Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass has announced that his bid for County Executive has qualified for public financing.
According to a press release issued on Wednesday, the campaign quickly reached its fundraising and donor goals just two months after launching in March, setting a record for the fastest qualifying period in the three election cycles for county executive candidates eligible for public financing.
The Democratic primary is in June 2026.
“I’m extremely proud that we’ve achieved this milestone in record time. It’s a sign that our grassroots campaign is building momentum throughout Montgomery County,” Glass said Wednesday. “From Bethesda to Burtonsville and Poolesville to Takoma Park, we are meeting with residents in their living rooms and backyards to talk about the real issues impacting our community.”
According to Montgomery Perspective, the county’s public financing system does not provide matching funds to all candidates. Instead, candidates must meet specific thresholds for individual contributions from in-county residents and the total amount raised.
To qualify for matching funds, county executive candidates must secure contributions from at least 500 county residents, who must collectively give at least $40,000. Once a candidate qualifies, they are eligible for matching funds based on a sliding scale determined by the contribution amounts from county residents.
In this election cycle, county executive candidates may receive a maximum of $870,170 in public matching funds.
The full text of Glass’ announcement is below.
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 21, 2025
Evan Glass Qualifies for Public Financing
ROCKVILLE, Md., May 21, 2025 — Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass today announced that his campaign for County Executive has qualified for public financing matching funds.
“I’m extremely proud that we’ve achieved this milestone in record time. It’s a sign that our grassroots campaign is building momentum throughout Montgomery County,” Glass said. “From Bethesda to Burtonsville and Poolesville to Takoma Park, we are meeting with residents in their living rooms and backyards to talk about the real issues impacting our community.”
Glass launched his campaign just two months ago, making this qualifying period the quickest in the three election cycles during which county executive candidates have been eligible for public financing. The Democratic primary is in June 2026.
“Montgomery County voters are ready to reject the harmful effects of corporate money in our politics. Our people-powered campaign is focused on helping residents, not special interests,” Glass said, affirming his commitment to serving the people of Montgomery County.
To qualify for public financing, candidates for county executive must raise $40,000 from at least 500 individual county residents. Glass achieved this milestone by meeting people where they live, and inspiring neighbors to support his steady progressive leadership for Montgomery County.
Councilmember Glass is an At-Large member of the County Council currently serving in his second term. First elected in 2018, Glass became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve on the County Council and is now the first openly gay candidate for County Executive. During his two terms on the council, Glass has served as Council President and worked to make housing more affordable, expand the local economy, require greater transparency in Montgomery County Public Schools, improve street safety, ensure fair wages, and tackle the climate crisis.
Prior to joining the Council, Glass spent 12 years as a journalist at CNN. He also served as a federal contractor to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and as executive director of Gandhi Brigade Youth Media, an innovative after school youth program dedicated to empowering immigrant and low-income students.
Photo: “IMG_0931a” by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.