Gaithersburg Has Already Picked Its Next Mayor, If Jud Ashman Wins

Gaithersburg has already chosen its next mayor. It just does not know yet whether it will need one.

The City Council has conditionally selected Council Member Lisa Henderson to serve as mayor, contingent on current Mayor Jud Ashman winning the District 3 seat on the Montgomery County Council on November 3. If Ashman wins, Henderson would be sworn in at a special session on Monday, November 9.

Gaithersburg Has Run This Play Before

This is the second time in twelve years that Gaithersburg has lined up a mayor in advance of a county election, and it is the same county seat both times.

In 2014, the City Council selected Council Member Jud Ashman to become mayor contingent on then-Mayor Sidney Katz winning that same District 3 seat. Katz won and took office on the County Council that December. Ashman became mayor by appointment, then won the job outright from voters and has held it since.

Katz cannot run again in 2026 because of term limits, which is what opened the seat Ashman is now running for.

Who Lisa Henderson Is

Henderson has served on the City Council since 2021 and was Council Vice President from 2022 to 2023. She holds a master’s degree in technology management from Johns Hopkins University and works as a program director for Montgomery County Government.

She is the city’s liaison to the Senior Advisory Committee, serves on the Women’s Democratic Board of Directors, and is treasurer of the Montgomery County chapter of the Maryland Municipal League.

Gaithersburg is home. I grew up in this community; I am a product of this community, and I’ve had the privilege of watching Gaithersburg grow and blossom into the vibrant and diverse city it is today.

Council Member Lisa Henderson

Henderson would serve as mayor until the November 2027 municipal election. The city notes that the mayoral term elected in 2027 will run only two years, finishing out the four-year term that began in 2025.

Her Council Seat Is the Next Decision

Henderson’s own Council seat opens the moment she is sworn in as mayor, and filling it is already underway. The city received 14 applications and has asked seven applicants to continue.

The seven are Matthew Robert Amon, Alyssa Todaro Krumlauf, Laura Kathryn Winifred Searles, Jayson Leslie Spiegel, Christopher James Thoms, Carla Tanguay White and Shanika Tanise Whitehurst.

• Monday, October 19: each of the seven gives a three-minute statement at the Mayor and City Council meeting, with interviews during that week.
• Monday, October 26: the Council is expected to pick the new member in a closed executive session.
• Monday, November 9: the new Council member is sworn in at the same special session as the mayor.

The appointed member would serve until the November 2027 city election.

Residents Can Force a Special Election Instead

Both appointments can be overridden by petition, and the city says so in its own announcement.

Section 35 of the Gaithersburg City Code lets the Council fill vacancies, but it also allows residents to petition for a special election for either or both appointed positions. A petition needs signatures from at least 20 percent of Gaithersburg’s registered voters and must be submitted within 30 days of an appointment.

The city code is posted under the Government tab at gaithersburgmd.gov. Questions about elections and appointments go to City Clerk Lia Jones at Lia.Jones@gaithersburgmd.gov.

The Election It All Depends On

Ashman is the Democratic nominee in County Council District 3, which covers Gaithersburg and Rockville. He won a competitive June primary over Allison Eriksen and Izola “Zola” Shaw. Ashman faces Republican Ricky Fai Mui on November 3, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections candidate list, which also lists a write-in candidate in the race.

If Ashman loses, none of this happens. Ashman stays mayor, Henderson stays on the Council, and the vacancy process stops.

The full announcement from the City of Gaithersburg follows.

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Press Release: City of Gaithersburg

Posted October 6, 2026. Reproduced in full from the City of Gaithersburg.

Council Member Lisa Henderson Conditionally Selected as Mayor

Council Member Lisa Henderson has been conditionally selected by peers on the City Council to serve as mayor of the City of Gaithersburg until the next municipal election. The selection is contingent upon the election of current Mayor Jud Ashman as District 3 representative to the Montgomery County Council on November 3, 2026. Pending the outcome of that election, it is anticipated that Council Member Henderson will be sworn in as mayor during a Special Session on Monday, November 9.

“I’m truly honored by the support and confidence of my colleagues on the Council,” said Council Member Henderson. “Gaithersburg is home. I grew up in this community; I am a product of this community, and I’ve had the privilege of watching Gaithersburg grow and blossom into the vibrant and diverse city it is today. I look forward to the opportunity to serve as Mayor and to continue working on behalf of everyone who calls Gaithersburg home.”

Henderson holds an M.S. in technology management from Johns Hopkins University and serves as a program director for Montgomery County Government. She has served on the City Council since 2021, including a term as Council Vice President from 2022 to 2023, and is the Gaithersburg liaison to the Senior Advisory Committee. Her civic involvement also includes roles with the Women’s Democratic Board of Directors and treasurer of the Montgomery County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League.

Council Member Henderson will serve as Mayor until the next municipal election in November of 2027. In that election, the mayoral term will be for two years, fulfilling the remainder of the four-year term that began in 2025.

“I’m proud of all that my colleagues on the City Council and I have accomplished together over the years,” said Mayor Jud Ashman. “And if I’m elected to the County Council, I’ll leave knowing the City is in the very best of hands – with Lisa Henderson at the helm and an outstanding City Council at her side. Gaithersburg’s future is as bright as ever.”

The City received 14 applications for the anticipated vacant City Council position. Seven individuals have been asked to deliver a three-minute statement during the Mayor and City Council Meeting on Monday, October 19 and participate in interviews with the Mayor and City Council during the week of October 19. The seven applicants include Matthew Robert Amon, Alyssa Todaro Krumlauf, Laura Kathryn Winifred Searles, Jayson Leslie Spiegel, Christopher James Thoms, Carla Tanguay White, and Shanika Tanise Whitehurst.

The City Council is expected to select the new City Council member during a Closed Executive Session on Monday, October 26, and the new member will be officially sworn in into office at the November 9 Special Session. The new council member will serve until the next City of Gaithersburg election in November 2027.

Section 35 of the City Code allows for the City Council to select individuals to fill vacancies and also provides for a public petition for a special election for either or both of these appointed positions. The petition must contain the signatures of at least 20 percent of the registered voters in Gaithersburg and be received within 30 days of an appointment. Please see the City Code under the “Government” tab on the City’s website at www.gaithersburgMD.gov for details.

Any questions regarding elections and appointments should be directed to City Clerk Lia Jones at Lia.Jones@gaithersburgmd.gov.

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