Opinion: Was There Racial Bias in an Editorial Board’s Endorsement Language?

By Laura Stewart

The writer is president of the Montgomery County Women’s Democratic Club

An open letter to The Washington Post editorial board:

The Montgomery County Women’s Democratic Club supports the democratic process, and we recognize the Washington Post editorial board as a long standing, prominent voice in local politics. I was surprised and disturbed by the tone your board used when endorsing Councilmember Will Jawando, the lone Black candidate you endorsed for County Council At-Large. He was the one person you endorsed “with reservations” because of two positions he took, one being on whether School Resource Officers should be inside school buildings on a regular basis.

There are diverse opinions within the party on this particular issue, so I am curious as to why you assumed that Mr. Jawando was listening to the “loudest voices” instead of making an informed decision based on his own research and experience? Your language communicates that he is easily swayed by loud voices, instead of using his own intellect. This is in contrast to Evan Glass, who in 2020, also agreed with Mr. Jawando’s position on SRO’s.

While the Women’s Democratic Club does not endorse during the primary process, it is our duty to call out racist tropes during the process. You praise Mr. Jawando’s stances on racial equity, but then criticize his position on SRO’s based on flimsy assumptions of his ability to think for himself. In our opinion, this shows racial bias. We demand that the Washington Post editorial board, an important voice in local politics, do better.

Republish