Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - The county executive candidate has pushed for equitable pay, safer streets and a cleaner environment

During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.

“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.

Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.

The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.

In a race where the June primary all but guarantees the outcome, Glass is facing off against two of his Democratic colleagues on the County Council: at-large member Will Jawando and District 1’s Andrew Friedson. It’s going to be a tough political battle, fought in the blue margins.

To ascend to the county’s top elected post, Glass is branding himself as the progressive candidate who knows how to make progress. He’s leaning on his legislative record of pushing for equitable pay, safer streets and a cleaner environment.

In a race like this one, though, it’s difficult break through with a unifying message.

“It can be hard to win these races as the nice guy who holds issue positions that are perfectly acceptable,” said David Lublin, a political science professor at American University and former mayor of the Town of Chevy Chase.

In hopes of energizing voters, Glass is criss-crossing the county. The March event at Poolesville’s church was his 89th meet-and-greet. Shortly before, he’d mailed 1,500 postcards to thank the local donors who are helping fuel his campaign, which qualifies for public financing and rejects corporate money.

Glass has a history of turning out supporters. During the 2022 race for one of four at-large council seats, Glass scored the largest number of votes, with about 8,100 more than Jawando.

What shaped Evan Glass?

After Glass was first elected in 2018, his chief of staff filled out the reams of paperwork required of new government employees.

Glass was shocked when she listed her salary history on one of the forms.

“When you base future pay on past pay, you’re perpetuating the wage gap,” he said.

So Glass introduced the Montgomery County Pay Equity Act, prohibiting this practice in local government. The most recent analysis from the Office of Human Resources determined that there’s virtually no pay gap between male and female county employees.

Pushing for Pride

Glass’ office phone rang and rang. On the other end of the line were people furious with the county’s first openly gay councilman because of a Pride flag raised above the local government building in Rockville.

“The most vitriolic nastiness,” Glass recalled.

Staff sent the hate-filled messages straight to voicemail. Days later, the ringing finally quieted.

“We regrouped and started planning for Pride for the next year and the year after and the year after and the year after,” Glass said.

Local fights

Glass stood at the podium in front of the Bethesda-based National Institutes of Health. During the latest round of No Kings protests, the council member promised to fight against ICE and defend science.

“When I say ‘no kings,’ you say ‘just vaccines,’” he shouted to the crowd.

You can read the entire Montgomery Banner article here.