By Adam Pagnucco.
Earlier this week, I wrote about the prospect of a political food fight at the county council originating in its election of a possible county executive candidate as its president. Now, Council Members Dawn Luedtke and Natali Fani-Gonzalez have proposed a solution. Do the council members have enough sense to embrace it?
The problem that I outlined lies in the prospect that a council president will abuse his or her authority to achieve an advantage over any rival council member(s) running for executive. That’s a real possibility as three or more council members could enter the 2026 executive race, and they are all seen as plausible contenders by my source network. And of course the target(s) of any such abuse will not simply take it; they will respond. Hence the potential for pie-throwing and the hurling of other objects, figurative and otherwise.
Now come Luedtke and Fani-Gonzalez, who have proposed a resolution to change the council rules that is listed in Tuesday’s council agenda. Their resolution contains this amendment to the rules:
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(3) Council president vacancy.
(A) If the office of Council President becomes vacant, for any reason including under subparagraph (B), the Council promptly elects a successor to fill the remainder of the term until the next election of officers at the first Council meeting in December. The acting President must schedule the election to occur no later than the next regular Council meeting.
(B) If a Council President publicly announces a candidacy, files a certificate of candidacy, or establishes a campaign finance entity, for an elective office other than for re-election as a Councilmember:
(i) their service as President terminates immediately; and
(ii) the Council Presidency is deemed vacant.
(C) If the Council Presidency is vacant, the Vice-President serves as acting President until the Council elects a successor under subparagraph (A).
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Why is this rule change necessary? Look no further than Prince George’s County, which will be holding a special election for county executive in coming months. At least two county council members – Jolene Ivey and Calvin Hawkins – will be running for executive. Ivey has been the chair, which rotates with elections by council members. (So does our council presidency.) Fractured along lines of ideology and politics, no council member was able to achieve a majority to succeed Ivey as chair, leaving her in the seat. That led WTOP reporter John Domen to state, “They’re all Democrats, but a division on the Prince George’s County Council in Maryland likely means gridlock for months.”
Does that remind you of anyone?
There is one difference between the Prince George’s council and ours: their county executive special election will be held at some point next year whereas our county executive primary will be held in 2026. So our food fight will last longer than theirs unless our council adopts the Luedtke/Fani-Gonzalez reform.
Will they do it? One of our tongue-wagging sources had this to offer: “I believe there are at least 7 CMs in support. The question is whether they suspend the rules and have same day action next Tuesday or if they let this linger over the holidays. Like spoiled milk, the longer this sits, the more it stinks up the fridge.”
The smart move would be for the Montgomery County Council to pass this resolution straight-away and dispense with the hairpulling ASAP. Sure, multiple council members will run for executive – as is their right – but let them fight fairly without tying their institution in knots.
The holiday season is a time for big drinks. Will the council members hoist the nectar of reform? Or will they choke on the rancid milk of executive politics? We shall see soon enough!