A new article on MoCo360.media covers the burgeoning “2 Terms” movement to restrict the Montgomery County Executive to two consecutive terms – mirroring neighboring counties like Frederick County, MD and Prince George’s.
The article by Ginny Bixby quotes Marc Elrich as saying he is against political office term limits in all its forms and places.
Elrich said he “made peace” with the Ficker initiative [a local Term Limits initiative in 2016] when the voters approved it, but he disagreed with it fundamentally.
“I don’t believe in term limits anyway,” he said.
Such a position, no term limits anywhere or for anyone, puts careerist politician Marc Elrich in the clear minority of his own political party.
Per polling just last November, Reuters/Ipsos reported that:
Four in five of Americans say that there should be term limits for the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate (79%), including 87% of Republicans and 80% of Democrats.
Elrich appears to be vastly out of step with Maryland Democrats and Maryland voters in general. In polling performed back in 2020, Pulse Opinion Research showed that an overwhelming number of Marylanders support term limits on the Federal Congress and the U.S. Senate – and it is likely this attitude extends to lower positions as well:
It is likely the desire for term limits on politicians has gotten even stronger in Montgomery County, Maryland and beyond, in light of record inflation and an out-of-touch County Council (and Executive). Career/machine politicians like Elrich fundamentally “oppose” term limits because they know how to “game the system” of voting, pay off the right special interests and “non-profits”, and stay in power year after year.
Incumbency is shown, unfortunately, to be the most powerful of marketing / campaign tools for politicians – incumbents generally win 90+ % of the time. In 2022, incumbents won 94% of the time per Ballotpedia.com. But as the economy continues to weaken, as MCPS continues to show no accountability, and as gasoline and energy hit all-time records, it is clear a “Clean Slate” is needed and badly.
Elrich knows his approval in MoCo is low, and his hold on power is running short.
