This article was republished with permission from 草莓传媒’s news partners at .聽Sign up for today.
This content was republished with permission from 草莓传媒鈥檚 news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for today.
Frustrated by an incumbent whose leadership style he considers sluggish, Montgomery County Council President Tom Hucker (D) has formed an 鈥渆xploratory鈥� committee ahead of an expected bid to unseat County Executive Marc B. Elrich (D) in 2022.
Hucker is holding a campaign event at Kaldi鈥檚 Social House in Silver Spring tonight, a venue he chose because it is a Black- and immigrant-owned small business.
Hucker becomes the third Democrat to announce plans to challenge Elrich, who became the top official in the state鈥檚 largest county in 2018, following a narrow primary victory.
In considering whether to challenge Elrich, with whom he has a friendly relationship, Hucker has spoken extensively with associates from around Montgomery and others he befriended during his two terms in the House of Delegates.
Hucker鈥檚 council district includes the politically-active and liberal southeast corner of Montgomery County, an area that includes Takoma Park, where Elrich served as a city councilman before winning a county council seat.
Although the two men have overlapping bases of support and have worked together on countless issues, Hucker has been urged to forego a third term on the council because of frustrations with Elrich鈥檚 leadership style.
鈥淗e鈥檚 being urged by unions and business-leaders and everybody鈥� to run, said a well-known, politically-active Democrat with whom Hucker has spoken.
Elrich won the 2018 primary by just 77 votes over businessman David Blair, taking 29.02% of the vote to Blair鈥檚 28.96%.
He received 64% of the vote in a three-candidate general election campaign that included a long-serving Democrat, Council Member Nancy Floreen, who ran as an independent, and Republican Robin Ficker, a perennial candidate.
The activist 鈥� who spoke on condition of anonymity 鈥� said there is a broad belief among political insiders that Elrich could be vulnerable.
Elrich 鈥渉asn鈥檛 built out that 29% [and] Tom knows it,鈥� he added. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lack of purpose and immediacy by the county executive.鈥�
Hucker, the founder of Progressive Maryland, is expected to focus on economic development, social justice and expanding the county鈥檚 transit network.
In an email to supporters on Thursday afternoon, he said he would be making a 鈥渟pecial announcement.鈥�
鈥淥ur county needs forward-thinking, progressive change,鈥� Hucker wrote. 鈥淲e can make it happen 鈥� but only with your support.鈥� The announcement, an invitation to the rally, did not mention his plans to challenge Elrich.
Blair announced his plan to run for executive in March. The former CEO of a health care services company and a philanthropist, Blair spent more than $5 million on the 2018 race and is expected to dig deep again in next year鈥檚 battle.
Montgomery County Council member Hans Riemer (D) launched his campaign for county executive last month. Unlike Hucker, who could seek re-election to the council if he chose, Riemer is in his third term and cannot run again for his at-large seat because of Montgomery鈥檚 term-limits law.
In Montgomery County, Republicans are a non-factor in local elections. Whether the presence of so many primary challengers works to Elrich鈥檚 advantage won鈥檛 be known until Democratic voters go to the polls next June.
It took Elrich several tries to win a county council seat, but he was the top vote-getter in the 2010 and 2014 elections. He has strong ties to the county鈥檚 politically-powerful unions.
Elrich has generated headlines for his battles with Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) over the state鈥檚 response to the pandemic, a controversial highway-widening project and other issues.
