By Adam Pagnucco.
Drew Morrison, who once worked for former District 1 Council Member Roger Berliner and is now the Senior Policy Advisor for Planning and Project Development at the Maryland Department of Transportation, has announced for Council District 1. He has earned the endorsement of Berliner, who represented the district from 2006 through 2018. The seat is being vacated by Council Member Andrew Friedson, who is running for county executive. Board of Education Member Julie Yang has previously announced for the seat. District 1, which includes Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac, has a deep bench so I expect other candidates to enter this race.
Morrison’s press release appears below.
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Drew Morrison Launches Campaign for Montgomery County Council
Long-time District 1 resident and policy professional announces run to protect the community he knows and loves.
For Immediate Release: August 14, 2025
BETHESDA, Md., August 14, 2025 — Drew Morrison, a long-time Bethesda resident and policy professional, today announced his campaign for District 1 on the Montgomery County Council. The Democratic primary is June 23, 2026.
“Our community faces unprecedented threats from the Trump Administration. We need leaders who know our community, who understand how to get things done in government, and who are ready to fight back for our values,” Morrison said. “I’ve worked on the frontlines of this mission in state and local government and by supporting critical political races across the country. I’m running to represent the place I grew up on the Montgomery County Council to grow good-paying jobs, address the rising cost of living, hold our school system accountable for results, and deliver infrastructure to meet our needs because I know that’s how we best protect ourselves now.”
Morrison’s track record in County government gives him the right experience for this critical moment. As a Legislative Senior Aide to former three-term District 1 Councilmember Roger Berliner (2006-2018), Morrison advanced major policy reforms at the County and State level. That included creating the first County-level Green Bank in the nation to finance job-creating clean energy projects, bringing Montgomery County into the Vision Zero movement to eliminate traffic deaths, and protecting the environment and ratepayers during the Pepco-Exelon merger.
“I have known Drew for many years. I say this without exception: He is one of the smartest, most dedicated, experienced, committed, and best human beings I have known,” Berliner said. “He will serve District 1 so very well and make Montgomery County even better. I am proud to endorse him.”
Morrison brings broad experience in politics and policy to this race, namely:
- In the wake of the first Trump election, Morrison and his wife co-founded EveryDistrict, a political action committee that raised over $3.5 million for more than 250 Democratic state legislative campaigns in 12 states, with a particular focus on flipping Virginia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
- As a transportation and planning expert, Morrison supported County efforts to improve transit access to job centers, such as the new Great Seneca Transit Network in Rockville and Gaithersburg. He also managed a multi-million dollar portfolio of major transit, rail, roadway, park, and economic development projects throughout the region.
- Since 2023, Morrison has served as a Policy Advisor in the Maryland Department of Transportation.
- With this background, Morrison will continue to fight for Democratic values with substantive and meaningful action.
About Drew
Morrison, 33, was raised in Bethesda in the Edgemoor and Mohican Hills neighborhoods. He grew up playing B-CC Baseball and MSI Soccer and performing at Imagination Stage. He graduated from Yale University with a degree in Economics and Political Science, with a concentration in Urban Studies, before obtaining his master’s degrees in City Planning and Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
His first role in local government was as an Intern and then Special Projects Assistant in the Office of former Montgomery County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett, before he joined the staff of former District 1 County Councilmember Roger Berliner. He served as a consultant at engineering firm VHB for seven years before joining the Maryland Department of Transportation, where he serves as a Policy Advisor in the Department and was named “Employee of the Year” in the Secretary’s Office in 2024.
Drew lives in Bethesda with his wife, Nicole Hobbs Morrison.