Montgomery County Executive Democratic Primary headed to recount

The Montgomery County Executive Primary is headed to a recount

FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald reports on the recount about to take place at the request of David Blair. Marc Elrich, the incumbent, is 35 votes ahead of Blair.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - The razor-thin Montgomery County Executive Democratic Primary is headed to a recount as the two top candidates are separated by just 35 votes.

Montgomery County certified the election on Saturday with incumbent Marc Elrich having a 35-vote lead over challenger David Blair out of more than 140,000 votes cast.

Blair filed the paperwork for a recount on Tuesday afternoon, which will take place because the difference is less than a quarter of a percent.

The recount means Montgomery County voters will have gone a full month without knowing who has won the primary.

The recount will start Friday at 9:30 a.m. and go on for eight hours a day at the Germantown Recreation Center. With 140,000 votes to recount, it's estimated the recount could take at least five days or more to complete.

Unlike 2018's small sample recount when Blair lost to Elrich by 77 votes, this will be a full recount, meaning all 140,000 ballots cast in the race will be recounted.

The winner of the Democratic Primary will face Republican Reardon Sullivan in the general election in November.