The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) has released its first round of endorsements for the 2026 primary election, naming candidates for County Executive, County Council, and the Board of Education who will appear on the organization’s well-known Apple Ballot. The selections follow an extensive, months-long process led by educators across the county.
According to MCEA, panels of teachers and school staff from a wide range of job classifications spent many hours reviewing detailed candidate questionnaires and conducting in-depth interviews. Their recommendations were passed to MCEA’s Political Action and Legislative Support Committee, which then presented endorsement proposals to the MCEA Board of Directors. Final approval came from the union’s Representative Assembly, where elected delegates debated and voted on the full slate.
MCEA President David Stein said the union was impressed by the field of candidates and emphasized the growing importance of strong public education advocates. “We were fortunate to have had the opportunity to interview such a dedicated group of candidates who understand that public education is the basis for the success of our entire community,” Stein said. “When public education is under attack on many fronts as it is now, we know we can count on these candidates to work with us to fully fund the education budget, put educators and students first, and prioritize public education. Montgomery County voters trust the Apple Ballot because they know educators have done their homework. We have total confidence in our endorsed candidates’ commitment to not just hold the line but move our schools and county forward.”
MCEA Vice President Danillya Wilson highlighted the grassroots nature of the endorsement process and the time commitment made by educators to evaluate candidates. “MCEA has a tradition of making endorsement decisions democratically by our members staying informed, debating, and voting,” Wilson said. “Our members care deeply about which candidates earn our trust, so they took the time to read lengthy questionnaires and sit through many hours of interviews. Public education is the foundation of democracy, and through our union work, MCEA practices what our members teach.”
Stephanie Gawlinsk, chair of the Political Action and Legislative Support Committee, noted that the union’s work now shifts to educating members and the broader community ahead of election season. “Educators know how to organize, and that’s exactly what we will do,” she said.
MCEA Endorsements for the 2026 Primary Election:
County Executive
• Will Jawando
County Council
• District 1: Julie Yang
• District 3: Izola Shaw
• District 4: Kate Stewart
• District 5: Kristin Mink
• District 6: Natali Fani-Gonzalez
• At-Large: Fatmata Barrie
• At-Large: Josie Caballero
• At-Large: Marc Elrich
• At-Large: Laurie-Anne Sayles
Board of Education
• District 1: Grace Rivera Oven
• District 3: Sally McCarthy
• At-Large: Omar Lazo
State Legislative Races
Endorsements for Maryland House of Delegates and State Senate races will be announced later by the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA).
MCEA says it will now focus on mobilizing its membership, one of the largest educator unions in the state, to support candidates it believes will champion fully funded schools, educator working conditions, and student success.
