Doug Duncan Tells Supporters He Will Run for Montgomery County Executive

After months of strategizing, Douglas M. Duncan has told supporters he has decided to run for an unprecedented fourth term in Montgomery County's highest political office, marking his return to politics after a six year-hiatus.

Duncan, 57, met privately yesterday morning with political advisers and supporters in Gaithersburg to discuss his run for county executive and weigh the results of a recent poll by Harrison Hickman, the pollster for Al Gore and John Edwards' presidential bids. At the end of the meeting, Duncan told attendees that he would be entering the 2014 race, according to an email sent yesterday afternoon to supporters.

“I am not seeking to return to the County Executive office simply because it is winnable—I am returning because I have so much energy for the job and know that Montgomery County is ready to again see real progress,” he wrote in the email, which was obtained by Patch.

Duncan could not be immediately reached for comment.

Two-term incumbent County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) has vowed not to run for re-election, prompting County Councilmen Phil Andrews and George Leventhal to announce their candidacies.

Duncan held the office from 1994 to 2006—the longest-ever tenure—before making an unsuccessful run for the governor's office in 2006. Here is a timeline of his political career:

1982-1987: Rockville City Council.

1987-1993: Mayor of Rockville.

1994-2006: Montgomery County Executive.

2006: Contended for the Democratic nod for governor with then-Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, before bowing out, citing clinical depression.

2007-2008: Vice President of Administrative Affairs, University of Maryland-College Park.