This includes PACs, local central action committees for political parties and labor unions.
Friedson has served on the council since he was elected in 2018 and was the council’s president in 2024. He chairs the council’s Planning, Housing & Parks Committee and serves on the Government Operations & Fiscal Policy Committee. He is the youngest member of the 11-member council.
Recently, his prominent legislation has included the “More Housing NOW” legislative package and the Jobs, Opportunities and Business Support (J.O.B.S.) economic development initiative, which awarded more than $20 million in grants for local businesses. He also co-sponsored the FAITH zoning text amendment, which allows houses of worship and certain nonprofits to build housing on their land.
During his time as council president, Friedson advocated for increased transparency measures between the council and Montgomery County Public Schools. He also was proud of his efforts to increase public engagement, according to a December 2024 interview with Bethesda Today.
Bethesda Today reporter Ginny Bixby and freelance political writer Louis Peck contributed to this story.
