Moore endorses MoCo Council, General Assembly candidates

Plus: Realtors’ ‘super PAC’ puts money into independent expenditure effort for Friedson, council candidates

May 11, 2026 11:46 a.m. | Updated: May 11, 2026 11:55 a.m.

Facebook X ReddIt Email Print Copy URL Political notes

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Thursday issued a wave of endorsements for federal, state and local candidates, including several who will be on the Montgomery County ballot in the June 23 Democratic primary.

Most of the Montgomery County candidates endorsed by Moore are incumbents seeking re-election, though a few are running for open seats on the County Council or in the county’s Maryland General Assembly delegation. Moore is seeking a second term as governor.

For the open District 3 County Council seat, Moore endorsed Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman, who is competing with Rockville City Councilmember Izola Shaw and former federal worker Allison Eriksen for the Democratic nomination.

The District 3 seat is currently held by Councilmember Sidney Katz (D), who cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

- Advertisement -

In the press release from Moore’s campaign on Thursday, Ashman said he and the governor “share a commitment to growing opportunity, strengthening our communities, and delivering results.”

The only other non-incumbent County Council candidate to receive Moore’s endorsement on Thursday was County Executive Marc Elrich, who cannot seek re-election due to term limits and is seeking the Democratic nomination for one of four council at-large seats instead.

Moore endorsed incumbent Council President Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) and Councilmembers Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4), Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7) and Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large) on Thursday.

Moore did not issue endorsements for the other incumbent County Councilmembers who are seeking re-election this year, Vice President Marilyn Balcombe (D-Dist. 2) and Councilmember Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5). He also did not announce an endorsement in the county executive race, in which three sitting councilmembers are among those seeking the Democratic nomination.

Realtors’ ‘super PAC’ puts money into independent expenditure effort for Friedson, council candidates

A second so-called “super PAC” has become active in the run-up to the June 23 primary election.

A political action committee (PAC) affiliated with the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR) late last week pumped more than $376,000 into an effort to boost five of its endorsed candidates—three times more than what CASA in Action’s super PAC reported spending late last month on behalf of several candidates backed by the immigrant advocacy group.

The beneficiaries of the spending by GCAAR included District 1 County Councilmember Andrew Friedson for county executive; former Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee Chair Scott Goldberg, Gaithersburg Councilmember Jim McNulty and Board of Education member Karla Silvestre for County Council at-large; and state transportation official Drew Morrison for the open District 1 seat being vacated by Friedson.

GCAAR reported spending $80,400 apiece on behalf of Friedson, Goldberg, McNulty and Silvestre, and $55,200 to benefit Morrison — all of whom are Democrats — as part of its independent expenditure efforts.

In filings with the state Board of Elections, the GCAAR super PAC said it had transferred a total of $376,800 to Donohoe Partners, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate enterprise, for what was described as “Field Expenses-Consulting Fees-General” on behalf of the five candidates.

The GCAAR disclosure followed a recent filing the CASA in Action’s super PAC that it had spent a total of $117,000 on behalf of six of its endorsed candidates, all Democrats: at-large County Councilmember Will Jawando for county executive; current term-limited County Executive Marc Elrich, incumbent at-large Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, attorney Fatmata Barrie, and Navy veteran and LGBTQ activist Josie Caballero for four available council at-large nominations; and Rockville Councilmember Izola Shaw for the open District 3 seat.

Friedson, Jawando and at-large County Councilmember Evan Glass are competing for the Democratic nomination for county executive, along with Silver Spring project manager Mithun Banerjee and Gaithersburg businessman Peter James.

Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs at the state and federal level are allowed to raise unlimited amounts from individuals as well as corporations and unions. Super PACs can support or oppose candidates, but are barred from coordinating their efforts with candidates they are backing.

The GCAAR and CASA in Action super PACS have had an increasing presence in recent elections–but are not expected to be the only such groups to weigh in prior to the June 23 primary.

Four years ago, two other such committees — Progressives for Progress and the Affordable Maryland PAC, both largely funded by real estate and development interests — together reported spending more than $1.5 million in the closing weeks of the primary campaign.

Louis Peck, a contributing editor for Bethesda Magazine, can be reached at lou.peck@bethesdamagazine.com.  

Digital Partners

Originally published at Bethesdamagazine