County Councilmember Gabe Albornoz has announced he will resign from his at-large position Dec. 1. A few hours after the announcement Thursday, Council President Kate Stewart shared a plan to fill his seat for about a year until the current council term ends Dec. 1, 2026.
Stewart assured the community that the council’s work “will continue without disruption.”
The Process
The council will appoint a new member. The person must be a county resident of the same political party as Albornoz, who is a Democrat.
Applicants must not plan to run for office in the 2026 primary or general elections, in order to “provide a level playing field” for everyone running next year, Stewart said.
Initial application materials will be kept confidential “in an effort to attract the best candidates to serve for this less than one year caretaker role,” she said.
Applicants will have to submit a confidential county financial disclosure statement.
The council will first do interviews in a closed session, followed by public interviews at the council’s Dec. 2 meeting. Those who are selected for public interviews will have their resume or biography made available to the public.
Those interested have less than a month to apply. A resume and letter of interest should be submitted to council.clerk@montgomerycountymd.gov by 5 p.m. on Nov. 5.
The council plans to vote on a final appointment Tuesday, Dec. 9.
What Kind of Candidate is the Council Looking For?
Councilmembers want a resident who is knowledgeable about budgets, public policy and legislative work.
“We would be looking for somebody who could really hit the ground running,” Stewart said.
The council will pick someone based on professional experience, public service, and understanding of community issues.
Albornoz Reflects on His Service
Albornoz announced last month that he will not seek re-election. Before Thursday’s announcement that he will step down, MCM sat down with Albornoz to talk with him about his decision not to run again.
“It was a difficult decision,” said Albornoz, who was elected in 2018.
“I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”
