Updated 6:19 p.m. Wednesday: County Council member Nancy Floreen has won a spot on the November ballot in her independent bid for county executive.
To qualify as a candidate, Floreen had to collect at least 7,243 valid signatures from Montgomery County voters supportive of her effort to go up against Democratic nominee Marc Elrich and Republican candidate Robin Ficker. A Green Party candidate withdrew from contention earlier this month.
On Wednesday morning, the Montgomery County Board of Elections informed her she’d gathered 13,356 valid names, well above the threshold.
While Democratic nominees in Montgomery County typically enjoy smooth sailing after the primary, Floreen said her candidacy will change things up.
“This is historic for Montgomery County,” she said in a phone interview Wednesday. “Usually, it’s more of a coronation during the general election. This is going to be a real general election, and it’s going to engage people across party lines.”
Floreen earlier this month submitted more than 20,300 signatures to the board, and election officials have spent the weeks since then verifying the names. To count toward Floreen’s total, petition signers had to write their names largely as they appear in state voter registration records, and some were likely eliminated for failing this standard.
In a statement, Elrich said he’s not surprised that Floreen met her signature requirement, noting that she hired professional organizers to help her with the endeavor (Floreen says 400 volunteers also pitched in).
“Every election I’ve won, I have been outspent by candidates who are mostly funded by developers, and I will continue to run my publicly financed campaign as the Democratic nominee,” Elrich said.
Elrich has rejected contributions from developers and is limited to smaller campaign donations under the public financing system.
Now that her candidacy is official, Floreen is firing up her campaign, which she said will focus on growing jobs and “skills-based training,” addressing transportation challenges, increasing school construction and providing greater access to mental health services.
Floreen’s campaign website advertises her as an “independent choice” who will give voters some relief from partisan politics and engage county residents on local issues.
The four-term council member has been a longtime Democrat but switched to an unaffiliated party registration so she could launch her bid to replace outgoing County Executive Ike Leggett.
Floreen’s entry to the race has nettled Democrats who think she should’ve lined up behind the party nominee, and she acknowledges that her candidacy is “disruptive to their expectations.” She has said she initiated her campaign out of dissatisfaction with the primary outcome and hadn’t previously planning on running.
She gave her primary endorsement to former Rockville mayor Rose Krasnow, who finished third in the Democratic vote totals behind Elrich and Potomac businessman David Blair.
Elrich, also an at-large council member, beat Blair by 77 votes to claim the Democratic nomination; Floreen has said Elrich’s election to the executive post would be “devastating for Montgomery County.”
When asked Wednesday how she and Elrich differ, Floreen didn’t offer specifics but said the two don’t share the same vision for the future. She said her priority is “creating an environment of opportunity” and expanding the tax base.
Elrich contends that he and Floreen have largely voted together during their time on the council except over development issues.
“I recognize that school over-crowding and our persistent traffic congestion need to be addressed, and I am focused on great neighborhoods and schools, a thriving and inclusive economy and a responsive and efficient government,” he said in the statement.
Ficker, a Boyds attorney, said he wants to know how much Floreen spent to petition her way onto the ballot.
“She’s an insider playing an insider’s game,” he said.
In addition to serving as an at-large county council member, Floreen has previously held positions as mayor of Garrett Park and a member of the Montgomery County Planning Board.
Her campaign office will be in Rockville, the news release stated.
Bethany Rodgers can be reached at bethany.rodgers@moco360.media.
