Democrats

Elrich Elected New Montgomery County Executive

Montgomery County Council member Marc Elrich easily won the three-way race for county executive.

Council member Nancy Floreen switched from Democrat to unaffiliated to run against Elrich after he beat five other Democrats in the primary. Elrich earned 64 percent of the vote to 19 percent for Floreen. Republican Robin Ficker, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, had 16 percent of the vote.

Floreen said she would switch back to the Democratic Party after the election regardless of the result.

Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee Chair Scott Goldberg said Floreen "weakened her stature" and criticized her calling herself a "lifelong Democrat" in ads. He said the party fully backed Elrich in the three-way race.

Elrich and Floreen agree on the Democratic platform of gun control, immigration, reproductive rights and marriage equality and have similar votes on the budget and taxes.

Elrich has opposed big road projects like the Intercounty Connector in favor of the county’s proposed bus rapid transit system and opposed some development that would support walkable communities.

Floreen supported the ICC and champions affordable housing and transit-oriented development.

No Republican has won the executive seat in the county in more than four decades. Ficker told WTOP he represented change and noted the effort he spearheaded two years ago to establish term limits for the county council, which voters overwhelmingly approved.

County Executive Ike Leggett chose not to run for a fourth term.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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