By Adam Pagnucco.
Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman, who is using public financing to run in Council District 3, has claimed to have enough in-county contributions to qualify for matching funds. This comes less than a month after he opened his campaign account for council. If the claim proves true, it’s a rapid sign of strength in a race for what could be the swing seat for control of the council.
First, let’s understand the context of Ashman’s claim. In the county’s public financing program, which he is using, public matching funds are provided to candidates who meet thresholds of number of in-county contributors and amount received from them. For a district-based candidate like Ashman, the thresholds for matching funds are 125 in-county contributions totaling at least $10,000. Once a candidate qualifies for matching funds, they are disbursed in accordance with a sliding scale tied to amount of in-county contributions. The maximum amount of public matching funds a district candidate can receive is currently $145,030 in a primary or general election.
Qualifying for matching funds is a necessary, but not sufficient, requirement for winning for a publicly financed candidate. Without matching funds, a publicly financed candidate would not be financially viable because their contributions are restricted to a maximum of $500. Candidates in traditional financing may accept contributions of up to $6,000 per cycle. (And those candidates can take money from slates, unions, corporations and PACs too.)
At this point, Ashman has not filed a report with the State Board of Elections requesting matching funds, so his statement is a claim only. He is not alone – many candidates have claimed to qualify for matching funds and then filed reports to get them weeks or even months later. That’s why I’m being such a stickler in distinguishing claims from actual reporting and receipt of money.
At this writing, here are the publicly financed candidates in MoCo’s races who have filed for and/or received matching funds.
County Executive: Evan Glass (filed and received), Will Jawando (filed and received)
Council At-Large: Scott Goldberg (filed and received)
Council District 1: Julie Yang (filed and received). Note: Yang has already received the maximum amount of matching funds allowed for a district candidate.
One more note: matching funds are only available to candidates who have opponents. That’s why council incumbents who are using public financing like Marilyn Balcombe, Natali Fani-Gonzalez, Kristin Mink and Kate Stewart are not on the list above. None of them have opponents, and if they did, I expect they would be eligible for matching funds quickly. (Correction: Silver Spring resident Peter Whitesell filed to run against Stewart on Friday.)
Ashman’s press release is reprinted below.
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Mayor Jud Ashman Raises Over $60,000 From More Than 125 Montgomery County Residents in Under 30 Days
Historic fundraising qualifies Ashman’s campaign for public financing in record time
GAITHERSBURG, Md. – December 16, 2025 – Jud Ashman, Mayor of Gaithersburg, announced today that his campaign for County Council District 3 has exceeded 125 individual Montgomery County resident contributions and raised more than $60,000 (including the expected public match). The total raised has eclipsed the $10,000 needed to qualify for the Montgomery County public financing system. Ashman accomplished this major milestone in less than 30 days after filing his candidacy.
“Our campaign to bring needed change to Montgomery County has gotten off to an amazing start,” Ashman said. “From a groundswell of local contributors that have allowed us to qualify for public financing in near record time to endorsements from every corner of the district, the hunger for change in Montgomery County is palpable.
“Everywhere we go, people tell us they are ready for a more affordable county, strong schools that give every child the education they deserve and a government that works for all – regardless of background.”
With such strong early support, the Ashman team is moving decisively to raise the funds necessary to wage a strong campaign that reaches out to every Democratic voter in District 3 with a vision of a Montgomery County that is stronger, safer and more affordable than ever.
For more than two decades, Ashman has been working to strengthen his community as a former president of his local PTA, a member of the Gaithersburg City Council and, for the last 11 years, as Mayor of Gaithersburg.
Additional endorsements and policy priorities will be announced in the weeks ahead.
Learn more at VoteJud.com.
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