Hamza Khan – Candidate for County Council At-Large (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: Democratic

Campaign Website: khanforcouncil.com

Social Media: Instagram

Why Are You Running For Office?

I’m running because too many Montgomery County residents have been shut out of the decisions that shape their own communities. After years working on campaigns and alongside county and state officials, I experienced a real crisis of faith in our local democracy, watching transparency and accountability too often take a back seat to insider processes. That’s what led me to earn my master’s in Democracy & Governance at Georgetown, focused on rebuilding public trust in local institutions. At its core, my campaign is about restoring public trust, defending democratic accountability, and making sure ordinary residents, not just the politically connected, have a meaningful voice in shaping Montgomery County’s future.

What Is The Biggest Issue Facing Voters In This Race?

It comes down to trust and voice. Residents too often feel that major land use, development, and environmental decisions are made through a top-down process where communities are consulted late rather than empowered early. I want to re-establish the Office of the People’s Counsel as an independent watchdog for residents, push real transparency and accountability across county agencies, and protect the resources that define our county (our drinking water, our forests, and the Agricultural Reserve) from short-term development pressures like unchecked hyperscale data centers. These aren’t separate problems; restoring residents’ voice is how we protect everything else.

What Experience Best Prepares You For This Role?

I’ve spent my career as a community organizer and public affairs professional, building coalitions across lines of race, religion, class, and ideology to advance social justice and good governance. I served as Field Director for Beth Daly’s grassroots At-Large County Council campaign, and my advocacy has ranged from helping lead the Save Ten Mile Creek Coalition to supporting the Fight for $15, advancing the Juvenile Restoration Act, and working with the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition. My graduate work at Georgetown in Democracy & Governance grounds all of it in a focus on rebuilding public trust and strengthening local democracy.

What Would You Like Voters To Know About You Personally?

I’m a lifelong Montgomery County resident, and this county’s natural spaces have shaped my life. For 18 years I lived next to the Muddy Branch and across from the Blockhouse Point Conservation Area, and during COVID I spent countless hours in our forest preserves and along the C&O Canal. Those places became a source of healing for my family. Part of why we chose to stay in Montgomery County was the calming, therapeutic effect that nature has had on the health and well-being of my special needs siblings. That personal connection is a big part of why protecting our environment and quality of life matters so deeply to me.

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