There are some political victories that feel bigger than the office being won. Not because the position is unimportant, but because the person stepping into it carries a story that reaches far beyond the ballot box.
For Will Jawando, that story begins with a Nigerian mother, a childhood in Montgomery County, and a collection of mentors who helped shape the man he would become.
On November 3, 2026, Jawando defeated Republican Esther Wells to become the next Montgomery County executive in Maryland. It is a major political achievement for a man who has spent much of his career working at the intersection of civil rights, education, economic opportunity, and community service.
And while his victory is being celebrated among Nigerian-Americans, his story is also distinctly American: a story about family, identity, mentorship, and the responsibility of giving something back.
Jawando was born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, to Olayinka Jawando, a Nigerian immigrant, and Kathy Jacob, who came from Kansas. Growing up, he spent many afternoons at his mother’s workplace in Silver Spring. There, he encountered people who became important figures in his life.
He would eventually call them his seven Black fathers.
That phrase became the title of his 2022 memoir, My Seven Black Fathers, a book about the men who offered him guidance, encouragement, and examples of Black fatherhood and mentorship. The book also explores his complicated relationship with his biological father and the ways those experiences shaped his understanding of family.
It is an interesting foundation for a political career. Before Jawando became a public official, he was a young man learning that family can be defined not only by the people who raise you, but also by the people who show up when you need them.
His Nigerian heritage is part of that story. His mother’s journey as an immigrant helped shape his understanding of opportunity and belonging. Jawando has also made a point of honoring that heritage publicly. When he was sworn in as a Montgomery County councilmember, he wore a traditional Nigerian agbada in honor of his background and his late father.
For him, identity is not simply a campaign talking point. It is part of the family history he carries into public life.
His professional journey took him through civil rights law, education policy, and national politics. He served as an advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and later worked in the Obama White House as associate director of public engagement.
Those experiences gave him a view of government from the inside, but his political ambitions remained rooted in the community where he grew up.
In 2018, Jawando was elected to the Montgomery County Council as an at-large member. He became involved in issues affecting the county’s more than one million residents, including affordable housing, education, youth employment, and the needs of immigrant families.
He advocated for policies intended to make housing more accessible and worked to create the county’s first youth employment program. In 2025, his fellow councilmembers selected him to serve as vice president of the council.
Then came a campaign for county executive.
Montgomery County is one of Maryland’s most influential jurisdictions. It includes communities such as Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, and Gaithersburg, and is home to a diverse population, major employers, educational institutions, and a significant immigrant community.
Leading it requires more than a familiar name or a compelling personal story. The county executive oversees a large local government with responsibilities that touch nearly every part of daily life, from public safety and transportation to housing, economic development, and county services.
Jawando entered the race with a message centered on education funding, affordable housing, and opportunity. He faced competition from fellow councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Evan Glass in the Democratic primary, ultimately emerging as the party’s nominee.
His campaign also came during a difficult personal period. In September, he suffered a heart attack. He continued his political journey and went on to face Republican Esther Wells in the general election.
On November 3, voters delivered the victory.
The result puts Jawando in charge of a county facing familiar but consequential questions: How do you keep housing affordable in a region where costs continue to rise? How do you protect public education? How do you create opportunities for young people? And how do you make sure that immigrant families and longtime residents alike feel that local government is working for them?
These are not abstract policy questions. They are the concerns that determine whether a family can remain in its neighborhood, whether a young person can find a first job, and whether a parent believes their children will have more opportunities than they did.
Jawando’s background gives him a personal connection to some of those conversations. He grew up in the county he will now lead. He understands the experience of being part of an immigrant family, and his professional life has included work in civil rights, education, and public engagement.
But the real measure of his leadership will be what he delivers for the people who entrusted him with the job.
There is also something particularly meaningful about the way his story brings together different generations and communities. His mother made a life in America after immigrating from Nigeria. His childhood mentors helped him understand the importance of guidance and community. His career took him from local service to the White House and back home again.
Now, he returns to the community that raised him with a different responsibility.
For Nigerian-Americans watching this election, Jawando’s victory is another reminder that the diaspora’s influence is not limited to business, culture, medicine, technology, or the arts. Nigerian-American voices are increasingly part of the civic and political leadership shaping communities across the United States.
And for young people in Montgomery County, there is a lesson in his journey that has little to do with political parties.
Sometimes the people who help shape your future are not the people you expected. Sometimes a workplace where you spent afternoons as a child becomes the place where you first encounter the mentors who change your life. And sometimes the community that watched you grow up eventually asks you to lead it.
Will Jawando now has that opportunity.
The boy who spent afternoons at his mother’s workplace in Silver Spring is preparing to lead the county that gave him his start. That is a full-circle moment worth celebrating. The next chapter, however, will be written through the decisions he makes on behalf of the people who call Montgomery County home.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Who has played the role of a mentor or second parent in your life? And how important is it for successful people to return to the communities that helped shape them?
STAY IN THE MOOD
Our stories are rarely written by one person alone. Sometimes they are shaped by parents who cross oceans, mentors who open doors, teachers who see potential, and communities that refuse to give up on their young people. Will Jawando’s story is a reminder that the people who help raise us may become part of the legacy we eventually build.
Mood Magazine. Mind. Body. Spirit. Culture. Harlem to the world.
