WICOMICO COUNTY, MD - The landscape of Wicomico County political leadership is poised to shift as Democrat Ernest "Ernie" Davis’ lead over Republican incumbent Julie Giordano widens.
As we reported on Wednesday, Davis received 14,757 votes compared to Giordano's 14,125. That difference of 632 votes has grown to 1,917 following the first round of mail-in ballot canvassing, now exceeding the 5% margin that allows a losing candidate to request a recount. That rule refers to the final count of total votes.
"There were a lot more people who were a little bit more confident than I was,” Giordano said. “I was very concerned because of the amount of money that was pumped into the delegate 38B race."
That seat in the state House of Delegates successfully flipped Tuesday night from Republican incumbent Barry Beauchamp to Democrat Josh Hastings. Giordano says she thinks voters who galvanized around that race also impacted the election for County Executive.
Giordano told Draper Media Friday she called Ernie Davis to concede that morning and scheduled a meeting to begin the transition of power early next week.
"When I was sworn into office, I was given a 20-minute transition,” Giordano said. “I was handed the keys to the kingdom with nothing, with no idea of what to do, and I don't want to do that."
The political makeup of the Wicomico County Council appears more settled. Democrats are positioned to secure a 4-3 majority, marking a significant change in the county's legislative leadership.
Wicomico Council President John Cannon told Draper Media Friday he does not think that priorities in Wicomico County will change regardless of leadership. Some key priorities Cannon highlighted were the county-owned nursing home, the Barren Creek Road reconstruction, the mobile home tax, Wicomico Septic Elimination and Salisbury Sewer Extension project, and regulations surrounding data centers.
Wicomico County Board of Elections will continue processing ballots over the weekend, with another round of canvassing set to begin November 12.
