Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman has entered the race for Montgomery County Council, seeking the District 3 seat that will be open in the 2026 election due to term limits. Montgomery Perspective first reported Ashman’s candidacy in November, shortly after he was re-elected to a third term as mayor of Gaithersburg. Ashman today announced his official campaign launch event scheduled to take place on January 10th.
The District 3 seat is currently held by Sidney Katz, who previously served as Gaithersburg’s mayor before being elected to the County Council in 2014. Katz is ineligible to run again because of county term limits. Ashman is part of a growing field of candidates in the district. On the Democratic side, the race also includes Gaithersburg City Councilmember Jim McNulty, Allison Eriksen, a former USAID worker from Gaithersburg, and Rockville City Councilmember Izola Shaw. Former school board candidate Ricky Mui of Rockville is running as a Republican. The deadline for candidates to file for the 2026 election is February 24.
According to his campaign website, Ashman has been involved in public service and community leadership in Gaithersburg for nearly 25 years. He has served as mayor since 2014, after succeeding Katz, and previously spent seven years on the Gaithersburg City Council. Ashman is the longest-serving elected official in Gaithersburg and one of the longest-serving mayors in Montgomery County.
His campaign highlights his tenure overseeing a period in which Gaithersburg, now the third-largest city in Maryland, has maintained one of the lowest property tax rates among large cities in the state and experienced declining crime rates. Ashman’s stated reasons for running for County Council center on addressing affordability, public safety, and education at the county level.
Beyond elected office, Ashman has been involved in a wide range of civic and community organizations. He is the founder and chair of the Gaithersburg Book Festival and has held leadership roles in local PTAs, homeowner associations, and youth sports programs. He currently serves on several boards and committees, including the Maryland Municipal League, Montgomery Community Media, and the Maryland Mayors Association.
Ashman is also a small business owner, operating a web design, development, and hosting company based in the region. He holds a master’s degree in accounting and financial management from the University of Maryland Global Campus and bachelor’s degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Miami. His background includes certifications in ethical leadership and open meetings law, along with several county-level awards recognizing contributions to the arts and humanities.
Ashman and his wife, Lee, have lived in Gaithersburg for more than two decades and have two adult children and two grandchildren. The District 3 race is expected to draw increased attention as the filing deadline approaches and the field of candidates continues to take shape ahead of the 2026 primary and general elections.
