Marc Elrich was elected as Montgomery County Executive on November 6, 2018, and re-elected to a second term in 2022. Before becoming County Executive, he served for 12 years (2006–2018) as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council and nearly two decades (1987–2006) on the Takoma Park City Council. Prior to his serving on the County Council, Elrich spent 17 years as a public school teacher at Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Takoma Park, one of Montgomery County’s poorest schools.

Throughout his career in public service, Marc Elrich has advanced a bold vision for equity, sustainability, and inclusive economic growth. Under his leadership, Montgomery County has made significant progress on climate action, affordable housing, public safety reform, early childhood education, and economic development.

Early Life and Teaching Career

Born in Washington, D.C., Marc Elrich moved to Montgomery County at a young age and attended McKenney Hills Elementary, Montgomery Hills Junior High, and Einstein High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and later completed a Master of Arts in Teaching at Johns Hopkins University.

From 1989 to 2006, Elrich taught at Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Takoma Park, where he worked with students from a wide range of backgrounds and saw firsthand how poverty and housing instability could affect their ability to learn and thrive. His experience as a classroom teacher continues to shape his policy priorities, reinforcing his belief that helping families economically can have a profound impact on children’s lives.

Roots in Public Service and Advocacy

Elrich’s career in public life began with tenant and neighborhood organizing in the early 1980s. He became deeply involved in community activism and land-use advocacy, fighting for equitable development and environmental protections. In the 1990s, he helped lead opposition to harmful development plans in downtown Silver Spring and was instrumental in preserving Ten Mile Creek, Montgomery County’s last best stream and a critical backup water source.

As a Councilmember in Takoma Park, he authored sanctuary legislation, strengthened rent stabilization laws, passed a law recognizing domestic partnerships, and supported immigrant rights and day laborer protections. He also introduced resolutions opposing both Iraq wars. Elrich has long believed in local government’s responsibility to deliver real solutions rooted in equity, sustainability and public engagement.

County Council Leadership

During his time on the Montgomery County Council from 2006 to 2018, Elrich was known for his deep engagement with residents, his advocacy for tenants, and his insistence that developers contribute more to public infrastructure. He led efforts to preserve green space, opposed the use of harmful pesticides, and supported restrictions on the placement of mega gas stations near sensitive community sites.

He authored landmark minimum wage legislation twice, with his second successful effort raising the County’s minimum wage to $15/hour in 2017.  As a Councilmember, Elrich was also the first local official to propose a countywide Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network, a vision that is now being realized in parts of the County.

County Executive Accomplishments

As County Executive, Marc Elrich has focused on delivering tangible, community-centered progress across a wide range of priorities.

Economic Development

Elrich launched the Job Creation Fund to attract and support businesses of all sizes. He created the County’s Business Center to better serve small and minority-owned businesses, creating new small business resource centers and improving procurement and permitting processes. He also helped move along multiple projects in the East County, including White Oak Town Center, Burtonsville Shopping Center, and Hillandale Gateway. Most notably, he is working with a private partner to advance Viva White Oak, a long-stalled project now gaining momentum as a major hub for equitable growth with significant public and private investment made in East County.

Under his leadership, Montgomery County has remained a national leader in biohealth innovation, securing major investments from global companies like AstraZeneca, Novavax, and United Therapeutics. He has also championed the innovation incubator, with its focus on research and collaboration.   He supported the transformation of the North Bethesda Metro Station area into a life sciences-anchored innovation district, with the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) as the anchor tenant. This effort, a partnership with the University System of Maryland, Montgomery County, and WMATA, is expected to become a major driver of future economic activity.

Elrich has also led international economic development missions to Taiwan, China, Vietnam, India and South Korea, where he met with business leaders and government officials to showcase Montgomery County’s strengths in life sciences, tech, and sustainability.

Climate Leadership

Elrich led the development and implementation of Montgomery County’s first-ever Climate Action Plan, which outlines an ambitious strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience. His administration championed the Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) law to reduce emissions from large buildings, the County’s single biggest source of emissions.

His administration has also implemented major clean energy initiatives, including the Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot, the nation’s largest clean energy solar bus charging infrastructure project, and the EMTOC microgrid. When completed in 2026, it will be the largest renewable energy-powered transit depot in the nation and the first facility on the East Coast to produce green hydrogen on-site.

He also launched the Climate Smart Montgomery campaign to help residents, businesses, and institutions take meaningful action on climate. This program is designed to inspire and inform residents about making climate-smart choices in their daily lives. The campaign encourages individuals to take a “pledge” to be Climate Smart, with the slogan “BIG CHANGE starts small” serving as a reminder that small actions can lead to significant impact.

Affordable Housing

Elrich has prioritized the production, preservation, and protection of affordable housing. His administration supported landmark developments, including Allium Place near Wheaton, Hillandale Gateway in Silver Spring, and the Chimes of North Bethesda. Together, these projects deliver hundreds of affordable homes near high-quality transit.

The County also passed permanent, countywide rent stabilization and expanded tenant protections. Elrich has advanced policies that protect existing residents from displacement during redevelopment and created tools like the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund to preserve affordability in communities across the County.

Public Safety and Community Engagement

Elrich has taken a balanced approach to public safety, investing in stronger community engagement while also supporting law enforcement and first responders. His administration raised starting salaries for police, fire, and corrections personnel and expanded recruitment and retention efforts.

The County launched the nation’s largest Drone as First Responder program to improve emergency response times. Elrich also opened a new fire station in Clarksburg and reopened the Sweet Release bakery as a reentry support program for formerly incarcerated individuals. His appointments have made history: he nominated Montgomery County’s first Black Fire Chief and first Asian American Police Chief.

Transportation

As the original champion of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Elrich has remained committed to expanding sustainable transportation. Under his leadership, the FLASH BRT system now connects Montgomery and Howard Counties, improving regional mobility.
He introduced zero fares for Ride On buses, building on the County’s pandemic-era fare suspension to make transit more accessible and equitable for all riders.

Racial Equity and Social Justice

Elrich signed Montgomery County’s landmark Racial Equity and Social Justice Act, the first of its kind in Maryland, and established a permanent Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice. Under his leadership, every County department is now required to conduct racial equity assessments as part of its budget and major policy proposals.

Public Education, Early Care, and Higher Education

Marc Elrich has committed record funding to Montgomery County Public Schools every year he has been in office. He has worked to restore per-pupil spending to pre-Great Recession levels, ensuring schools have the resources to serve all students well.

He launched the Early Care and Education Initiative, a multi-year plan to expand access to affordable, high-quality pre-K. The goal is to improve school readiness, support working families, and grow the early childhood education workforce.

Elrich also played a major role in establishing the Montgomery College East County Campus, helping to bring higher education opportunities closer to home for residents in that part of the County.

Pandemic Response

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Elrich led one of the most effective responses in the country. Montgomery County recorded the lowest death rates and highest vaccination rates among any large jurisdiction.

His administration prioritized equity in its public health response, including culturally relevant outreach campaigns like the Emmy award–winning “La Abuelina” series. The County also reformed its communication strategies, ensuring that information was accessible across languages and communities.

Montgomery County improved its response to health disparities and inequities by deploying innovative testing and outreach strategies, expanding local assistance, and using data to guide decision-making throughout the pandemic.

Personal Life

Marc and his wife raised their family in Takoma Park, where he still lives today. They have two foster sons who have Down syndrome, John and Dougie, and they have been central to Marc’s understanding and advocacy for inclusion and disability support. John still lives with Marc and remains a source of inspiration in his ongoing work. Marc’s daughter, Jamie, and her family live around the corner, in the house he built. 

Core Beliefs

Marc Elrich’s career has always been guided by a deep commitment to social justice, equity, and public service. From attending the March on Washington as a 14-year-old to civil rights protests during college to organizing for housing justice to shaping County policy at the highest level, he has remained focused on building a more just and inclusive Montgomery County.
He believes in listening to residents, governing with transparency, and delivering results that improve lives. His work continues to reflect the same values that brought him into public service more than four decades ago.