Will Jawando scores major union endorsements in race for county executive

Montgomery County executive candidate Will Jawando has scored the endorsement of three local unions that represent more than 40,000 workers in Maryland.

The three unions — SEIU Local 500, 32BJ SEIU and 1199SEIU — represent workers in property services, home care, school support, higher education, nonprofits and child care. Thursday’s announcement included a commitment from the combined labor organizations to canvass for Jawando.

The unions said Jawando was an “easy” choice among a crowded field.

“Will is a civil rights attorney, a father, and a friend to working families who believes in using his office to better the lives of the people in our communities,” said Pia Morrison, SEIU 500 president, in a statement.

Jawando said he was proud to earn the endorsements and “grateful for their trust in me, and I won’t let them down.”

The tense race, with three council members vying for the post, continues to heat up as heavy-hitting endorsements come in ahead of the June 23 Democratic primary.

The Sierra Club endorsed Evan Glass, also an at-large council member, for the county executive seat in January. Last month, District 1 council member Andrew Friedson was endorsed by Greater Greater Washington, a nonprofit that advocates for housing affordability and transit access and safety in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Jawando also received backing from the county teachers union in December, while Friedson has secured the endorsement of the county’s professional and volunteer firefighters.

Stop MoCo Spending campaign soldiers on without its founder

A ballot initiative committee is facing a major leadership change. The Control MoCo Spending committee is collecting signatures to place a question on the November 2026 ballot that could change the county’s charter.

They want the voters to decide if the county should cap its spending, based on the prior year’s consumer price index.

The committee’s founder, former Montgomery County Republican Central Committee chair Reardon Sullivan, is running for the District 1 seat on the County Council and can’t spearhead an additional campaign under state election law.

“I anticipate a challenging race that will require my full attention and effort,” Sullivan told The Banner in an email.

Now, Mark Lautman, an independent and community activist, will lead the campaign.

Sullivan’s successful 2024 ballot initiative limited the county executive to two terms. That change to the county code passed handily, making County Executive Marc Elrich ineligible to run for reelection this year. Lautman was also involved in the term-limit campaign, according to Control MoCo Spending.

Investigation finds police department improperly invoiced MCPS

A new investigation from the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General found major errors in two invoices sent by the county Police Department to Montgomery County Public Schools.

According to the inspector general‘s report, MCPS received a Maryland Center for School Safety grant that reimburses expenses for police officer coverage at school events.

The report details a $149,063 invoice from the Police Department that was eligible for reimbursement under the grant. However, the inspector general’s office found that the Police Department’s invoice contained approximately $45,000 in unsupported charges and approximately $2,700 in expenses that had previously been paid by MCPS.

MCPS staff paid the invoice without taking appropriate steps to verify the charges were correct and adequately supported, according to the inspector general. After MCPS officials sought reimbursement from the grant program for the $149,063 paid to the Police Department, the Maryland Center for School Safety decided not to reimburse MCPS because it had not received adequate support for the amounts charged.

In an email statement on Friday, MCPS spokesperson Liliana Lopez said that the school system is addressing the issue, in part through a newly published financial monitoring manual.

County police officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.