Updated Wednesday, 12:08 a.m.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — As election officials process tens of thousands of ballots, candidates in multiple county races are breaking away from the pack in Montgomery County.
The 2026 midterm election cycle will determine the political makeup of not just the county executive, at-large posts, County Council, and the school board, but also the outcome of several ballot questions.
Related:
Question 3, Maryland's redistricting ballot question, was a key amendment that Republican lawmakers repeatedly challenged. The contested measure went before the state Supreme Court before it was cleared as a last-minute addition to the ballot.
With 1,051 of 1,979 precincts reporting, 784,426 votes were in favor of Question 3, while 539,445 were against the redistricting amendment, according to figures released by the state elections board. At 9:33 p.m., the Associated Press called the race, projecting the measure clearing with 848,362 votes.
As of 11:06 p.m., results released by the Maryland Election Board show Democrat Councilmember Will Jawando leading the county executive race with 231,786 votes. His Republican opponent, Esther Wells, has 64,253 of the votes.
"I'm just so committed. I want you to know that we're gonna win, and we're gonna win, but this is not the end of your involvement," Jawando said during an election night watch party.
"I'm gonna need you. We're gonna need each other to do the hard work of governing."
In the race for the four County Council at-large posts, the top candidates are Democrats Marc Elrich (215,660 votes), Scott Evan Goldberg (218,889 votes), Laurie-Anne Sayles (219,085 votes) and Karla Silvestre (216,588 votes).
First-time voter Chris told Patch that his sister encouraged him to participate in the 2026 election cycle and persuaded him that his vote counts.
"I'm not really huge into politics, but today my sister showed me a different side to things, and she really persuaded me into coming to vote," he said. "She said my vote really does count, so I just decided to come vote."
For Samuel Sasu, a lifelong Montgomery County resident, participating in the election proved "fairly simple."
"Every individual has a right to vote, and I want to make sure that my vote counts towards something and make sure that we can make some type of a greater change realistically," he said.
Projected race results will trickle in throughout Tuesday night and be canvassed over the next several days before local election boards begin certification.
Local boards must certify election results by Nov. 13, with statewide results due by Dec. 9.
Patch is following key county and state races in Maryland, including those for governor and U.S. Congressional Districts 1, 5 and 6.
Check back throughout the night for the latest vote totals, race calls and election night developments. Refresh this page for updated results.
As of 11:06 p.m., preliminary vote tallies are as follows:
One of the most contested races this election cycle in Montgomery County was for the County Council at-large post, which saw the candidate list dwindle from 18 to just five.
Along with the County Council races, the county's key bids to watch include the county executive and at-large posts.
Results for all races will also be available on the Maryland Department of Elections website.
For full coverage of the 2026 election in Maryland, go here.
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