By Adam Pagnucco.
Council Member Evan Glass, who is running for county executive, has announced that he has qualified for matching funds in the county’s public financing system. It’s an important threshold that he met quickly and easily.
The county’s public financing system does not give public matching funds to all candidates. Instead, candidates must meet thresholds for individual in-county contributors and volume of collections. To qualify for matching funds, county executive candidates must get contributions from at least 500 county residents giving at least $40,000 between them. Once a candidate qualifies, they are entitled to matching funds for contributions from county residents on a sliding scale determined by contribution amounts. In this cycle, county executive candidates may receive a maximum of $870,170 in public matching funds.
Glass is an outstanding fundraiser in public financing, having maxed out his matching funds in both 2018 and 2022. I expect him to max out again and have a total campaign budget between $1.2 million and $1.5 million. That won’t be as much as potential rival Council Member Andrew Friedson, who has used traditional financing to accumulate a war chest of more than a million dollars back in January, but it doesn’t have to be. All Glass needs is enough money to get his message out and he should have it.
Incidentally, Glass’s announcement comes on the same day that Council Member Will Jawando is holding his campaign kickoff. Pretty cheeky, yeah? Elections are so much fun!
Glass’s announcement is reprinted below.
*****
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 21, 2025
Evan Glass Qualifies for Public Financing
ROCKVILLE, Md., May 21, 2025 — Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass today announced that his campaign for County Executive has qualified for public financing matching funds.
“I’m extremely proud that we’ve achieved this milestone in record time. It’s a sign that our grassroots campaign is building momentum throughout Montgomery County,” Glass said. “From Bethesda to Burtonsville and Poolesville to Takoma Park, we are meeting with residents in their living rooms and backyards to talk about the real issues impacting our community.”
Glass launched his campaign just two months ago, making this qualifying period the quickest in the three election cycles during which county executive candidates have been eligible for public financing. The Democratic primary is in June 2026.
“Montgomery County voters are ready to reject the harmful effects of corporate money in our politics. Our people-powered campaign is focused on helping residents, not special interests,” Glass said, affirming his commitment to serving the people of Montgomery County.
To qualify for public financing, candidates for county executive must raise $40,000 from at least 500 individual county residents. Glass achieved this milestone by meeting people where they live, and inspiring neighbors to support his steady progressive leadership for Montgomery County.
Councilmember Glass is an At-Large member of the County Council currently serving in his second term. First elected in 2018, Glass became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve on the County Council and is now the first openly gay candidate for County Executive. During his two terms on the council, Glass has served as Council President and worked to make housing more affordable, expand the local economy, require greater transparency in Montgomery County Public Schools, improve street safety, ensure fair wages, and tackle the climate crisis.
Prior to joining the Council, Glass spent 12 years as a journalist at CNN. He also served as a federal contractor to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and as executive director of Gandhi Brigade Youth Media, an innovative after school youth program dedicated to empowering immigrant and low-income students.