Silvestre declares victory in close primary for fourth County Council at-large seat 

School board member would join incumbent Sayles, County Executive Elrich and newcomer Goldberg on November ballot 

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July 8, 2026 11:05 a.m. | Updated: July 8, 2026 11:06 a.m.

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Karla Silvestre, the Montgomery County Board of Education member who was one of 17 Democrats competing for four at-large seats on the County Council in the June 23 primary election, declared victory on Tuesday in a tight race for fourth place. 

Silvestre was fourth with about 10.5% of the vote in the at-large race as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the Maryland State Board of Elections. Attorney and former District 5 Council candidate Fatmata Barrie was fifth with 10.2% of the vote. 

In a Tuesday statement from her campaign, Silvestre said she ran for council because she believes the county can be a place “where families can afford to stay, where our public schools are strong, where seniors can age with dignity, where small businesses can thrive, where communities feel safe and welcomed, and where every resident has a fair chance to build a good life.” 

Silvestre told Bethesda Today in a Tuesday phone interview that Barrie had not yet contacted her to concede. Barrie did not respond to Bethesda Today’s phone and email requests for comment. Her campaign had not issued a statement as of Wednesday morning. 

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County Executive Marc Elrich, incumbent Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles and former Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee Chair Scott Goldberg have been the top three vote-getters, respectively, since the first results were released on Election Day. 

As of Tuesday, Elrich remained in first place with about 14.7% of the vote. Sayles was second with about 12.7% of the vote, while Goldberg was third with 11.9%. Elrich sought a return to the council after term limits prevented him from seeking re-election as county executive.  

Silvestre — a Silver Spring resident and the director of community engagement for Montgomery College — said she has worked with all three presumptive Democratic nominees in her professional and elected roles. She said she looks forward to continued collaboration with Elrich, Sayles and Goldberg on the council. 

David Naimon, president of the Montgomery County Board of Elections, told Bethesda Today in a text message Tuesday that results from the June 23 primary are expected to be certified at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. All votes have been counted. 

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Three of the four at-large seats on the council were open this election cycle. Councilmembers Will Jawando and Evan Glass (both D-At-large) sought the Democratic nomination for county executive. Jawando is the presumptive winner of that race. 

Councilmember Shebra Evans (D-At-large) pledged not to run for a council seat this year as a condition of her appointment to the seat left vacant by Gabe Albornoz in December. Albornoz, a Democrat, resigned his at-large council seat to accept a position as director of the county’s Department of Recreation.   

There was no contested Republican primary for council at-large. Real estate broker Sherwin Wells of Gaithersburg, who was designated to the ballot by the Montgomery County GOP after no Republicans filed candidacy by the February deadline, will advance to the Nov. 3 general election. 

In a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans 4-1, the winners of the Democratic primary typically go on to win the general election. The new council is scheduled to be sworn on the first Monday in December. 

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine