Government & Politics

Balcombe and Luedtke endorse Friedson for county executive

Plus: Proposed 'franking' restriction falls flat; South Asian council candidates oppose county partnership with controversial Hindu group

Ceoli Jacoby

April 23, 2026 11:22 a.m.

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Montgomery County Council Vice President (D-Dist. 2) and Councilmember Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7) this week became the first councilmembers to endorse their colleague Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) for the county’s top job.

In a Wednesday press release from Friedson’s campaign, both Upcounty representatives referenced Friedson’s plan to tackle housing affordability as a key factor in their support for his county executive candidacy. Bethesda Today independently confirmed both endorsements.

“Andrew has a proven track record of bringing people together to tackle our toughest challenges, from making housing more affordable, to supporting our local business, to ensuring our tax dollars are invested effectively to support the residents that make the Upcounty thrive,” Balcombe said in the release.

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Prior to officially endorsing Friedson, Balcombe contributed money to his campaign without contributing to Jawando’s or Glass’ campaigns.

Luedtke said in the release that Friedson “is the leader we need to manage our resources responsibly and deliver real progress for our residents.”

Just over two months out from the Democratic primary, several members of the council have yet to weigh in on the race featuring three of their colleagues.

The only other sitting councilmember to officially make an endorsement in the race is Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5), who is backing Jawando. At-large member Laurie-Anne Sayles also signalled support for Jawando at his campaign launch event last May, but she was not on his official list of endorsements as of Wednesday.

Proposed ‘franking’ restriction falls flat

A proposed rule to restrict Montgomery County councilmembers’ use of public funds for certain bulk printings in the 60 days leading up to a primary or general election fell flat during the council’s weekly meeting Tuesday.

The suggested amendment to the council’s Rules of Procedure came from Councilmember Evan Glass (D-At-large). It would specifically apply to bulk printings bearing the name or image of a councilmember seeking re-election or election to higher office.

During Tuesday’s meeting at the council office building in Rockville, Glass described the proposed rule change as “a housekeeping measure that will ensure that taxpayer dollars are used wisely.”

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He noted that Congress has similar restrictions on “franking,” a privilege that allows U.S. senators and representatives to send mail to constituents without paying postage.

None of Glass’ colleagues supported his motion to add the proposed rule change to the council’s agenda for a vote on April 28. Fani-González said she didn’t feel the change was needed.

“Each councilmember has an office budget, and the council staff in this building including the legal staff make sure that each one of us don’t break our own rules,” Fani-González said.

She also questioned why Glass brought up the issue this week, with just over two months until the June 23 primary election, arguing there were earlier opportunities for him to do so.

“I will not use this time to politicize anything,” she said.

Glass is one of three sitting councilmembers seeking the Democratic nomination for county executive in the primary election. The others are Councilmembers Will Jawando (D-At-large) and Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1).

Fani-González, Balcombe, Stewart, Mink, Luedtke and Sayles are all seeking re-election to their council seats this year and would also be subject to the restriction on bulk printings.

“It’s a shame,” Glass said of the council’s decision not to move forward with his proposed rule change.

Glass told Bethesda Today the council has a process for addressing timely issues, and that his proposal followed that process. He said the proposed rule change was not aimed at any current councilmember, but that there had been issues with bulk printings around elections in the past.

“I want there to be good government,” Glass said. “I’m not the one who politicized this.”

South Asian council candidates oppose county partnership with controversial Hindu group

In a joint statement last week, four South Asian candidates for County Council at-large addressed the recent controversy surrounding Montgomery County Public Libraries’ (MCPL) relationship to a local Hindi school associated with a controversial Hindu group.

The group, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), describes itself on its website as “the oldest and one of the largest Hindu organizations in the U.S.”

Representatives of Germantown’s Balvihar Hindi School, part of the VHPA, were scheduled to speak at an April 12 event at the Germantown library to unveil a new collection of Hindi-language books funded in part by the school.

That event was cancelled after a coalition of several religious and civil rights organizations raised concerns about VHPA and its alleged support for Hindu nationalist ideology.

For its part, VHPA told Bethesda Today it was the target of a “hateful misinformation campaign launched by a motley coalition of Hinduphobic groups.”

In the April 14 statement, the four candidates — Muhammad Arif Wali, Radwan Chowdhury, Prabu Selvam and Hamza Khan — wrote that the cancellation of the Germantown library event was “a necessary step.” Further, the candidates wrote they “strongly oppose the involvement of VHPA in public programming and spaces supported by Montgomery County.”

“As candidates of South Asian heritage — Afghan, Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani — we do not speak about this lightly,” the candidates wrote. “We grew up with Hindi language and culture as part of our everyday lives — through film, music, and community — alongside our own native languages, including Urdu, Bengali, Pashto, and Tamil.”

The statement continued: “Together, we reflect the breadth of South Asia’s diversity across cultures, languages, and national backgrounds. We are united by a shared commitment to pluralism, dignity, and the rejection of hate in all its forms.

“This is not about opposing Hindi literature. It is about ensuring that Montgomery County does not provide a platform to organizations whose documented record includes the promotion and normalization of hate,” the candidates wrote.

Wali, Chowdhury, Selvam and Khan (all Democrats) are among the 18 candidates for four at-large seats on the County Council this year. Also among the candidates is County Executive Marc Elrich (D), who had been scheduled to speak at the Germantown library event.

Sayles, Fani-González endorse Stone for District 19 delegate

Also last week, Fani-González and Sayles threw their support behind a candidate seeking an open seat representing District 19 in the state legislature.

Both candidates are endorsing Alec Stone (D) for the seat left open by the retirement of Del. Bonnie Cullison (D). Stone announced the endorsements in an April 14 press release from his campaign. Bethesda Today independently confirmed both endorsements.

Stone is a nonprofit manager who lives in Kemp Mill, which is in Fani-González’s district. District 19 is in the eastern portion of Montgomery County. It includes Aspen Hill, Kemp Mill, Leisure World and portions of Derwood, Laytonsville, Glenmont and Emory Grove.

“I have known Alec for many years and have seen his effective advocacy to move the community forward. I know he will be an incredible partner at the State level,” Fani-González said in the press release.

Sayles said in the press release that Stone “demonstrates the same dedication to service, equity, and results that our communities need.”

In addition to Stone, the five newcomers seeking the open District 19 seat include political science professor and podcast host Sunil Dasgupta of Rockville and software engineer Gabriel Sorrel of Gaithersburg.

Also in the running for the open seat are Christa Tichy of Aspen Hill and Sebastian Johnson of Glenmont, both of whom represent District 19 on the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.

Cullison’s three District 19 colleagues — Sen. Ben Kramer (D-Derwood) and Dels. Charlotte Crutchfield (D-Silver Spring) and Vaughn Stewart (D-Rockville) — in February filed for re-election as a slate, saying they would run as a “coordinated team.”

Bethesda Today has reported that the incumbents have no plans to ask any of the five newcomers to join their slate.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine