By Adam Pagnucco.
Council Member Will Jawando, the Democratic nominee for county executive, has sent a statement through his campaign manager that he will not participate in a general election debate with his Republican opponent, Esther Wells. The Montgomery County Republican Party blasted him for this decision, calling it “a debate dodge.”
Now Wells herself has weighed in, sending me a statement late yesterday. This is what she wrote.
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September 22, 2026
Adam Pagnucco
Montgomery Perspective
Re: Montgomery County Voters Deserve a General Election Debate
Dear Mr. Pagnucco,
Thank you for asking whether Will Jawando is justified in refusing a general election debate with me. He is not. There has been no primary election or general election debate between Will Jawando and Esther Wells for County Executive. Meet-and-greets, primary forums, and campaign events are not a substitute for direct accountability between the two nominees. If he cannot defend his record, voters should reject his claim to leadership. And if he believes Montgomery County belongs to him by default, voters must prove otherwise at the ballot box. Montgomery County voters are entitled to see both nominees for County Executive on the same stage, answering the same questions, in real time, before they cast their ballots.
This is not a matter of party politics. It is a matter of democratic accountability. A primary campaign is not a substitute for a general election public forum or debate. Since the June primary, residents have faced mounting concerns: higher tax bills, school safety failures, a $3 billion MCPS maintenance backlog, escalating juvenile crime, continuously rising antisemitism, public safety breakdowns, and growing frustration with the direction of county government. Voters deserve to hear how each nominee would lead now, not months ago, not in separate rooms, and not through carefully managed campaign statements.
Mr. Jawando’s campaign has offered two excuses for avoiding a debate: that we have already appeared in forums together, and that he received more votes in the Democratic primary. Neither excuse holds up. More importantly, neither excuse respects the voters who will decide the general election.
First, primary forums are not a general election debate. Montgomery County’s unaffiliated, Republican, Democratic, and independent-minded voters deserve a public forum designed for the choice before them in November. In 2022, County Executive Marc Elrich participated in at least one general election forum with Republican nominee Reardon “Sully” Sullivan. Montgomery County has precedent for this. Voters should expect no less in 2026.
Second, primary vote totals do not override the general election. Mr. Jawando won a Democratic primary. I won the Republican nomination. But the Executive Office belongs to all Montgomery County residents, not one party, one campaign, or one political machine. Many unaffiliated voters were excluded from choosing a nominee altogether. Many Democrats are crossing the aisle to support my campaign, and they could not vote for me in a Republican primary either. The primary voting numbers do not reflect the reality on the ground.
The people paying the bills deserve answers. Homeowners are seeing the consequences of county tax decisions. Parents are seeing safety failures in schools and malls. Students are sitting in buildings with deferred maintenance while record funding fails to deliver acceptable academic outcomes. Residents are asking why public safety continues to deteriorate while county leaders insist their policies are working.
Mr. Jawando has served on the County Council for eight years. He has a voting record. He has policy positions. He has supported decisions that helped bring Montgomery County to the brink of bankruptcy, public safety concern, and declining public confidence and trust in government. If he believes his record can withstand scrutiny, he should welcome a forum or debate. Instead, his campaign says voters have already had enough opportunities to compare us. That is simply not true.
The “No Kings” message repeated across Montgomery County should apply here at home. No candidate is entitled to the Executive Office. No nominee gets to avoid scrutiny because he assumes the county is already his. And no campaign should accept taxpayer-funded public financing, ask for the public’s trust, and then refuse to stand before voters with the opponent whose name will appear on the ballot.
I am glad to see Mr. Jawando is healing and able to return to the campaign following his heart attack. Since he is well enough to fundraise and seek one of the most demanding executive offices in Maryland, voters deserve to hear directly from him about whether he is prepared to withstand the strenuous, high-pressure responsibilities of County Executive. This is not a personal attack; it is a legitimate public question about transparency, stamina, judgment, and readiness to serve.
For that reason, I am calling for a public press conference. Montgomery County residents deserve more than campaign statements and controlled appearances; they deserve direct accountability from a candidate asking to lead a $7.9 billion government.
Montgomery County is too important to lose! This election should be decided by informed voters, not protected politicians. I am ready to have a public forum anywhere, before any fair host, on the issues that matter most to our residents. Mr. Jawando should do the same.
Respectfully,
Esther Wells
Republican Nominee for Montgomery County Executive
