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County Council Member (At-Large) · Montgomery County · 2026 Primary
At-large county council members represent the entire county rather than a specific geographic district, making decisions that affect all residents. They are responsible for passing local laws, overseeing land use and zoning, and approving the county budget which determines funding for schools, roads, and public safety. This office is vital because these members balance the needs of the whole community to set the county’s long-term priorities and tax rates.
View all candidates in this raceJosie Caballero is a Silver Spring resident running for Montgomery County Council At-Large in the 2026 general election as an LGBTQ+ policy advocate and Navy veteran. Born and raised in Mineral Wells, Texas, she was born male in a conservative Latino family and began living authentically as a trans woman in 2020 after joining the U.S. Navy where she became certified as a nuclear power operator and deployed four times aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. She currently serves as Director of Special Projects at the National Center for Transgender Equality and previously directed voting and elections for Advocates for Trans Equality from 2022 through 2024. If elected, she would be Montgomery County Council's first openly transgender member.
Sources: Campaign website
Every donation brings Josie closer to office, so she can fight for you and our community.
This isn't the time to step back, but the time to step forward, step up, and fight for what we believe in.
We will not settle as everything our nation stands for gets destroyed. I know what it means to serve with integrity, to fight for what's right, and to never back down in the face of adversity.
Source: josieformaryland.com
Education
Protecting schools and educators from politically motivated attacks, supporting LGBTQ+ community protections under parents' rights claims, working with public school teachers as partners in educating future generations
“The politically motivated attacks on schools and our educators must end. Josie proudly stands with the members of the MCEA and supports them in their mission to provide the students of Montgomery County Public Schools with a first-class education.”
Housing
Decreasing costs, increasing supply, protecting homeowners and renters, supporting Vacancy Tax, providing affordable housing, preventing predatory behavior of HOAs
“The number one issue in Montgomery County is housing. We need bold steps to decrease costs, increase supply, and protect homeowners and renters.”
Economic Development
Building the county's economy by attracting new businesses and increasing innovation, serving as a hub for medical and scientific research, protecting against federal job cuts that threaten economic security
“We must continue to build Montgomery County's economy by attracting new businesses and increasing innovation, by serving as a hub, such as increasing our capacity as a leading county for medical and scientific research.”
Immigration
Providing legal aid resources, language translation services, protecting residents from illegal seizures by ICE, embracing immigrant communities not demonizing them
“Immigrants are the backbone of this nation, and Montgomery County. Given the recent federal crackdown, we must work together as a community and as a county government to provide legal aid resources, tools such as language translation services, and to protect our residents from illegal seizures by ICE.”
Environment
Addressing climate crisis, reducing natural gas use in older buildings, incentivizing green building, investigating waste processing, finding equitable green solutions
“The Climate Crisis is worsening, year after year. We can do so much here in Montgomery County. We can address the use of natural gas as the main power source for a number of the county's older buildings.”
Bethesda Magazine reports that Josie Caballero announced her candidacy on June 10, 2025, describing herself as an LGBTQ+ policy advocate and Navy veteran running because it is time to stand up against changes from the Trump administration. She stated that Montgomery County's bold leadership stands as a beacon of hope as the federal government turns its back on all Americans.
“The politically motivated attacks on schools and our educators must end. Josie proudly stands with the members of the MCEA”
Source“The number one issue in Montgomery County is housing. We need bold steps to decrease costs, increase supply, and protect homeowners and renters.”
Source“We must continue to build Montgomery County's economy by attracting new businesses and increasing innovation, by serving as a hub”
Source“Immigrants are the backbone of this nation, and Montgomery County. Given the recent federal crackdown, we must work together as a community”
Source“The Climate Crisis is worsening, year after year. We can do so much here in Montgomery County.”
Source