Candidates’ polls all show a tight Montgomery County executive race

Each of the council members running for Montgomery County executive has released a poll indicating a close race — and showing himself in the lead, as is often the case with internal polls.

Five Democrats are running for county executive, Montgomery County’s highest office. The three council members in the race are widely considered front-runners, with the winner of the June 23 primary in the heavily Democratic county expected to win November’s election.

Will Jawando, at large, is the latest to release a poll, which has him and Andrew Friedson, District 1, tied for first at 26% and Evan Glass, at large, at 25%. The survey of 400 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted by Hart Research from May 28-31, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Another poll, released Sunday in a social media post by Friedson’s campaign, has Friedson with 25%, Jawando with 19% and Glass at 18%. The poll of 400 likely Democratic voters was conducted May 26-28 by Global Strategy Group, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

Glass’ team released a poll in March, conducted by Impact Research, that found Glass with 21% of the vote, Jawando with 20% and Friedson with 16%. The team polled 400 likely Democratic voters from Feb. 9-12, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

In the 2022 primary for county executive, the margin between incumbent Marc Elrich and challenger David Blair was so slight — 35 votes — that the elections board conducted a recount at Blair’s request.

The recount gave Blair three more votes but cinched Erlich’s second term.

It also delayed the final results of the mid-July primary until late August.

Glass calls for MCPS budget reform

Glass is calling for greater budget accountability from Montgomery County Public Schools. During a news conference Wednesday, he said the state needs to change its laws to require more transparency from school districts.

Glass wants the state to make school board seats, now part time, into full-time positions. He also wants the state to allow the county executive’s office to appoint a representative to the school board. Such changes could be made only by the General Assembly.

“We need to ensure that MCPS properly prioritizes the needs of our children and uses our tax dollars toward that goal and it is clear we need structural changes to restore accountability, transparency, and trust in our process,” Glass said in a newsletter to constituents Friday.

The school board Thursday approved a budget that eliminates 415 staff positions, following a difficult budget season.

MCPS spokesperson Liliana López told The Banner in an email the school system remains “committed to fiscal transparency.”

She said MCPS “provides the Council with a granular, line-item look at exactly how dollars are spent and requires programs to demonstrate clear outcomes to maintain funding.”

When he was president of the council in 2024, Friedson instituted budget transparency policies.

And Jawando, chair of the council’s Education and Culture Committee, serves as a liaison of sorts between council members and the school system.

Fani-González calls out ‘misleading information’ in campaign materials

County Council President Natali Fani-González called out “misleading information” about budget decisions in a news release Wednesday.

“I am disappointed but unsurprised by politicization of the Council’s recent budget decisions ahead of the Maryland Primary Election,” she wrote, without referencing who she believes is making unsupported claims and in what context.

But she made it clear she was upset about the characterization of changes to the tax structure adopted by the council last month as a tax hike for every homeowner.

“Let me set the record straight. The Council unanimously rejected the County Executive’s more than six percent property tax increase, holding the line on property taxes. The claim that all homeowners will receive a tax hike is false.”

The progressive income tax plan passed by the council last month eliminates the income tax offset credit, which is currently set at $692. Homeowners who claim their home as their principal residence are eligible for the credit. The elimination of the credit will offset some of the revenue losses from the graduated income tax.

However, county estimates indicate the new plan will benefit more residents than the current policy. According to council member Kate Stewart, who helped to create the plan, 35% to 40% of residents are renters and ineligible for the current tax credit. She said about 75% of residents will receive a tax break under the new plan, citing county data.

Though Fani-González did not aim her criticism at particular colleagues, she has publicly expressed frustration with Friedson and Jawando during the budget process. She endorsed Glass for county executive on Tuesday, after hesitating to weigh in on the race.

“The vast majority of colleagues understood the assignment under critical times,” Fani-González said in the endorsement. “Yet, two colleagues decided to play politics with the budget instead of working constructively to find compromise for the benefit of our residents.”

Dave Kunes, Jawando’s campaign manager, declined to comment on the endorsement in an email to The Banner on Friday but said “we wish them well.”

A representative of Friedson’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.