By Adam Pagnucco.
Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman, who just won reelection by 48 points, opened a public financing account today to run for the open Council District 3 seat. The seat is occupied by Ashman’s predecessor as mayor, Sidney Katz, who cannot run for reelection because of term limits.
Ashman faces Rockville City Council Member Izola Shaw and former federal employee Allison Eriksen in the race. This could be one of the most competitive elections in the county this cycle.
I asked Ashman for a statement, which is reprinted below.
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After a lot of encouragement from friends and neighbors across the district – and, most importantly, from my family – I’ve decided to run for the Montgomery County Council.
I’m running because the very things that have made Montgomery County such a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family are at risk of becoming unaffordable for far too many people.
I’m proud to have the support of the entire Gaithersburg City Council, a majority of the Rockville City Council, and a strong coalition of state and local leaders. They’re standing with me because they know that on the County Council, I’ll fight to make housing more affordable, help local businesses thrive, protect the most vulnerable members of our community, and stand up to the extremism coming from the Trump Administration.