By Adam Pagnucco.
Council Member Sidney Katz, who represents Council District 3, is leaving office due to term limits. The district is mostly comprised of Gaithersburg and Rockville with precincts in Potomac and Washington Grove. Rockville City Council Member Izola Shaw has launched her campaign for the open seat and has now been joined by another candidate.
Allison Eriksen of Gaithersburg established a traditional campaign finance committee last month and filed for the district seat on October 17. She sent me the statement below about her campaign.
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I’m Allison Eriksen, and I’m running for Montgomery County Council District 3 — because we need leaders who are ready for anything.
After I was suddenly fired from USAID’s disaster preparedness and response office, I tried to speak with representatives on Capitol Hill alongside other federal workers. We raised concerns about program cuts like weather monitoring, infectious disease research, providing care to Americans with disabilities, and monitoring disease around the world to prevent pandemics. But Congress didn’t listen. Republicans refused to listen and disrespected us, and Democrats weren’t willing to fight. Local governments see how these cuts impact our neighbors and communities. That’s why I decided to run. They can take my job, but they can’t take away my dedication to serving my community.
I’ll use my skills as a disaster responder to make sure that the residents of Montgomery County are prepared for an unknown future or the next disaster that hits – natural or not.
That could mean preparing for a loss of FEMA support from a natural disaster. But it also means building more housing, so families aren’t priced out of the county. It means making sure healthcare is available and that abortion remains accessible so that families can plan their futures and protect their health. It means making our schools a safe place for all students, not a hub for ICE to kidnap our neighbors and traumatize children.
When the agency I worked for was gutted, it was my community — neighbors and strangers from all backgrounds — who showed up for me with whatever support they were able to offer. Anyone who has seen and studied communities in crisis knows what separates the ones that thrive from the ones that struggle: whether they unite together in the crisis, or whether they let it divide them. This community clearly rejects division, and that is our strength. Montgomery County’s diversity is what makes it a great place to live, and I’m committed to ensuring our communities stay valued and protected.
We can’t afford the old politics. The future is uncertain — let’s get ready for it together.
My campaign website is not yet live, but I am fundraising on ActBlue at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/allison-eriksen-1
I actively encourage constituents to share with me their priorities for the council.
Not everything can be changed at the county level, but I believe in the power of local government to make an impact when national politics lag behind or refuse to act.