SILVER SPRING, MD — Montgomery County voters have elected Democrat Marc Elrich as county executive, according to unofficial vote returns from the Maryland Board of Elections. Elrich defeated Democrat-turned-independent Nancy Floreen and Republican Robin Ficker in the highly contentious race. Elrich will replace Democrat Ike Leggett, who will retire at the end of this year.

According to the elections board, Elrich received 225,900 votes. Floreen — who said she'd rejoin the Democratic party regardless of the outcome — earned 67,402 votes. Ficker — a perennial candidate who ran unopposed in the July 26 Republican primary — had 57,489 votes. Elrich joined Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin and Attorney General Brian Frosh at a watch party inside the Silver Spring Civic Building Tuesday night.

Once the results were in, Rep. Raskin, who won re-election, introduced Elrich to a room full of supporters. "Marc Elrich has an extraordinary charm about him, as you know. He's an un-politician. He is not slick. He is not flashy. He is not a flash in the pan," Raskin said. "He has never, ever been trendy, and he will never be trendy. And that's why the great councilman, soon to be county executive, Marc Elric will never go out of style because he is not trendy. He is not a flash in the pan. He's filled with integrity and public purpose.

"And I've been in politics long enough to know there are two kinds of politicians that you find out there — wherever you go," Raskin added. "There are power politicians and there are justice politicians. And Marc Elrich is the quintessential justice politician." "My opponent claims she was going to unify the county," Elrich said, referring to Floreen. "She probably did. She unified the county behind me."

In a phone interview, Floreen told WTOP that she was conceding, the outlet reported.

More updates may follow.

