We Changed the Playing Field - Now Let's Win!
We Changed the Playing Field: Now Let’s Win!
By Ann Guthrie Hingston
Major changes have taken place in recent years that present Republicans with unprecedented opportunities to help our floundering county. Thanks to Republican activists, especially an army of Republican women, and thousands of residents paying attention, there is a completely new playing field in the 2022 election. Savvy candidates have unprecedented opportunities to run for County Council or Delegate and win.
We’ve won two rounds and it is up to us to make it three.
#1 All 2016 County Council members but one are gone! Thanks to term limits, initiated by a Republican and supported by teams of Republican activists, no council member or county executive can serve more than 12 years. Term limits passed with 70% of the vote. The impact of term limits should not be underestimated. We brought change!
#2 There will be 7 Council districts, 5 without an incumbent, on the 2022 ballot. Thanks to the efforts of Republican activists to gain fair representation for upcounty residents, there are two new Council districts. This change would never have happened if the Nine Districts for MoCo team had not collected the necessary signatures. Republicans joined with Democrats and Independents collected signatures in the midst of the COVID lockdown. Redistricting redrew all Council districts further shaking up the status quo. We brought change!
# 3 Voters are ready for competent officials and commonsense. Voters are tired of Council members who place ideological policies ahead of commonsense that weaken safety and public schools and harm businesses and job creation. Over the last year, thousands of previously unengaged residents have organized to push back at the Council on one or more issues. They are upset that the Council closed schools and businesses, imposed mandates and threatened residents with vaccine passports. These actions have created divisions among their friends between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. They want to be heard by their officials and have told Council members that they will vote them out of office.
Residents of Montgomery County deserve competent leaders with commonsense. It is up to you to take to the field. The timing is right, the issues are right. Help lead our campaign!
Contact Ann at [email protected]
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Ann Guthrie Hingston is chair of the Republican candidate recruitment committee. She was a leader of the Term Limits and Nine Districts for MoCo campaigns.