Three incumbents, Sayles poised for Democratic sweep of at-large County Council seats

Sayles, Albornoz, Glass, and Jawando beat three Republican challengers

by Steve Bohnel November 8, 2022, 11:38 pm

Four Democrats looked primed to sweep the four at-large County Council seats in Tuesday’s general election, beating their three Republican challengers in bids to represent the entire county as part of its legislative body.

Council President Gabe Albornoz, Vice President Evan Glass, and Council Member Will Jawando each are likely to win a second term on the council, while Laurie-Anne Sayles, a former Gaithersburg City Council member, appears to have won her first term, according to unofficial results posted by the State Board of Elections.

They bested three Republicans candidates: Chris Fiotes, Len Lieber and Dwight Patel. Albornoz, Glass, Jawando, and Sayles each received roughly 19% of the overall vote, according to results posted by the State Board of Elections as of 11:30 p.m.

The Democrats said that they looked to further the progress they’ve made on issues including police reform and affordable housing as well as economic recovery and spending for education in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fiotes, Lieber and Patel, however, criticized the Democrats’ actions during the pandemic, saying restrictions crippled businesses and students’ learning suffered due to lengthy school closures, many of which they said were longer than those of other school systems in the state.

The four Democratic at-large members will be part of a new 11-member County Council. County voters approved a ballot measure in 2020 that increased the size of the council from nine to 11 members by adding two districts, for a total of seven.

Some of the at-large members gathered at SouthHouse in Gaithersburg on Tuesday evening, as results started to stream in. Council Vice President Evan Glass joined County Executive Marc Elrich at McGinty’s Public House in Silver Spring as Democrats gathered on the pub’s second floor.https://bethesdamagazine.com/2022/11/08/three-incumbents-sayles-poised-for-democratic-sweep-of-at-large-county-council-seats/