Northwood News ♦ April 2018

County Executive Candidates Forum on Equity, Immigration

By Lisa Rimmert and Laura Hussey

On Sunday, February 25, several hundred Montgomery County voters showed up at Northwood High School to hear from candidates for the Office of County Executive.  The forum, the first of its kind in recent history, focused specifically on issues of racial equity and immigrants’ rights in the county.  Although Montgomery County prides itself on its diversity and as a welcoming place for immigrants, little progress has been made in advancing equity for people of color here over the past 40 years.

A large coalition of nonprofits are working to change that, and, given the monumental shift in the makeup of Montgomery County government that will result from the enactment of public campaign financing and term limits, the coalition focused a spotlight on the seven candidates vying for the county’s highest office.  Twenty area nonprofits cosponsored the forum (a full list is available at www.facebook.com/ events/532945973745999/).  Neighborhood resident Lisa Rimmert was directly involved, representing Impact Silver Spring.

The Maryland primary election is June 26 and, in Montgomery County, the primary is usually decisive because of the balance of party affiliation in the county.  You must be registered to vote (with a party affiliation) by June 5 in order to vote in the primary.

Some clips of the forum are available at www.facebook.com/pg/surjmocomd/videos/ and you can read more about it at www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-executive-candidates-talk-immigration-racial-equity/2018/02/25/41212ffc-1824-11e8-b681-2d4d462a1921_story.html?utm_term=.5f67e5a87ab0 and www.mymcmedia.org/county-executive-candidates-express-support-immigrants/.

[Rimmert lives on Playford Lane; Hussey, who lives on Edgewood Avenue, is on the NFCCA Board.]   ■