A gorgeous sunny afternoon celebrating our Wootton Community at the Wootton Cluster PTSA @woottonhs_ptsa Fall Festival! From the Chili Cook-Off to fantastic performances by the Wootton Acatonics, cheer, and band there's plenty of school spirit and community fun here at Wootton! The festivities continue until 4 PM today, so come on out, enjoy the performances, and celebrate the incredible students, families, and schools that make our Wootton Cluster so special! – at Rockville, MD

Thrilled to be at Wootton High School tonight for Senior Night as the Patriots take on their longtime rivals, Churchill! Truly great to see so many students, alumni, families. Wootton Booster Club members, and @RockvilleCityPD officers out cheering on the Patriots! Congratulations to all our @TSWAthletics Seniors! Let's keep fighting and give Churchill a reason to worry!

The Force is strong at Lakewood Elementary School tonight! Having a great time at Lakewood’s Trunk or Treat with @PrincipalLES5, our amazing @RockvilleCityPD officers, and so many families enjoying the Halloween festivities! Even a Sith Lord knows the importance of community engagement, although I promise to use the Force responsibly tonight! Thanks to the Lakewood PTSA, RCPD, and everyone who helped make this such a fun evening for our students and families!

Thank you to the @RockvilleCityPD, @mcpnews, and @MCSAONEWS for their work to secure accountability for the October 2024 shooting at Rockville's Welsh Park. This week, Kenneth Oates was sentenced to 100 years in prison, with all but 35 years suspended, following his conviction for attempted second-degree murder and related offenses. He fired 14 gunshots while targeting a woman and her friend during a flag football game, sending people fleeing through a park crowded with families. A father shielded his son with his own body, and a 9-year-old boy hid in the playground. Although no one was physically injured, the terror experienced by the victims and witnesses should never be minimized. I’m incredibly proud of Rockville City Police Department’s commitment to ensuring that violent crimes like this do not go unresolved, and grateful that the person responsible has been brought to justice. Thank you to our officers and investigators, our partners at MCPD, and prosecutors Jodie Mount and Daniel Saad for their dedication to the victims and our community’s safety.

There’s still time to join the fun at the King Farm Fall Festival! I’m enjoying a beautiful afternoon with neighbors.... and the festivities continue until 4 pm today! Be sure to visit the @RockvilleREDI, King Farm Screamin' Geese Swim Team, and @BarryJacksonCM tables, where you’ll find great giveaways and items for sale! Great to see @judashman and @RySpiegel here too! Come say hello and enjoy this wonderful autumn tradition! – at Rockville, MD

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Horizon Hill Park for a Community Ice Cream Social yesterday! I loved connecting with neighbors from across West Rockville over ice cream, snacks, and conversations about our neighborhoods and our city. A special thank you to the @RockvilleVFD and @RockvilleCityPD for joining us and for their outstanding community engagement! We’re fortunate to have public safety personnel who put so much care into building relationships with the people they serve. Bringing our neighborhoods together helps us share information, hear different perspectives, and work together on common concerns. I look forward to keeping these conversations going! – at Rockville, MD

Long before Davey Hearn became a national news story, he was my coach, my mentor, and someone I regularly turned to for advice when I served as Chair of USA Canoe/Kayak, the national governing body for Olympic canoe and kayak sports. This morning, @CNN published an excellent profile today of Davey, his extraordinary life, and the federal prosecution that thankfully ended with a dismissal with prejudice. As I told CNN, “There was not a whitewater canoer or kayaker in the DC region or nationally or internationally that didn’t know or revere Davey Hearn.” Davey represented our country in three Olympic Games, won multiple world championships, mentored generations of athletes, and devoted countless hours to protecting our rivers, National Park property, serving our community, and volunteering at community races. That is why I was so troubled when the federal government sought to portray Davey as a malicious destroyer of public property. And it also is why I am proud that so many of us stood up for him. Together with Rep. Jamie Raskin, fellow athletes, friends, and community members, we organized rallies, attended court hearings, and insisted that this prosecution be judged on the facts and the law, not political pressure. Standing up for someone facing an unjust prosecution is not about friendship or politics. It is about recognizing that the government's immense power must be challenged when it is used unfairly. If we remain silent when someone else is treated unjustly, we weaken the very principles of fairness and due process that protect us all. Judge Todd Edelman ultimately dismissed Davey's case with prejudice, bringing this prosecution to a permanent end. I am grateful for the judicial independence that made that outcome possible. I am honored to call Davey Hearn a friend and mentor. His legacy should never be defined by this prosecution, but by the extraordinary life of service, sportsmanship, and generosity that CNN so powerfully documents. cnn.com/2026/10/18/politics/… – at Rockville, MD

Rockville rolled out the classics today! Truly a fantastic time at the City of @Rockville411 Antique and Classic Car Show! I was also thrilled to help present the Mayor and Council Award for Best in Show to Shane Sonneveldt of Kensington for his beautiful 1937 Bentley 4¼ Litre Derby! Thank you to the owners who shared their amazing cars, and to the City staff and volunteers who keep this great annual Rockville tradition running strong! – at Rockville, MD

I was delighted to join fellow officials and community members today to present a certificate at the @chamberrock ribbon-cutting celebrating @sunflower_bkry's new name: Sunflower Bakery Kitchen Cafe! Sunflower pairs incrediblly delicious food with an extraordinary mission, providing job training and pathways to employment for teens and young adults with learning differences. Their programs help participants build skills, confidence, and careers while strengthening our community. Dasha and I love Sunflower’s food so much that we chose them to make our wedding cake! It was wonderful to celebrate this next chapter for such an amazing organization. Congratulations to the entire Sunflower team! – at Rockville, MD

Tonight, I was honored to join neighbors, city staff, and the @Rockville411 Pedestrian Advocacy Committee for our Walktober Walk-n-Roll through Twinbrook and a Candlelight Vigil remembering those whose lives have been lost to traffic violence. Walking together was an opportunity to discuss safer streets, while the vigil reminded us of the people and families behind every tragedy. Everyone deserves to walk, bike, and roll safely through Rockville. I remain committed to improving crossings, lighting, sidewalks, and traffic calming to help prevent these heartbreaking losses. Thank you to the committee, @RockvilleCityPD, and everyone who came together tonight to honor the victims and work toward a safer community. – at Aspen Hill, MD

The forecast was clear, but the competition was snow joke! Thrilled to attend this morning’s @Rockville411 vs. @GburgMD "Snow Rodeo"... where our cities’ snow plow drivers tackled an obstacle course testing the skills that keep our streets safe during winter storms. Congratulations to Rockville Public Works employee Travis for earning the title of Best Skilled Snow Plow Driver in Rockville and Gaithersburg! Join me in thanking the amazing city crews we count on when the snow starts falling! Rockville is ready for the Winter! – at Rockville, MD

Proud to lace up my running shoes again this morning for the Law Enforcement Torch Run for @SpOlympicsMD in Rockville, joining our law enforcement officers and neighbors in support of these incredible athletes! I always look forward to this run every year because it brings our community together to celebrate these amazing athletes and support opportunities for everyone to compete, build friendships, and experience the joy of sports! Thank you to the officers, volunteers, and everyone who helped carry the Flame of Hope through Rockville today including @RockvilleCityPD, @mcpnews, @GPDNews & Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. I’m grateful for our law enforcement community’s continued dedication to these athletes and proud to run alongside you! – at Rockville, MD

As a proud Richard Montgomery Alum, I’m thrilled to be back at RM for Homecoming tonight, cheering on the Rockets... and the crowd is rocking! RM is already up 19-7 in the 2nd Quarter, and I’m hoping we can keep it going and bring home a Homecoming win! Let's go, @RM_Rocketsfball! – at Rockville, MD

Some moments remind you why standing up matters. Grateful to be together with US Olympian Davey Hearn and Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) after a case that never should have existed was finally dismissed for good! Judge Edelman’s decision gave Davey the finality he deserved by ensuring this failed prosecution cannot be brought back. However, finality does not answer *how* or *why* this travesty happened in the first place. Davey was arrested, indicted, publicly accused, and threatened with 10 years in jail in a case the government could not prove. Now his legal team is formally asking the Justice Department and Interior Department Inspectors General to investigate the prosecution, the evidence that was ignored, and the role political pressure may have played. democracydefendersfund.org/w… Congressman Raskin is also formally demanding answers too! His leadership has been steady, principled, and focused on a basic truth: the justice system must be guided by facts, evidence, and law, not politics. democrats-judiciary.house.go… Davey deserved finality, and he now has it. Now, the public deserves answers... and we're going to demand accountability! – at Rockville, MD

What a great outcome and an incredible job by @RockvilleCityPD K-9 Dare! Last night, a 10-year-old child went missing in Rockville, and our police officers immediately launched a search. With the help of Dare, RCPD’s newest K-9, the child was located in a wooded area in just 15 minutes and safely reunited with their family! As Chief West noted: "Tonight's successful search demonstrates the tremendous value that Dare brings to our department and the community we serve. Having a specially trained bloodhound provides our officers with an invaluable resource when searching for missing children, vulnerable adults, and others who may be in danger. Dare's ability to locate this child so quickly is a testament to the importance of this investment in public safety. We are incredibly proud of Dare and our officers, and I am confident this will be the first of many successful searches that help bring loved ones home safely." Dare and his fellow officers demonstrated how the right training, equipment, and teamwork can make a lifesaving difference for Rockville families! A huge thank you to our RCPD officers, Dare, and his handler for their outstanding work. So glad this story has a happy ending! ...and Dare, I think you've earned a few extra treats!

It was a pleasure to join Beall Elementary students and @RockvilleCityPD this morning for Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day! Sharing the morning trip to school with Beall Dragons was a fantastic way to start the day! Thank you to the Beall families, teachers, staff, RCPD officers, and volunteers who helped make this morning special. Today is also a reminder of why safe sidewalks, crosswalks, and neighborhood streets matter. Every child should be able to get to school safely, whether walking, biking, or rolling. – at Rockville, MD

Proud to join our Rockville City Police Department (@RockvilleCityPD) and neighbors at @7eleven on Rockville Pike for National Coffee with a Cop Day! I’m grateful to all our RCPD officers for the care and commitment they bring to engaging with our community. Making time to listen to residents, answer questions, and build personal connections is an important part of serving Rockville, and we all truly appreciate the effort our officers put into those relationships every day. Thank you to RCPD for being such a dedicated and welcoming presence in our neighborhoods, and to 7-Eleven for hosting!

Proud to join neighbors, advocates, and community partners tonight at the Make MoCo Purple Kickoff for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and in their relationships. I want everyone to know that support is available and that our community stands with survivors. We see you, and we are here to support you in any way that makes you feel safe. Thank you to the incredible service providers, organizations, and volunteers working to connect survivors with resources and help prevent domestic violence. I’m truly grateful for your work this month and throughout the year.

I am absolutely thrilled for @CMLisaHenderson on being conditionally selected to serve as @GburgMD's interim mayor! Lisa is a dedicated public servant, a terrific colleague, and someone I genuinely enjoy being around. We’ve shared meetings, community events, parades, and laughs, and I have always appreciated her warmth, energy, dedication, and commitment to her community. I’m incredibly excited for Lisa and for our neighbors in Gaithersburg, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work together as both colleagues and friends. And I can 100% confirm that Lisa brings the same enthusiasm to public service that she brings successfully chopping a board in the middle of a parade!