The four Democrats who will compete for Montgomery County Council at-large seats in November are now official: Marc Elrich, Laurie-Anne Sayles, Scott Goldberg and Karla Silvestre.
The Montgomery County Board of Canvassers certified the June 23 primary results on Wednesday, finalizing a 17-candidate field down to the quartet that will appear on the November 3 general election ballot. At-large councilmembers represent the entire county, including Potomac, and vote on zoning, housing, transportation and budget decisions.
According to unofficial results reported by Bethesda Magazine on Wednesday, Elrich led the field with 14.7% of the vote. Sayles, the only incumbent in the race seeking a second term, finished second at 12.7%. Goldberg, a former Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee chair, placed third with 11.9%.
The closest contest was for the fourth spot. Silvestre, a Montgomery County Board of Education member and director of community engagement for Montgomery College, edged out immigration attorney Fatmata Barrie by approximately 950 votes. Silvestre finished with 10.5% to Barrie's 10.2%.
Barrie, a former District 5 Council candidate, had not conceded as of Wednesday morning, before the afternoon certification. The certification finalizes the county's official vote totals regardless of concession. Barrie did not respond to Bethesda Magazine's requests for comment.
Elrich returns with budget fight ahead
Elrich's return to the council carries immediate policy implications. The outgoing county executive served three terms as an at-large councilmember from 2006 to 2018 before winning the executive office. His proposed FY2027 county budget included a 6% property tax increase that the current council voted down this spring.
"Everybody's going to have to deal with the tax issue," Elrich told WTOP after the June 23 primary. "I tried to make that clear when I put my budget out there."
He argued the county cannot maintain services, including schools, without new revenue given federal job losses. He has also called for raising commercial property tax rates.
What's next
Three of the four at-large seats were open this cycle. Councilmembers Will Jawando and Evan Glass both sought the Democratic nomination for county executive rather than re-election. Councilmember Shebra Evans pledged not to run for a council seat as a condition of her December 2025 appointment to the seat vacated by Gabe Albornoz.
In a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans 4-to-1, the primary winners are heavy favorites in November. Real estate broker Sherwin Wells of Gaithersburg was placed on the Republican ballot by the Montgomery County GOP after no Republican candidates filed by the February deadline. He is the lone Republican in the at-large race.
The new County Council is scheduled to be sworn in the first Monday in December 2026. Residents can view certified results and future meeting information at the Board of Elections website, www.777vote.org.
