Platform & Priorities
Our Priorities
Montgomery County faces real challenges—from housing affordability and transportation to economic opportunity and trust in government. Meeting these challenges requires thoughtful policies, practical solutions, and leadership that brings people together. Luckily, #YesWeKhan isn't just another hashtag. Hamza has been coalition-building around these issues and more for the past 22 years – since he was 16 years old.
Our platform was developed with the help of our campaign's policy team — a dozen public policy experts with deep ties to Montgomery County who have contributed their research, experience, and ideas to help shape practical solutions for our community. Because our campaign is all about empowering everyday people to make our county better, every single day.
Hamza in a public safety roundtable with then-County Executive Ike Leggett
Affordable Housing
More than twenty members of Hamza's extended family live in Montgomery County as both homeowners and renters, and his family has more than twenty-five years of experience in the local real estate industry. He has seen firsthand how difficult it has become to raise a family in Montgomery County as housing costs continue to rise.
Millennials, Gen Z residents, and young families are increasingly being priced out of the communities they grew up in. Teachers, first responders, and essential workers are also struggling to live in the communities they serve.
Hamza is committed to championing affordable housing policies that actually work—not gimmicks.
Hamza has plans to:
- Modernize zoning rules to allow more housing where it makes sense
- Expand housing near transit corridors and activity centers like Bethesda and Silver Spring
- Use county-owned land to build more affordable housing
- Expand the Housing Opportunity Fund to finance new housing
- Encourage new construction while maintaining tenant protections
Education & Schools
Hamza's connection to Montgomery County's public education system runs deep. He attended elementary school in East County, high school in West County, and community college in the UpCounty. Hamza and his brother and sister all graduated from MCPS, and he credits much of his practical training to his time at Montgomery College.
Today, eight of Hamza's nieces and nephews are enrolled in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Montgomery County's public schools have long been one of our greatest strengths. But today's economy requires multiple pathways to opportunity.
Hamza has plans to:
- Maintain strong investment in MCPS classrooms and teachers
- Expand career and technical education opportunities
- Strengthen partnerships between MCPS and Montgomery College
- Build workforce pathways connecting students with skilled careers
A Strong Local Economy
Hamza's extended family owns and operates several small businesses in Montgomery County, ranging from real estate to import/export to restaurant hospitality. Through their experiences, he has seen firsthand the challenges local businesses face—from rising rents to regulatory burdens.
Small businesses are the backbone of Montgomery County's economy, creating jobs and sustaining the vitality of our communities. Hamza believes Montgomery County should be one of the easiest places in America to start and grow a small business.
Hamza has plans to:
- Simplify permitting and licensing processes for small businesses
- Expand access to capital for local entrepreneurs
- Support minority-owned and immigrant-owned businesses
- Explore innovative tools such as a Montgomery County public bank to support economic development
Protecting Our Environment
Hamza's commitment to environmental stewardship began long before entering public life. Growing up along the C&O Canal and the Potomac River, he developed a deep appreciation for Montgomery County's natural beauty.
He later served on the founding board of Friends of Ten Mile Creek, helping lead the effort to protect one of the county's most important drinking water resources.
Protecting our environment is essential to preserving the quality of life that Montgomery County residents value.
Hamza has plans to:
- Protect drinking water sources, forests, and open space
- Support smart growth and transit-oriented development
- Learn from global best practices in sustainability
- Ensure environmental policies support both conservation and housing affordability
Transportation That Works
Transportation and housing are closely connected challenges in Montgomery County.
Residents need reliable transportation options that connect communities to jobs, schools, and services while reducing congestion and improving quality of life.
Hamza has plans to:
- Strengthen Metro access and regional transit connections
- Support transit-oriented development near major transit hubs
- Invest in transportation infrastructure that reduces congestion
- Build walkable communities that reduce dependence on cars
Transparent & Accountable Government
Montgomery County residents deserve a government that is transparent, accountable, and worthy of public trust.
After stepping away from public life to help care for his two special-needs siblings, Hamza returned to school to deepen his understanding of governance and democracy. He earned a master's degree from Georgetown University in Democracy and Governance, focusing on how institutions can work more effectively for the people they serve.
That experience reinforced his belief that good government requires both strong institutions and active civic participation.
Hamza has plans to:
- Strengthen ethics rules and oversight
- Expand transparency in government decision-making
- Improve public access to information
- Encourage greater civic participation in local government
Disability Rights & Family Support
Hamza has been attending every IEP and PCP meeting for his two special-needs siblings since he was sixteen years old. Years later, he left his career to return home and help care for them full time.
These experiences gave him a firsthand understanding of the challenges families face when navigating disability services, caregiving responsibilities, and complex county systems.
For Hamza, supporting Montgomery County's most vulnerable residents is not an abstract policy issue—it is deeply personal. Fighting for Montgomery County's most marginalized and vulnerable residents is part of who he is.
Hamza has plans to:
- Strengthen developmental disability services
- Support caregivers and families
- Improve accessibility across county systems
- Expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities
Immigration
Montgomery County is one of the most diverse communities in America, and immigrant families are an essential part of our economy, culture, and civic life.
Hamza has spent years championing immigrant families and confronting anti-immigrant extremism in national media and public debates. He fought tooth and nail alongside immigrant and Latino community leaders for the Maryland Trust Act, even when establishment Democrats sided with the Trump administration in opposing protections for immigrant communities.
For Hamza, defending immigrant communities is a matter of principle. Montgomery County should remain a place where families from around the world can live, work, and contribute without fear.
When it comes to fighting for our immigrant communities, no candidate in this race has a stronger record than Hamza Khan — and that is a hill he is willing to die on.
Hamza has plans to:
- Protect Montgomery County's Vibrant Immigrant Communities
- Pass and support legislation to protect our immigrant communities from wrongful harassment and illegal detention by the Trump administration
- Ensure county services are accessible to immigrant families
- Support immigrant-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs
- Strengthen partnerships between county government and immigrant communities
Combating Hate & Building Community
Montgomery County is strongest when people from different backgrounds come together with mutual respect and shared purpose.
As a young leader, Hamza was honored with a Governor's Citation from Governor Martin O'Malley recognizing his work to bring Muslim and Jewish communities together in Maryland. He helped co-found the Indian American Democratic Club as a gesture of solidarity, and after the horrific Pulse Nightclub shooting, organized a major solidarity rally with the LGBTQ community during Ramadan.
He later helped co-found the Pomegranate Initiative with a rabbinic partner to strengthen Muslim-Jewish dialogue, and served on the board of the Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington Area (JIDS).
On his watch: antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-immigrant hysteria, and all forms of bigotry will have no quarter in Montgomery County. Ever.
Hamza has plans to:
- Strengthen partnerships between county government and faith communities
- Support programs that combat hate crimes and discrimination
- Promote interfaith dialogue and cross-community engagement
- Ensure Montgomery County remains a place where people of every background feel safe and respected
Combating Poverty & Expanding Opportunity
Montgomery County is one of the wealthiest counties in America, but not everyone shares in that prosperity. Too many families are struggling with the rising cost of housing, childcare, healthcare, and basic necessities.
Hamza understands these challenges personally. Like many families in Montgomery County, his family has experienced economic hardship and financial uncertainty. Those experiences shaped his belief that government should focus on expanding opportunity and helping working families build stable lives.
Combating poverty is not only about providing assistance—it is about creating real pathways to stability, mobility, and dignity.
Hamza has plans to:
- Expand workforce training and career pathways through Montgomery College
- Strengthen support for working families facing housing and childcare costs
- Support small businesses that create jobs in local communities
- Ensure county programs are accessible to residents who need them most
- Promote policies that expand economic opportunity across Montgomery County