By Adam Pagnucco.
And now the second most influential MoCo endorsement, at least from a historical perspective. All comments come from sources except for those appearing under my name. (See Part One for methodology.) Also remember: I surveyed my sources last fall before the Post’s latest round of layoffs.
2. Washington Post (45 votes, including 5 first-place votes)
Lower on the list because they don’t seem all that interested in local politics anymore. Will they endorse this cycle?
The Incredible Shrinking Washington Post – hands down still the endorsement you want above all others despite the paper’s tacit decisions to abandon local coverage and dial back its role in endorsing candidates. For voters who are weakly engaged and not hyper ideological (and that’s most voters, for better or worse, even among Democratic primary supervoters), there is no better way to establish credibility as a Serious Candidate. The problem is that the Post often endorses late, and the main benefit of the endorsement is the ability to plaster it all over your mail, yard signs, etc., so if the endorsement comes at the last minute candidates have a tough time publicizing it.
The Washington Post by a mile. I suppose Bezos has damaged the brand with some Democrats, but I tend to believe not for voters that don’t already know who all the candidates and have their own strong opinions, which is the vast majority. Biggest X factor in this election in my mind is whether the Post actually endorses for Exec and Council races at all, and now that Lee Hocksteader is in Europe, who will lead that process and are their priorities any different. Also with no Gazette or anything they are the only “neutral” endorser in town.
I put this lower that I would’ve in the past because I feel that their endorsement carries less water than it used to. The editorial board speaks to a much wealthier, more conservative contingent of MoCo politics that is declining every year. Especially now with Bezos’ influence, some may be more likely to take Post endorsements with a grain of salt.
The Post endorsement, if they endorse at all — which I highly doubt — is all but useless now. Even casual followers of local politics who once looked to the Post for election guidance realize how tarnished that institution is.
People used to care. I don’t think they do as much. However, their endorsement means name recognition.
RIP? I once figured this was worth around 8k votes in the at-large race based on an experiment where they endorsed one Republican one year. Historically seen as the counterweight to MCEA and a pretty impenetrable sign for a candidate if they got both. Now, not clear if they will endorse and if it will carry the same weight as the Editorial Board has transitioned in its “free market” direction.
I say this hesitantly because between the Post’s decision to inconsistently not endorse in various races to its complete editorial capitulation to the Trump Administration, the Post is not holding onto #2 because it is such a valued endorsement, but because the other endorsers are so comically ineffective in Montgomery County. Some people still care about the Post endorsement, and recipients will still plaster the “Endorsed by The Washington Post” on their yard signs alongside the MCEA endorsement.
The other big endorsement (other than MCEA) has always been the Washington Post, but in recent times they seem to be less interested in races in Montgomery County.
Being the region’s biggest paper, a Post endorsement instantly gives a candidate credibility and gets them noticed. While the Post doesn’t cover MoCo politics as closely as it once did, local voters still respect its editorial judgment.
Washington Post is overrated… when was the last time they picked a winner?
To the extent the Washington Post still endorses candidates, it still has significant power to shape voters’ opinions, but I think the influence of that institution is fading—in proportion to its sinking subscription numbers.
They will not weigh into Legislative District races, but may for county. If they do, it can help in a Democratic Primary.
Very important especially in certain areas of MoCo like Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac. Many for years have looked at the Post to determine who to vote for. I am not ignorant of the fact that the last couple of years there has been drama at the Post and there have been less endorsements locally but historically this is an important endorsement.
Used to be gold standard and helped folks decide what to do, but 2025 in the year of lord Bezos, the endorsement does not mean the same as it used to but if they endorse it still means something (and I hope the Banner will do endorsements).
While we know they are doing less and less endorsements, the Post is still the most widely read publication in Montgomery County and people will be influenced by their endorsements. Plus, it has often given credibility to candidates who are liked but deemed “not electable”… if the Post endorses you, you have credibility and are electable!
RIP Washington Post endorsement. Even if they do endorse in future local elections, their reputation may be too tarnished for it to matter to Montgomery County voters.
Despite the Bezos effect, I think this endorsement still holds power. IF the Post endorses in county races.
Pagnucco: Back in 2010, I organized a debate among elected officials on whether the Post or the Apple Ballot had more influence. The Apple got more support but Post supporters made a good case for their point of view. Sixteen years later, there is no debate about which one matters more, and now the Post appears to have abandoned MoCo endorsements entirely. But consider this: if the Post did endorse, how much would it matter now due to the damage inflicted upon it by its owner?
Next: number one! Is there any doubt about who it is?