The City of Gaithersburg has announced the unofficial results for its municipal election for mayor and two council member seats.
The races show that incumbent Jud Ashman will be reelected as the city’s mayor, a position he’s held since 2014; Jim McNulty, creative director at Gigawatt Group, and Lisa Henderson, program director for Montgomery County Government, will be elected to the city’s council.
Unofficial election results for Candidates for Council:
David Belgard, 1274 votes (14.87%)
Philip Cook, 723 votes (8.44%)
Lisa E. Henderson, 2632 votes (30.73%)
Yamil Hernández, 1777 votes (20.75%)
Jim McNulty, 2159 votes (25.21%) pic.twitter.com/2XXFCZzv6I
— City of Gaithersburg (@GburgMD) November 3, 2021
The city’s unofficial election results show Ashman poised to defeat challenger Stephen Escobar, a member of the Mayland Army National Guard, by a 62% margin. Unofficial results show that of five candidates vying for seats on the council, McNulty and Henderson have received about 56% of the vote.
McNulty and Henderson would join the five-member city council, taking the seats of Council Members Michael Sesma and Laurie-Anne Sayles, both of whom chose not to run for reelection. Sesma is stepping down after 16 years on the council. Sayles is running for an at-large seat on the county council in the Democratic primary on June 28, 2022.
Thank you so much to everyone who supported our campaign! I’m so excited to get to work for our great city! https://t.co/OK1RHB9Po3
— Jim McNulty (@jimmcnulty) November 3, 2021
Both McNulty and Henderson have acknowledged the unofficial results on their Twitter accounts and thanked voters.
McNulty tweeted, “Thank you so much to everyone who supported our campaign! I’m so excited to get to work for our great city!”
Henderson tweeted, “To God be the glory! Thank you to the residents of Gaithersburg for your confidence and to all the candidates for running such honorable campaigns that made this journey incredible. Congratulations @judashman and @jimmcnulty.”
To God be the glory! Thank you to the residents of Gaithersburg for your confidence and to all the candidates for running such honorable campaigns that made this journey incredible. Congratulations @judashman and @jimmcnulty https://t.co/BfxxJnY8qf
— Lisa Henderson (@FirstNameIsLisa) November 3, 2021
According to the unofficial results, as of Nov. 2, “4,557 ballots were cast, 2,946 of them by mail and 1,611 at the polls.” Mail-in ballots must have been dropped in ballot drop boxes or postmarked by Nov. 2 for receipt at Gaithersburg City Hall by Nov. 4.
According to 2020 Census data, Gaithersburg is the third-largest city in Maryland, with a population of 69,657. According to the City of Gaithersburg Government, there are 36,592 registered voters. Of the registered voters, unofficial results show a preliminary turnout of 12.45%.
The city government says in the 2019 Gaithersburg municipal election, only 6.54% of registered voters turned out to vote for three council seats—all of which were uncontested.
Unofficial results indicate Jud Ashman re-elected Mayor and Lisa E. Henderson & Jim McNulty elected as City Council Members.
Results are not official until certified by Bd of Supervisors of Elections on 11/9. Elected candidates to be sworn in on 11/15.https://t.co/LdrVhYjaEh pic.twitter.com/PoOu2T4wkH
— City of Gaithersburg (@GburgMD) November 3, 2021
Gaithersburg’s Board of Supervisors of Elections will meet Nov. 9 to review mail-in and provisional ballots. The city’s official election results will be announced Nov. 10.
Newly elected officials will be sworn in on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at a virtual Special Session of the Mayor and Council meeting. Ashman and the two new council members will serve a four-year term.
