Election 2026: Matt Losak Explains Why He's Running For Office

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Ahead of the primary elections in June, Patch has invited candidates running to represent the region on the Montgomery County Council to complete a questionnaire touching on a variety of key issues.

Candidate responses will be published verbatim in the run-up to the primaries on Tuesday, June 23.

Related:

• Who's Running For Rockville
• Who's Running For Bethesda-Chevy Chase

Questionnaire responses for Matt Losak, who is running to serve in the at-large county position, can be found below:

Name: Matt Losak

Age: 64

Hometown: Silver Spring

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please state and explain how that experience will influence your time in office if elected.

Lifelong Democrat. President, College Dems. Worked on numerous campaigns in various capacity for Clinton administration official.

What do you believe is the single-most important issue facing voters in the district you’re looking to represent? How do you intend to address those issues?

Housing stability, affordability and quality.

As the founder and executive director of the Renters Alliance, I have a solid background in housing policy.

I will continue to support advancing renters' rights, investing public dollars to increase a diversity of housing production in locations zoned for it, especially in urban and transit hubs, and improve government efficiency for both housing production and enforcement against landlord abuse of renters' rights to safe, quality, habitable homes.

How do you differ from other candidates running against you?

I have considerably more experience and skill in public policy, improving county services, legislative advocacy and community outreach than any of my opponents, save Marc Elrich.

How would your work experience benefit the goals/objectives you’ve outlined in your campaign and/or the office you’re seeking?

I have worked nearly two decades across the county in rental communities, been active in civic groups including a former chair of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, a current member of my union (WBNG Local 32035), and membership and leadership roles in many other community groups.

I have gained substantial knowledge to the county's communities, residents' concerns and their experiences with county government, especially our most vulnerable populations and seniors.

Except for the current county executive, no other at-large candidate for county council has my level of experience and skill in public outreach, legislative advocacy and in getting things done to improve county services.

What is your opinion of the work being done by the current officeholder, and how will you improve on it?

The at-large council members have done good work, but it's time for new energy and vigor.

We have not gone far enough to stabilize affordable housing, improve government efficiency or provide oversight of the county's largest expenditure: Our public schools.

I would act on all of these issues with renewed purpose and innovation.

How do you believe Montgomery County should address data centers?

We should always be looking to attract new business and economic contributors. That said, I agree with delaying ground breaking with sufficient time to review the environment and community impacts.

Do you believe there should be a data center moratorium or a temporary pause? Explain.

I support a sufficient pause so that policy makers and the community at large have a full understanding of the environmental, health, and infrastructure impacts.

Do you believe there should be data center regulations put in place? Explain.

I am not sure until we understand the overall impacts based on proper review.

What steps would you take to offset data center impacts to residents’ standard of living, such as rising energy prices?

If it is shown that data centers are a direct cause of increased energy rates without increased revenue to offset those costs for public benefit, then I would support a data center tax, assuming we go forward without any other detrimental impacts as yet not studied.

How would you distinguish between a good vs. bad data center? Or do you believe no data centers should be in the county/district?

I cannot distinguish between them at this time as we have not as yet assessed the full impacts.

Gov. Wes Moore signed bills banning agreements between local police and federal immigration officials in February. What is your opinion of the legislation?

I believe we must follow the law, but we must also oppose the abuse of it. At this time, the federal government under the current administration has abused its power and run roughshod over the law and constitutional norms.

Until we get the federal government back on track, I support restrained cooperation except where strictly required by law.

What steps would you take to support or readjust that initiative?

At this time, I am in a wait-and-see mode as events keep changing almost daily. I support what has been done so far.

What is your stance on the establishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the county and/or your district?

Again, I support following the law, but oppose the abuse of it.

Until the federal government is restored to its more legitimate purposes and actions, I oppose any unnecessary support of bad policy, much less indulging in it.

What actionable plans would you undertake to address illegal immigration?

As a county councilmember at-large, I would not be in a position to address immigration.

As a Democrat, I have supported and continue to support a comprehensive review and enactment of an immigration policy that acts decently and humanely, takes into account those who have worked here, are born or grew up here, pay taxes here and defended our country to have an appropriate and fair pathway to citizenship.

I also support a more comprehensive approach to temporary worker visas.

Education: What is the biggest issue facing Montgomery County Public Schools? How would you address it?

Administration efficiency and effectiveness and how public dollars directly relate to student academic and social success.

As a councilmember, I am eager to provide greater oversight and review of MCPS operations, pedagogy and strategies for safe schools, and addressing underperforming students.

A student brings a gun/weapon to campus without setting off any red flags. What security measures would you advocate for to prevent such an incident?

I support maintaining a school resource officer program that works to identify potential serious criminal activity while remaining detached for common school discipline issues under the control of school administrators and teachers.

I also believe school counseling services should be working proactively to identify students at risk of anti-social behavior including gun violence, drug abuse, truancy, and suicide. In many of these cases, students are known to school officials, their peers and the police. A more proactive approach is required.

Do you believe schools need stricter security measures? Metal detectors? Move away from CEOs and revert to SROs? Explain.

Only where absolutely necessary, and hopefully, if required, only temporarily.

What will you do to encourage affordable/public housing in the county?

A combination of renter protections, investment in housing development, and greater innovation on housing types.

What cannot be lost in the discussion is not the market demand for future residents, but the current demand by existing residents not to be priced out of their homes.

How will you address crime in Montgomery County/your district?

I support community policing in all of its forms, on foot, by bicycle, and through regular community outreach. Police who know communities and their members help keep us safe. I will also work to see that police are supported, honored and respected and I believe we can do that proactively without failing to hold police accountable when individuals violate professional practices.

I also strongly believe that crime is not just a police problem. We need to adequately engage our youth in and out of school, ensure communications systems and transportation infrastructure are well-maintained to improve rapid response time, and engage the public more fully in the challenge of criminal justice reform overall.

We cannot ignore these challenges and expect positive outcome without public engagement and targeted resources.

What is your stance on the "Save Wootton" initiative by community members?

As a former teacher and education administrator, I am sympathetic to the families and students who lose their community school and may have to travel further to go to school.

I am also familiar with the challenge of school administrators who must evaluate maintenance cost, educational environment issues and overall school success.

I am not close enough to the Wootton issue to take a stance one way or the other, but this is how I would approach it if I were in a position to weigh in on it on the Council.

A 6% property tax increase was proposed for the fiscal 2027 budget to raise funds for schools. Homeowners are reluctant to pay more.

What is your position?

I support the increase, reluctantly, as a necessary measure to maintain school funding and county services.

The success of our school system overall directly contributes to property values and economic prosperity.

What other options would you consider to raise money that does not include raising taxes?

As a renter, my "property tax" has gone up every year for more than two decades. I am not an "anti-tax" candidate. I understand the annoyance that any additional tax, fee, utility bill or grocery cost has on all of us.

As an elected official, I will work to be sure that public dollars are used as efficiently and effectively as possible so that all of us who pay for our government services understand the value of our tax dollars and have confidence that they are used well.

The actual amounts for each household in this legislation are moderate amounts and, while annoying, should not be used as a cudgel to abandon our financial support for good government services.