By Adam Pagnucco.
Former Council Member Hans Riemer has endorsed Council Member Andrew Friedson for county executive. Other than Ike Leggett, endorsements from former elected officials usually don’t mean much. But this one may actually help Friedson consolidate a rising political lane in the race for executive.
First, an admission: I have an inherent bias in favor of Riemer because I was his first chief of staff. During and after that tenure, I watched Riemer grow into an effective council member and the chair of the council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee. (Friedson now chairs a successor committee.) Riemer’s signature issue was housing and Friedson, as a freshman, was one of his key allies.
In retrospect, Riemer’s focus on housing was ahead of his time. Take a look at the Banner’s recent poll of MoCo residents and you will see that housing affordability/availability was the top issue among Democrats, with 22% citing it. (Number two was transportation at 15%, another Riemer priority.) This is unusual in MoCo’s history as education, transportation and development have traditionally occupied the top issue slots in county polls.
Friedson and his two chief competitors for executive, Council Members Evan Glass and Will Jawando, once held similar views on housing but differences have emerged.
Jawando turned against the Planning Board’s attainable housing initiative four years after introducing a pro-housing zoning text amendment which has since expired without a vote. He has now joined forces with County Executive Marc Elrich, a long-time skeptic of housing, and regularly questions land use plans like the University Boulevard Corridor Plan.
Friedson responded to the fall of the attainable housing initiative by teaming up with Council Member Natali Fani-Gonzalez to author the More Housing N.O.W. package of housing initiatives. Jawando voted against a key zoning text amendment in the package. Glass did not co-sponsor it but voted yes. The same pattern prevailed on a tax abatement bill that was also in the package: Friedson and Fani-Gonzalez lead sponsored it, Glass did not co-sponsor but voted yes, and Jawando voted no. After Elrich, Jawando’s newfound ally on housing issues, vetoed the bill, Jawando and Council Member Kristin Mink voted to uphold the veto while the rest of the council voted to override, passing it into law.
While there have been pro-development and anti-development factions in MoCo politics for many decades, an explicit pro-housing political lane is relatively new. It may exist now because of excruciatingly high home prices, an increasingly dire housing shortage and broader concerns about the cost of living, which was a huge issue in the Banner poll. If Friedson can leverage the support of housing champions like Riemer to dominate this issue, that will be a boon for his campaign and a missed opportunity for Glass.
I will write more about this dimension of the primary elections, but for now, Riemer’s email endorsing Friedson is reprinted below.
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Subject Line: My Choice for Executive
[Name],For 12 years, it was my honor to serve you on the Montgomery County Council. In that time, I worked with some amazing county leaders. When I reflect on that incredible experience, my work with Andrew Friedson stands out. That is why I am supporting Andrew Friedson for County Executive. He prioritizes the critical issues this county needs to address. I know he’s willing to tackle complex challenges, take tough votes, and is someone we can always count on when things get tough.
Andrew is a leader who leans into challenges, builds broad consensus, and gets results on what matters most for our community.
Both Andrew and I know Montgomery County’s incredible potential. But today, our residents are facing rising costs and increased stress. In a time of so much division and uncertainty, it is tempting to respond with extreme politics. But Andrew has chosen a different path. Andrew focuses on pragmatic solutions that strengthen our community and improve people’s lives. He brings people together so we can make progress. That’s the kind of leadership we need to navigate the unprecedented threats we face and achieve our county’s full potential.
In the time that Andrew and I served together on the Council, we tackled some of Montgomery County’s toughest issues:
- Housing: Andrew and I created an innovative financing solution, the Housing Production Fund, that has been hailed as a national model for affordable housing. We passed measures that have created new housing on Metro stations. We helped nonprofit housing providers build more affordable housing and provided support for first-time home buyers.
- Economic Development: Andrew and I worked together to help early stage biohealth companies grow, and local entrepreneurs to start new businesses.
- Environmental Sustainability: Andrew and I passed legislation to refocus the county’s green building tax credits to actually reduce energy consumption and address climate.
- Affordability & Fiscal Responsibility: Andrew and I took tough votes to avoid unnecessary tax increases because we understand it’s your family’s budget that funds the county’s programs.
Andrew listens to the community, finds collaborative solutions, and gets results on the issues that really matter. Our community will have no better partner to deliver what Montgomery County needs, especially in these challenging times when our county and region are threatened.
I’m proud to endorse Andrew Friedson for County Executive. Will you join me by contributing $10, $25, or anything you can right now before his end-of-month deadline tonight?