By MDBayNews Staff

Montgomery County’s 2026 County Executive race is now officially set — at least for the June primary.

With the February 24, 2026, filing deadline behind us, two late entrants have expanded the field, clarifying the final shape of what remains the most consequential local race in Maryland this year.

The primary will be held June 23, 2026, with the general election on November 3, 2026. Incumbent Marc Elrich (D) is term-limited following the 2024 voter-approved charter amendment and cannot seek a third consecutive term.

In a county that leans overwhelmingly Democratic, the real contest remains the Democratic primary — but the Republican field is no longer a one-person slate.

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The Final Primary Field (Post-Deadline)

🔵 Democratic Primary Candidates

• Andrew Friedson
• Evan Glass
• Will Jawando
• Mithun Banerjee
• Peter James (NEW – Filed Feb. 24)

(Celeste Iroha has officially withdrawn and is no longer in the race.)

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🔴 Republican Primary Candidates

• Shelly Skolnick
• Esther Wells (NEW – Filed Feb. 23)

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The Two Late Entrants

Peter James (D): Tech-Activist Platform

Peter James filed on the final day of the deadline. Based in Gaithersburg, he is the owner of a small AI and robotics business and previously ran for the office in 2022.

His platform is distinct — and sharply activist in tone — centered around:

• Ending county cooperation with federal surveillance
• Blocking ICE-related data sharing
• Canceling contracts with firms tied to surveillance or federal enforcement
• Divestment campaigns against financial institutions connected to tech surveillance
• Prohibiting police from federal side jobs
• Using robotics/AI for housing and agricultural innovation

James frames his candidacy as a fight against “corporate fascism” and techno-authoritarianism. In a Democratic primary already featuring progressive candidates, he occupies a highly activist, anti-surveillance niche.

From a viability standpoint, he enters late and without major fundraising infrastructure, but his message could resonate with a specific activist base.

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Esther Wells (R): Taxpayer-Focused Conservative

Esther Wells filed one day before the deadline and immediately changes the Republican dynamic.

Background:

• Certified Public Accountant
• President, Montgomery County Taxpayers League
• 2022 Board of Education candidate

Her candidacy appears rooted in:

• Fiscal accountability
• Taxpayer advocacy
• Frustration with MCPS pandemic-era policies
• Concerns about services for children with developmental disabilities

Wells presents a more traditionally structured fiscal conservative campaign compared to Skolnick’s reform-focused and sometimes unconventional platform proposals.

In a county where Republicans face steep demographic headwinds, her lane is narrower — but more grounded in core fiscal messaging.

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The Democratic Primary: Still the Real Contest

Even with the new filing, the top tier remains:

Andrew Friedson

• Dominant fundraising lead (private fundraising model)
• Growth-oriented, technocratic approach
• Emphasis on economic development and housing production

Evan Glass

• Public Election Fund participant
• Progressive governance with strong social justice framing
• Fare-free buses and affordability focus

Will Jawando

• Equity-first messaging
• Rent stabilization and expanded services
• Strong progressive grassroots appeal

Mithun Banerjee

• Redistribution-focused platform
• Free childcare, tuition-free Montgomery College
• High-earner tax increases

Peter James

• Anti-surveillance activist platform
• Divestment and federal non-cooperation agenda

The ideological spectrum within the Democratic primary now ranges from pragmatic growth Democrat (Friedson) to equity-progressive (Jawando), to activist anti-surveillance (James).

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Republican Primary: Now a Two-Candidate Field

Shelly Skolnick

• Attorney
• Government reform proposals
• Tax reduction focus
• Retrocession concept

Esther Wells

• CPA background
• Taxpayer League leadership
• School accountability and fiscal restraint

While Republicans remain heavy underdogs in November, the addition of Wells creates an actual GOP primary contest rather than a single-candidate ballot line.

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What This Means for June 23

The filing deadline locks in:

• A five-candidate Democratic primary
• A two-candidate Republican primary
• No independents or third-party candidates as of deadline

In practical terms:

• The Democratic nominee remains the prohibitive favorite in November.
• The primary electorate — typically lower turnout and more ideologically engaged — will likely decide the next County Executive.
• Late entrants could fragment activist or protest votes but are unlikely to disrupt the financial frontrunners unless momentum shifts dramatically.

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The Bigger Structural Question

Montgomery County continues to illustrate the political reality of one-party dominance:

• Policy differences occur inside the Democratic primary.
• Republicans function largely as an alternative voice rather than a competitive governing threat.
• Fundraising structure and Public Election Fund rules significantly shape viability before voters engage.

With Marc Elrich exiting, the county is at an inflection point: continue progressive expansion, pivot toward growth pragmatism, or experiment with activist governance models.

The field is now final.

The real campaign begins.

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