SALISBURY, Md. - Wicomico County appears headed toward a significant shift in political leadership following Tuesday's general election, with Democrats poised to take control of the County Council and Democrat Ernest "Ernie" Davis holding a lead over incumbent Republican County Executive Julie Giordano.
Davis received 14,757 votes compared to Giordano's 14,125, a difference of just 632 votes, according to unofficial election results with all 69 precincts reporting on Election Night.
While Davis appears positioned to unseat Giordano, thousands of outstanding ballots must still be counted before the results become official.
The Wicomico County Board of Elections told WBOC approximately 3,500 mail-in ballots and 1,000 provisional ballots remain outstanding.
Mail-in ballot canvassing is scheduled to begin Thursday, Nov. 5, with additional ballots expected to arrive through next week.
While Giordano faces an uphill battle to overcome Davis' narrow lead, the number of outstanding ballots means the outcome could still change.
Historically, mail-in and provisional ballots have favored Democrats, with Davis receiving approximately 63% of those votes during the previous county executive election in 2022.
Neither Davis nor Giordano responded to WBOC's requests for interviews Wednesday.
In a Facebook post following the election, Giordano acknowledged the close results while emphasizing the importance of allowing the counting process to conclude.
"While we fell a little short last night, we are going to remain patient and wait until every vote is counted," Giordano wrote. "Every single vote matters, and the process deserves to run its course."
Giordano also thanked her campaign supporters and expressed pride in her administration's accomplishments.
"Regardless of the outcome, I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and grateful for the opportunity to serve this community," she wrote.
Under Maryland law, a losing candidate can request a recount if the final margin is within 5% of the total votes cast in the contest. Davis currently leads by approximately 2 percentage points.
Any potential recount would come after the outstanding ballots are counted and the election results are certified.
Democrats poised to gain County Council majority
While the final outcome of the county executive race remains pending, the political makeup of the Wicomico County Council appears more settled.
Democrats are poised to secure a 4-3 majority, marking a significant change in the county's legislative leadership.
Several newly elected council members are preparing to take office, including Democrat Megan Outten, who won the District 7 race.
Outten said the results reflect a desire among voters for greater communication, transparency and attention to everyday concerns.
"Locally, I don't think it really had much to do with Democrat or Republican," Outten said. "What I think we were seeing was the candidates that won across the board, really put the community at the forefront."
Tuesday's election was also the first County Council election held under new district boundaries following a lawsuit brought by the Wicomico County NAACP.
The county was ordered to redraw its council district map, changing the political landscape ahead of this year's election.
Outten said she believes the incoming council has an opportunity to establish a new direction for county government, regardless of which candidate ultimately wins the executive race.
"I think we're really excited about this opportunity," Outten said. "And I think hopefully, the residents of Wicomico will see that we're really willing to bridge divides and really work together moving forward."
Outten identified affordability, rising energy costs and education as some of the biggest concerns she heard from voters throughout her campaign.
With a new council majority appearing likely and Davis maintaining his lead in the executive race, Wicomico County could be entering a new chapter in local government.
For now, election officials say the counting process will continue as thousands of outstanding ballots are reviewed and tabulated before final results are certified.
