Jawando Raises $1.4M, Wells Raises $53K for Montgomery County Executive Post

Will Jawando raised more than $1.4 million for his bid to become Montgomery County executive, according to campaign finance reports filed Friday. The Democratic nominee began his fundraising cycle on January 1, 2023. His Republican challenger, accountant Esther Wells, reported raising $53,091. Wells is not participating in the county's public financing program.

Wells issued a statement on Monday to address the financial disparity. She argued that money is only one factor in determining a campaign's viability. "These campaign finance reports are important, but they are only one measure of a viable campaign," Wells said. "The real strength of a campaign is the people behind it."

A spokesperson for Jawando did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. Jawando is an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council. He relies on the county's public financing program for his campaign. Under this system, candidates cannot accept contributions from political action committees, limited liability companies, businesses, or large-money donors.

In the latest filing, Jawando requested $16,025 in matching funds. If approved, this amount would bring his total in matching funds to approximately $989,000 for this race. The filing showed that Jawando has $62,689 in cash on hand to spend in the final stretch of the election. Wells reported having $9,307 in cash.

Although Jawando cannot receive direct funds from political action committees, he has received indirect support from outside groups. The Working Families Party, a progressive organization based in Brooklyn, has spent nearly $88,000 on his campaign. The group also backed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The state Board of Elections indicates that 58% of registered voters in Montgomery County are Democrats.

Jawando and the Democratic nominees for all 11 County Council seats are widely projected to win the election scheduled for November 3. Contested races for two district seats and four at-large council seats also feature significant financial differences. In District 1, which includes Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Democratic nominee Julie Yang has raised $469,501. Her Republican challenger, Reardon Sullivan, has raised $90,949.

In District 3, which includes Gaithersburg and Rockville, Democratic nominee Jud Ashman has raised $225,549. Republican challenger Ricky Mui raised $8,689. For the four at-large council seats, Democrat Scott Goldberg leads the field with $469,420 in total contributions. County Executive Marc Elrich follows with $296,648. School board member Karla Silvestre has raised $294,527, and incumbent council member Laurie-Anne Sayles raised $132,083. Republican nominee Sherwin Wells raised $19,020.

Two school board races are also contested. In the at-large race, Omar Lazo raised $22,192 in total, while Brenda Diaz raised $27,594. Lazo has more than $11,000 in cash to spend before Election Day. His finances included a $500 transfer from the campaign of Governor Wes Moore. He also received support from Julie Yang and state delegate Jheanelle Wilkins. Diaz has roughly $3,850 in cash on hand. She is the target of negative ads from the super PAC Strong Maryland, which is spending tens of thousands of dollars on the campaign.

Diaz received a $650 donation from the Montgomery County Federation of Republican Women and $500 from the Chevy Chase Women's Republican Club. In the District 3 school board race, Sally McCarthy holds a financial advantage over her opponent, Cassandra "Cassi" Sung. McCarthy has nearly $15,500 in cash on hand and has raised $21,493 in total. Sung has just over $200 in cash and has raised $1,538 in total.