Maryland voters oust incumbent, choose Will Milam to lead the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office 

By D. Kevin McNeir 
Special to the AFRO

There’s a new sheriff in Montgomery County, Md. 

Will Milam defeated incumbent Maxwell Uy by an almost 2:1 margin in the recent Democratic primary election, garnering 65 percent of the vote to become the nominee for the general election. 

As there were no candidates running on the Republican ticket, Milam, 44, a husband, father and longtime Poolesville, Md., resident, will officially become the county’s next sheriff when he takes the oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony slated for early December 2026. 

Milam said while his campaign, which lasted for 16 months, was sometimes grueling, it provided him with numerous opportunities to meet residents from across the county and helped him secure a better understanding of their concerns as they relate to public safety. 

“Voters were looking for someone with a new vision for law enforcement and as someone who has spent more than 20 years in the profession, I have long believed that by integrating officers more into the community and building bridges that connect the sheriff’s office to residents, age notwithstanding, we can make the county a safer place,” said Milam, who has made law enforcement his career. 

“I view law enforcement as my life’s work and I take service to others seriously,” he said. “During my career, which began in the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, and with the majority of my years being spent in Prince George’s County, I’ve found that residents throughout the state appreciate us – those who are brave enough to serve and protect anyone and everyone.”

Milam, who was sworn-in as a deputy sheriff on his 21st birthday, has served as a patrol officer and public information officer. He retired on Feb. 1, 2025, as the chief assistant sheriff for Prince George’s County. As the second-in-command of the agency, Milam managed and coordinated the activities of four major bureaus: administration, field operations, court services and professional accountability. 

He’s confident that the relationships he has forged and the skills he has developed will serve him well in his new role as Montgomery County’s sheriff. In fact, he’s already begun to assemble his transition team, to identify those who will become members of his executive team, and to hold conversations with public officials and community stakeholders as he further explains his goals. 

“As we build bridges together, it’s going to take an all-hands-on-deck philosophy,” he said. “For far too long, law enforcement has operated within silos, believing we had all the answers. But the answers rest with the community: stakeholders, faith-based groups, nonprofits committed to increasing and improving youth services and other county-based organizations.

“We’re going to expand the kinds of services provided by our employees and officers so that people see us as more than just folks who carry out the court’s protective orders and arrest warrants,” said Milam. “And while it may sound like a lofty goal, I believe we can put an end to incidents of domestic violence – a crisis hiding in plain sight that affects not only the targeted victim, but all of us.” 

Milam said it’s important to help people understand that silence related to domestic violence or allowing learned, inappropriate behaviors to become normalized are unacceptable.

“It will take the entire community, speaking up and speaking out, if we’re going to turn things around,” he said, before addressing concerns regarding young people and crime diversion initiatives. 

“As for youth, the sheriff’s office is going to take the lead in offering services and programs for our young people. Everyone benefits if we invest in children when they’re 13, rather than waiting until they’re 23 and have done something that leads to their arrest.” 

Milam enters his new position with the overwhelming endorsement of the local union, UFCW Local 1994/McGEO. According to the organization’s president, Gino Renne, the union is composed of an estimated 8,000 members – civilians and sworn deputies who live in Maryland and account for more than 300 different job classifications. 

Renne said the race for sheriff became more heated last year after nearly 80 percent of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office signed a vote of no confidence petition that targeted then-Sheriff Maxwell Uy. Among union members’ concerns were leadership and management style, workplace conditions and the future of the department.

“The overarching factor that led to the vote of no confidence was because the administration had cultivated and perpetuated an intensely hostile environment,” Renne said. “There wasn’t any room for collaboration or independent creativity, nor was there any interest in working with the union to broaden the scope of services.”

Renne said that he is “both personally and professionally encouraged by the changing of the guard, as are most of the union’s members.” 

“It’s gratifying that we finally have a forward-thinking sheriff who has the vision and skills to take the department to the next level,” said Renne. “Finally, we’re going to have the support of the sheriff and his executive team and be provided the kinds of training and resources that we’ve requested for decades so we can serve our community better.” 

Milam said despite receiving the endorsement of the union and his impressive margin of victory he secured from voters, he remains keenly aware that he must now keep his promises which he made during the campaign. 

“Those who lead the police or fire department are chosen and appointed but that’s not the case in the sheriff’s office,” Milam said. “The voters chose the person they want to take the helm and so my being elected means I have accepted an awesome responsibility. “

Milam said he will be out on an educational campaign throughout the county in the coming months. 

“After I officially take office, I must prove to the voters that I’m doing the job,” he said, “doing the kinds of things and making the kinds of changes that led them to give me their vote.”  

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