The milestone emerged on Thursday night as Democrats celebrated at the Board of Elections after reviewing provisional and mail-in ballots cast by Election Day.
If current leads hold when results are certified on Friday, the outcome will cement a 7-2 Democratic supermajority on a council previously composed entirely of men.
“Three women, three women,” Shawn McIntosh said after hugging Arkia Wade, WYPR reported.
Both women ran in competitive district races that remained undecided as election officials processed about 8,000 provisional and mail-in ballots over the preceding week. Wade held a 92-vote lead over Republican Tim Fazenbaker in the 9th Council District, which includes Dundalk, after trailing by more than 1,000 votes on Election Night.
Democratic Gains in Dundalk and District 5
If confirmed, the victory flips a seat from red to blue and places the first Black Muslim woman on the county council.
“I’m flipping a seat from red to blue,” Wade told WYPR. “I’m putting a Muslim Black woman on the county council. I’m bringing community together.”
Delegate Kim Ross noted the historical significance of the campaign for the region. “Arkia, she would be the first African American to represent that area,” Ross told WYPR.
In the 5th District, McIntosh overcame a fundraising and name-recognition deficit against Republican Councilman Nino Mangione to flip another seat from red to blue. McIntosh held a lead of more than 2,000 votes following Thursday’s count.
“It is certainly statistically impossible for Nino Mangione to catch up tomorrow,” Ian Miller, McIntosh’s campaign manager, told WYPR.
Close Contests Remain Open
Not every tight race broke for the Democrats as election workers continued processing the remaining ballots. In the 8th Council District, which includes Middle River, Republican Josh Sines maintained a lead of about 1,200 votes over Democrat Sharonda Dillard-Huffman.
“While the remaining provisional ballots are still being counted, we fully respect the election process and will wait for its completion on Friday before making our formal victory announcement,” Sines said in a social media post cited by WYPR.
Al Mendelsohn, a member of the Baltimore County Republican Committee who observed the count, emphasized that the process had not yet concluded.
Public Financing Helps Elect Diverse Council Members
The expansion of the county council from seven to nine seats was designed in part to facilitate the election of more diverse candidates. In 2026, public financing became available for council campaigns to increase participation.
Four candidates who utilized public funding won their races, including McIntosh, Makeda Scott, Ruben Amaya, and Paul Dongarra. Scott secured an outright victory in the 3rd District, while Amaya became the first Latino elected to the body.
Election Director Ruie Lavoie read aloud the results shortly after 10:15 p.m. on Thursday, accompanied by observers including Baltimore County Executive-Elect Julian Jones and state Senator Charles Sydnor.
“Now it appears to be a possibility that that shift will go back the other way and Dundalk will come home to the Democratic Party,” Jones told WYPR.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the Baltimore County election results be officially certified?
Election officials are scheduled to wrap up the remaining vote count and certify the results on Friday.
How many council seats did Democrats secure if current leads hold?
If the current vote margins hold, Democrats will secure a 7-2 supermajority on the expanded nine-member county council.
What role did public financing play in these elections?
The 2026 election cycle was the first to offer public financing for council candidates, a measure intended to encourage a more diverse field of candidates to run.
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