Photo from barbarajpeters.com

The Montgomery County Board of Elections has certified the results of the Democratic primary for county executive, won by Councilmember Marc Elrich (D-At Large).

Elrich beat businessman and political novice David Blair by 79 votes, 37,529-37,450, in the six-person race.

“I want to thank the Democratic voters of Montgomery County for selecting me to be the Democratic nominee for County Executive, as certified today by the County’s Board of Elections. It’s on to November 6!,” wrote Elrich in a tweet responding to the news.

Under the law, Blair has three days to request a recount.

Assuming the results hold, Elrich would face Republican Robin FIcker, who ran unopposed in that party’s primary, and a challenge from Councilmember Nancy Floreen (D-At Large).

Floreen changed her party registration from Democratic to independent and announced last week she would campaign as an independent candidate for county executive.

The four-term councilmember wrote in a statement, “I am a candidate for County Executive—unexpectedly, I admit—because it would be a terrible loss for this county to fall into the sort of polarized posturing that has poisoned our national politics. That’s not my way. I want to get things done for all of us.

“The critical interests of Montgomery County families are ill-served when any candidate can prevail with barely 29 percent of the one-third of Democrats who turned out, the Republicans had no choice at all, and the county’s 150,000 independent voters were prevented by law from voting in either contest. There is no mandate here. Most county voters have yet to be heard from,” the statement continued. “That is why I am determined to give Montgomery County a third, independent choice come November.”

Floreen’s campaign is now in the process of collecting about 7,200 signatures needed by Aug. 6 to qualify for the November ballot.