Montgomery County Needs Experienced Leadership
The following is an email that was sent to Jim’s supporters and subscribers over the weekend.
Dear Friend,
A good leader always reevaluates the situation when presented with new information. Since I announced my reelection campaign for Gaithersburg City Council last March, we learned that there will be at least five new faces on the Montgomery County Council. The County government is at a crossroads, and we need practical leaders who understand how to work together for the benefit of our community. This election presents a unique need — and opportunity.
I have always leaned in when my community needed me, whether at kids’ school, as a little coach, or in my neighborhood. I was asked during my City Council campaign if I would consider running for County Council, and I responded that I wanted to focus on how I could best serve the people of Gaithersburg. The more doors I knocked, the more I heard from residents how happy they were with how the City was run, but “everywhere else was a mess,” including the County.
MEETING THE MOMENT
The decisions made at the County level can have a large impact on the people of Gaithersburg, especially in the areas of public safety, mental health and economic growth. Closing Montgomery County Police Department's high vacancy gap, increasing mental health support through the Department of Health and Human Services, and helping to grow our County's Economy would be of great benefit to the people of Gaithersburg and beyond. Unfortunately, many on the current slate of at-large candidates do not share those priorities. Historically, the at-large seats have been dominated by Downcounty voices, who haven’t always understood the needs of the Upcounty. We have an opportunity to change that.
After much prayer and careful reflection, I have decided that my municipal experience and common sense approach would be a tremendous asset to our County government.
So, today I’m proud to announce that I have filed to run for an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Council. An official launch event will happen early in the new year, but I wanted you to be among the first to know. Having people like you in my corner is what gives me the confidence to embark on this challenging journey.
Help Us Qualify for Matching Funds
One of my favorite movies of all time is "Shawshank Redemption." If you know the film, you know there's a line in Andy Dufresne's letter to Red where he asks, "If you've come this far, maybe you're willing to come a little further." Your generosity is what fueled our city council campaign. Today, I'm asking if you can come with me a little further, and help us meet a very aggressive Public Financing deadline.
I will be participating in Public Financing, which means we need a minimum of 250 unique donors from across Montgomery County to contribute between $25-500, with a total of at least $20,000 to qualify for the matching funds—an average of $80 per donation. We're getting a later start that the rest of the field, but I'm confident we can qualify for matching funds before the January 14 reporting deadline for this year.
The public matching formula favors the number of donations over the dollar amounts. Which means that separate smaller donations from you and any other voters in your household are almost always more valuable after the match than a larger donation from just one of you—even if the total donation amount is the same!
Only Individuals can contribute. No corporate contributions, nor any other organizations.
The max contribution per donor is $500.
Any individual can contribute, but if you're a Montgomery County resident, there's more! Donations between $5 and $150 get matched by public funds. Here's how the matching works:
| Donation Amount | Matching Breakdown | Total Match | Total Value to Campaign | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25 | $25 × 5 = $125 | $125 | $150 | 6x |
| $50 | $50 × 5 = $250 | $250 | $300 | 6x |
| $100 | $50 × 5 = $250 $50 × 3 = $150 |
$400 | $500 | 5x |
| $150 | $50 × 5 = $250 $50 × 3 = $150 $50 × 2 = $100 |
$500 | $650 | 4.33x |
| $250 | $50 × 5 = $250 $50 × 3 = $150 $50 × 2 = $100 $100 × 0 = $0 |
$500 | $750 | 3x |
| $500 | $50 × 5 = $250 $50 × 3 = $150 $50 × 2 = $100 $350 × 0 = $0 |
$500 | $1,000 | 2x |
The Democratic Primary is June 23, 2026, and the general election is November 3, 2026. In the meantime, I look forward to serving in my elected role as a Gaithersburg City Councilmember.
As always, thank you for the opportunity to make a difference in our community.
Yours,
