Allison Eriksen – Candidate for Montgomery County Council District 3 (Moderately MOCO Candidate Introduction Series)

This post is part of the Moderately MOCO Candidate Introduction Series. Candidates who did not receive the questionnaire via email or need more information can get access through our contact form. The information in this post was submitted directly by the candidate and does not represent the views of Moderately MOCO or its publication.

Basic Information

Political Party: Democrat

Campaign Website: allisonformoco.com

Social Media: Instagram | Bluesky

Why Are You Running For Office?

I am a lifelong volunteer and public servant who seeks to continue to serve my community. I have never before considered running for office, but was inspired to run after witnessing the complete failure of our national government in the last year. I realized that state and local governments will have to pick up the slack from failures at the federal level. I have worked in many settings where national governments were not functioning well, and have experienced how local government can protect its residents and provide stability during turbulent times. I have the kind of creative problem solving skills that local government will need in the years to come.

What Is The Biggest Issue Facing Voters In This Race?

The biggest issue facing voters is the high cost of housing in this district. If I were trying to move to Gaithersburg today, I literally could not afford to do it, especially since Gaithersburg and Rockville are incorporated and don’t adhere to Montgomery County laws for rent control and tenants’s rights. While the County cannot control the cities’ policies, it can work to increase the overall housing supply and create more affordable housing that stays affordable. One of my ideas has been to create a tax for vacant properties – I have noticed many vacant and abandoned multifamily buildings in the area and would like to see an incentive for landlords to renovate them and provide housing once again rather than leaving them to blight neighborhoods and fall into further disrepair. I believe that through a combination of new development, reintroduction of existing housing, and protections against price gouging tenants, we can bring down housing costs.

What Experience Best Prepares You For This Role?

I have previous experience as a non-political federal employee. I worked at USAID for eight years at the Office of Food for Peace and later the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, where I managed $100 million in US government programs to help communities prepare, respond and recover from natural disasters and conflict. This gave me experience in government, interpreting and implementing legislation, the legislative process, government accountability, oversight, and budgeting and accounting for taxpayer funds. At USAID, I strove to listen to communities and provide aid efficiently and to best meet the needs of those benefiting from the programs. I will continue to focus on the most vulnerable in our communities, to keep Montgomery County a desirable place to live and work, and seek to make sure its people have the resources they need to thrive.

What Would You Like Voters To Know About You Personally?

You can find me around Gaithersburg, riding my bike, walking my dog at Bohrer Park or exercising at the park’s Activity Center. I also read every day and make frequent trips to the Gaithersburg Library to keep myself fully stocked on books. In my free time I’ve played the clarinet with DC’s Different Drummers in Pride parades for about a decade, and last year started volunteering with MoCo IRC to support the local immigrant community.

---