By Adam Pagnucco.
Election season is in its final month and candidates are busily proclaiming their endorsements. Which ones matter the most?
Well, everyone who reads this site knows that I’m not qualified to answer that question myself. But I know who is: my sources! Writing about or working in local government and politics for nearly 20 years, I have accumulated a lot of them – and they are not shy about telling me what’s up. So I put the question to them: which endorsements are most influential in MoCo’s state and county races?
I have done this a few times in the past. For recent previous polls of my sources, check out their grades of Superintendent Thomas Taylor (2025), their predictions on the next county executive (2024), their list of the county’s most influential people (2024) and their rankings of landmark events in MoCo history (2023). These series are great for me because I don’t have to do a lot of writing – the sources do it for me! All I have to do is compile their responses, take credit for what they say (yay!) and take the blame when they’re wrong (which usually doesn’t happen).
Here is the email I sent to my network last September.
*****
It’s time for another survey of the folks who know MoCo politics better than anyone – YOU, my sources! What, do you expect me to do the work of Montgomery Perspective all by myself?
With the primary election season underway, candidates will be seeking endorsements to help them win. Here’s my question to you – which endorsements are most influential in MoCo’s state and county races?
This is my request: name up to five endorsements most likely to help a candidate win. Those endorsements can come from individuals or organizations. Be specific; don’t say something like “progressive organizations.” Name the endorser. Pick individuals or organizations that actually endorse, not ones that could or might endorse. And please don’t pick more than five.
Optional: feel free to pick one endorser as the single most influential in the county. I will tally both total votes and first place votes.
You may pick yourself or your organization if you wish. But if you do that, you must include at least one other endorser. No ballot box stuffing allowed!
Comments are welcome – you know I love to print what you think!
All responses are confidential. No sources will be named. I promise.
The due date for responses is close of business on Friday, September 26. I will be sending reminders. You know how I am!
Thank you for considering my request to participate.
Adam Pagnucco
Montgomery Perspective
*****
As I said in the email, all responses were confidential. But here are a few aggregated descriptors for those who voted.
Total voters: 82
Elected officials: 17
Former elected officials: 16
Current county government officials and employees: 15
Current state government officials and employees: 8
Former county government officials and employees: 15
So what did they have to say? We will start finding out in Part Two.