Democrat Laurie-Anne Sayles, the first Black woman elected to the Montgomery County Council according to her county biography, is seeking reelection to an at-large seat Nov. 3, 2026.

The race affects Potomac residents directly. Four at-large seats are on the ballot, and voters may choose up to four candidates. Sayles faces fellow Democrats Karla Silvestre, Marc Elrich and Scott Evan Goldberg, along with Republican Sherwin Wells.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Office sought: Montgomery County Council, at large
  • Residence: Lanham, Maryland
  • Education: Prince George's Community College; bachelor's in public health, University of Maryland; master's in public administration, University of Baltimore

Sayles is a first-generation Jamaican-American and the youngest of six children, according to her county council biography.

Experience and public service

Sayles was inaugurated Dec. 5, 2022, into a four-year term as an at-large councilmember, according to her county biography. She was also the first Jamaican-American elected to the office. She previously served on the Gaithersburg City Council from 2017 to 2021, where she was the first Black person elected to that body.

Before entering elected office, Sayles worked as a clinical trials communications coordinator at the National Institutes of Health and a senior associate consultant at the FDA. She also served as a communications coordinator and special assistant at the Nature Conservancy and as senior legislative staff at the Maryland General Assembly, according to her county biography and BallotReady profile data. Earlier roles included public health educator at the Prince George's County Health Department, health program manager at Kaiser Permanente and paraeducator at Montgomery County Public Schools.

Her civic roles include president of the African American Democratic Club and vice president of the Montgomery County Young Democrats. She has served as a board member of the National League of Cities and the Maryland Municipal League and as chair of the Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Policy Committee at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Sayles' responses on her campaign website via BallotReady. They reflect the candidate's own statements.

Housing. Sayles said she supports down payment assistance programs that incentivize homeownership. She backs residential projects that create more housing options near jobs and transit, with a goal of an additional 10,000 units by 2030. She said she wants to fully fund the county's rental assistance program and champions increasing the set-aside floor for moderately priced dwelling units to 15 percent, matching the City of Gaithersburg's affordable housing policy.

Transportation. Sayles said she supports investing in green infrastructure such as cycling, smart traffic signals and a greener bus fleet. She called for efficient completion of transit projects including the FLASH Bus Rapid Transit, the Purple Line and the Corridor Cities Transitway. She also said she wants a feasibility study to allocate funding for transportation improvements that combat transit deserts.

Economy. Sayles said she wants to strengthen the county's relationship with federal agencies and corporate offices to develop opportunities across the regional tech corridor. She said she supports public-private partnerships in workforce training and promoting the creative economy to drive economic development.

Education. Sayles said she supports closing the digital divide, developing apprenticeship programs through public-private partnerships and increasing salaries for experienced educators. She also called for expanded broadband access and increased funding for mental health services.

Agriculture. Sayles said she wants to advance sustainable local food production in the Agricultural Reserve by streamlining access to affordable land and building permits for farmers and growing the "farm to food bank" program.

Endorsements

The following endorsements are claimed by the endorsing organizations, according to Greater Greater Washington and BallotReady profile data:

  • Greater Greater Washington
  • Progressive Neighbors
  • Progressive Maryland
  • Maryland State Education Association
  • Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund
  • American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland
  • AFSCME
  • Our Revolution Maryland

Voters in the at-large race may select up to four candidates on the ballot.