As mail-in and provisional ballots continue to be counted in the Democratic primary for Montgomery County Executive, the latest update by the Maryland State Board of Elections (10:23am, 7/31) shows that David Blair (47,980, 39.27%) leads incumbent Marc Elrich (47,959, 39.25%) by just 21 votes.

Some updated canvass numbers, per the Board of Elections for Montgomery County:


Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Council voted Tuesday to approve a new zoning measure introduced by Councilmember Andrew Friedson that will help attract and retain biohealth companies in Montgomery County and spur economic development, particularly in transit-oriented locations. The new zoning measure continues the Council’s ongoing efforts to support innovation and the biohealth sector, which is an essential part of Montgomery County’s economic engine.

ZTA 22-02 Density and Height Limits, Parking – Biohealth, will allow additional height and increased flexibility in density allocation for urban biohealth facilities in recognition of the unique mechanical challenges of biohealth buildings.


As mail-in and provisional ballots continue to be counted in the Democratic primary for Montgomery County Executive, the latest update by the Maryland State Board of Elections (8:11pm, 7/29) shows that David Blair (46,824, 39.32%) leads incumbent Marc Elrich (46,693, 39.21%) by 131 votes.

David Blair led by 1,191 votes when early voting and Election Day votes were tallied. Elrich took the lead early on during the canvassing of mail-in votes, but Blair closed the gap and eventually reclaimed the lead. Overall, Blair has received 17,470 mail-in/provisional ballot votes compared to 18,665 for Marc Elrich. Marc Elrich defeated David Blair by just 77 votes in the 2018 Democratic Primary.


Earlier this week, Montgomery County’s Community Covid-19 Level was back up to ‘High’, according to the county’s Covid-19 surveillance dashboard. The CDC, however, still had Montgomery County at the ‘Medium’ level. The community levels are based on metrics released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on February 25, 2022, enabling communities and individuals to make better decisions based on their local context and unique needs.

After many publicly questioned the discrepancy between Montgomery County’s numbers and the CDC’s numbers for the county, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services tweeted the following:


Five days worth of Mail-in ballots have been counted in the Democratic primary for Montgomery County Executive, and in the latest update by the Maryland State Board of Elections (7:51pm, 7/27), David Blair (44,722) leads incumbent Marc Elrich (44,577) by 145 votes.

David Blair led by 1,191 votes when early voting and Election Day votes were tallied. Elrich took the lead early on during the canvassing of mail-in votes, but Blair closed the gap and eventually reclaimed the lead. Overall, Blair has received 15,368 mail-in/provisional ballot votes compared to 16,549 for Marc Elrich. Marc Elrich defeated David Blair by just 77 votes in the 2018 Democratic Primary.


At the celebration, County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Gabe Albornoz issued a joint proclamation recognizing the commission’s accomplishments in advancing and protecting women’s rights since its establishment in 1972.

In addition to County Executive Elrich and Council President Albornoz, among those at the celebration were CFW Chair Donna Rojas, County Councilmember Nancy Navarro, founding commissioner and former Congresswoman Connie Morella, CFW Executive Director Jodi Finkelstein and Sandy Spring Museum Board of Directors President Naomi Yadin-Mendick.


Montgomery County’s commitment to combatting climate change includes trying to inspire residents and businesses to purchase electric vehicles. To make that plan viable, accessibility to EV charging stations is a necessity. The commitment to that aspect of the County’s Climate Action Plan continued on July 23 as six new EV charging stations were dedicated at the Clarksburg Condominium II.

Clarksburg Condominium II is located at 12824 Clarksburg Square Road in Clarksburg. The condominium association website states that residents who register in advance will receive reduced rates for charging their vehicles at the new charging stations.


Ballot-counting sessions, referred to as the “canvasses,” have been conducted daily by the Board of Elections since July 21. Those votes are added to the totals of early voting (July 7-14) and Election Day.

The count of provisional ballots started on Thursday, July 28.


“I am pleased to announce the reopening of the rental relief program. We have additional funds to distribute, and we know that the need for this assistance has not gone away,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “The impact of this pandemic will be with us for quite some time, so I urge eligible residents who are in need to not delay and apply today.”

The rent relief program launched in May 2020 and as of July 24, has distributed $79.1 million in financial assistance.  Funding for the fourth phase was provided by U.S. Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance funds in direct allocations to the County and as a sub-grantee to the State of Maryland.


In addition to vanpools, the program could cover expenses incurred by commuters using Ride On bus, Metrobus, Metrorail or MARC train to commute to and from a workplace within Montgomery County.

Businesses looking to implement or expand a transportation benefit program must commit to covering the first $25 per month of travel costs for employees who use buses or vanpools. The County will cover expenses over the initial $25, up to $280 a month. The full subsidy could be as high as $3,360 per year, per employee. It is tax-free to both the employee and the employer.


The award from the National Procurement Institute is the ninth received by the Office of Procurement. The prestigious annual award is presented to organizations that demonstrate excellence based on criteria designed to measure innovation, professionalism, productivity, e-procurement and leadership attributes of the procurement organization.

The Office of Procurement has received 11 NACo awards in the last 10 years. In the past two years, Procurement received eight NACo awards.


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