Montgomery County Councilmember Dawn Luedtke, who represents District 7 and is serving her first term, has filed for re-election in the June 23, 2026 Democratic primary.
Since joining the Council in 2022, she has focused on public safety, mental health crisis response, worker and immigrant protections, and advancing community projects across Upcounty, while drawing on her background as an attorney and former Assistant Attorney General.
Per the news release:”Dawn Luedtke, serving her first term representing District 7 on the Montgomery County Council, today filed for re-election. The Democratic primary is June 23, 2026.
“It has been an honor to serve as the first District 7 Councilmember on the expanded Montgomery County Council. I’m proud that by working with residents, businesses, and community leaders, we have brought experienced, tough, and smart leadership for Upcounty communities that too often had not seen their voices reflected in decisions made in Rockville” Luedtke said. “Together, we have reversed unacceptable increases in crime by backing our law enforcement and public safety partners, introducing innovative crime fighting tools, and expanding proven mental and behavioral health services. We provided key oversight of our school system that led to much-needed improvements to protect educators and students, pushed for increased and targeted investments in early childcare education, enhanced protections for workers and immigrants, advanced long-planned County facilities and infrastructure for District 7 communities, and fought to protect our Agricultural Reserve”
Since joining the Council in December 2022, Luedtke has been a driving force for increased investment to improve retention and recruitment of Montgomery County Police officers, emergency call takers, and Fire and Rescue personnel. She led efforts at the Council to implement and then expand the County’s innovative Drone as First Responder program, which has become a national model and has assisted our State’s Attorneys Office with securing convictions for serious crimes. She has worked with colleagues and County leaders to expand and formalize the County’s crisis intervention services, involving specially-trained mobile mental health clinicians, peer support, and law enforcement to more effectively and safely respond to those facing a behavioral health crisis.
She authored legislation to safeguard sensitive healthcare information, including reproductive health, for those seeking to work in Montgomery County and to protect victims of human trafficking and forced labor. She worked with constituents to take on dangerous and disruptive for-profit house parties damaging local neighborhoods.
She co-led legislation to better serve immigrant victims of crime at the County and State level and successfully advocated for State-level changes to improve Montgomery County – including by partnering with state legislators to pass the Sgt. Patrick Kepp Act to increase penalties and establish intervention opportunities for repeat reckless drivers.
Luedtke, an attorney who served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland before winning election in 2022, and spent 12 years in civil litigation practice before that, brings deep experience in a range of relevant policy areas. Her creative and collaborative approach to problem-solving has led to advancements in multiple projects including:
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● Progression on relocation of roughly 400 school buses from the Derwood/Shady Grove area to make way for a long-stalled, transit-oriented redevelopment of the parcel to enable community-serving retail, housing, a school site, and park.
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● In partnership with state legislative and community leaders, the Olney Community Building and Noah Leotta Satellite Police Station.
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● The future revitalization of Damascus Main Street and enhanced civic engagement.
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● Enhanced recreation opportunities for Montgomery Village.
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● Safety improvements at the Montgomery County Airpark.
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● Crucial traffic safety projects, including for Shady Grove Road, the Bowie Mill Road Bikeway, and Vision Zero spot improvements across District 7.
About Dawn
Luedtke, 51, resides in Ashton with her husband, Eric, and family of four children – all middle and high school students in MCPS.
