Will Jawando leads in Montgomery County executive race

After the polls closed on Tuesday, Will Jawando was leading in the race for Montgomery County executive, with Andrew Friedson trailing closely and Evan Glass further behind, according to preliminary results posted by the State Board of Elections.

The three Democratic county council members are widely considered the frontrunners for the county’s top office in the Democratic primary. The winner will likely win in November’s election in this heavily Democratic county.

Jawando was running strongest in communities including in Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Wheaton.

Friedson was leading in Bethesda, Potomac and Poolesville.

Just after 11 p.m., he addressed a dwindling crowd of supporters at The Urban Winery in Silver Spring. They’d spent the past few hours watching the gap between him and Jawando widen.

“We’re definitely trailing a bit,” Friedson said, noting that many more votes must be counted. “It’s still too early to make any final determinations on this race.”

A few minutes earlier, Jawando, at Citizens and Culture in Silver Spring, also told his supporters that many ballots must be counted.

But he assured them that they were on “the verge of victory” and praised their diversity and hard work. “That’s why we’re going to build a county that’s even greater and stronger, because it’s going to be the sum of its parts.”

Glass addressed his supporters at 7 Locks Brewing in Rockville, telling the crowd he wasn’t optimistic.

“While the election and the results are still coming in, I am a former CNN journalist,” he said. “I have covered enough election nights to know that it will be hard to come out of the position that we are in. I don’t deny that.

“But what I know is that our resolution, and that our resolve, and that our deep commitment to this county, isn’t going anywhere.”

In the at-large council race, County Executive Marc Elrich, who is term-limited, was leading a pack of 16 Democratic candidates, followed by at-large Council member Laurie-Anne Sayles and Scott Evan Goldberg.

Julie Yang, a member of the school board since 2023, was leading as the Democratic nominee to replace Friedson as District 1 council member.

Jud Ashman, mayor of Gaithersburg since 2014, was leading as the Democratic nominee to replace Sidney Katz as District 3 council member.

In the non-partisan school board races, Sally McCarthy took a strong lead in the primary for the District 3 seat with almost all votes counted.

Omar Lazo and Brenda Diaz appeared to lead in the at-large school board seat, trailed by Wylea Chase and Tiffany Wicks.

Challenger Will Milam beat Sheriff Maxwell Uy, the incumbent, in the race for Montgomery County Sheriff.

County executive

Jawando, 43, first joined the council as an at-large member in December 2018 and currently chairs the Education and Culture Committee. He was the council’s vice president in 2025.

Friedson, a product of the Montgomery County Public Schools, was the youngest person ever to win election to the council eight years ago, when he was 32.

Glass, 49, has held his at-large seat since December 2018 and currently chairs the Transportation and Environment Committee. He was council president in 2023 and vice president in 2022. He was also the first openly LGBTQIA+ member of the council.

The latest campaign finance reports, from June 12, show that Friedson has raised more than $2.4 million, a more than $1 million fundraising lead over his two main competitors.

Jawando and Glass are relying on the county’s public financing program. Both candidates recently announced that they have hit the maximum in matching funds: $870,000 in any election cycle.

Jawando has raised more than $1.2 million total in donations and public funding. Glass has raised more than $990,000 in total.

Housing is a top issue in the county executive race, with Friedson advocating for increased development and Jawando focusing on rent stabilization. Glass has embraced aspects of both approaches.

Data center regulation has also become a key topic in recent months. While all three candidates are concerned about the developments’ impact on residents and the environment, they differ on how to handle the issue.

The candidates are closely aligned on immigration and pushing back against Trump administration policies.

Other races

Across the rest of the council, incumbents appear to have won reelection based on early vote counts.

District 4 incumbent Kate Stewart, District 5 incumbent Kristin Mink, District 6 representative and current Council President Natali Fani-González and District 7 incumbent Dawn Luedtke will likely all hold their seats for a second four-year term.

In District 2, Council member Marilyn Balcombe won an uncontested race.

In one of the most hotly contested races, two-term Del. Gabriel Acevero, 35, is defending his seat representing District 39 in the General Assembly against four challengers: George Lluberes, Lesley Lopez, Greg Wims and Robert Wu. Voters in the district will select their top three choices to represent them.

Last week, after a physical confrontation outside an early-voting site, local union leader Gino Renne filed an assault complaint against Acevero, who said he planned to do the same.

Each accused the other of starting the fight and throwing punches in an incident Thursday at about 6 p.m. at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, police said.

Antonio Planas and Talia Richman contributed to this story.