By Adam Pagnucco.
Earlier this month, I reported that Rockville City Council Member Izola Shaw had established a public financing campaign committee to run for Council District 3. Incumbent Sidney Katz is term limited. Shaw’s campaign kindly sent me her campaign announcement, which is reprinted below.
Shaw’s campaign homepage.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Christianne Marguerite
christiannemarguerite@gmail.com
Izola Shaw Announces Campaign for Montgomery County Council
Rockville, MD — Izola Shaw, a lifelong Democrat, community advocate, and current Rockville City Councilmember, has officially announced her campaign for Montgomery County Council District 3. With more than twenty years of public service experience, Shaw is running to bring bold, generational change to Montgomery County and to champion the needs of every resident.
“It is unacceptable that most families in this County struggle with affordability, from skyrocketing housing costs, rising grocery prices, to a lack of access to childcare—leading to growing financial instability. It is unconscionable that ICE raids terrorize our neighborhoods, targeting vulnerable immigrant communities,” Shaw emphasized. “Montgomery County deserves a voice that will champion bold, generational change.”
Shaw brings decades of public service experience. At FEMA, she advised counties and local governments on disaster preparedness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she provided steady leadership at NIH.
Recognizing the challenges facing her fellow federal employees, Shaw led an effort to organize a union at NIH—only to be abruptly laid off by the Trump Administration, along with thousands of other Montgomery County residents.
As a second-generation federal employee, Shaw has a deep understanding of the vital role the government plays in serving its people. She fought for working families by organizing low-income workers to advocate for a higher minimum wage, successfully championing the “Fight for $15”, leading to the passage of the bill in 2017. She also spearheaded expanding voting rights as a Rockville Charter Commissioner for city elections.
During her tenure on the Rockville City Council, Izola Shaw significantly increased public engagement in local government, welcoming hundreds of residents—many participating for the first time—into critical decision-making processes. By actively involving community members in affordable housing discussions, Shaw ensured that the voices of working families were prioritized. Her leadership placed affordable housing at the forefront of the city’s agenda, resulting in unprecedented investments in Rockville’s affordable housing program.
“This campaign is rooted in the power of our community and our shared responsibility to protect and uplift one another—a responsibility that calls on all of us to step up in this moment.” Shaw said, “I’m running because we must fight for a future where every voice is valued and every family has a real chance to thrive.”
To learn more about Izola Shaw’s campaign, visit izola4progress.org.
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Paid for and authorized by Friends of Izola Shaw; Michael Rubin, Treasurer.