EXCLUSIVE: WMDT speaks with Ernest Davis following his Wicomico Executive win

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. — WMDT is projecting Democratic challenger Ernest Davis as the winner of the race for Wicomico County executive, defeating incumbent Julie Giordano.

As of 11 p.m. on Tuesday, all Election Day precincts had reported their results, leaving Davis with 51 percent of the vote to Giordano’s 48.8 percent — a lead of 652 votes.

Image Courtesy of Maryland Department of Elections

Davis, a former Wicomico County Council member, ran on a platform of accountability, transparency, investment and safety. He said his goal is to engage residents and hear their ideas.

Davis took a moment to reflect on the results.

“I’m feeling great. It’s been a long journey. Tired. But I’m glad. Glad that I’m the results. I’m looking forward to work for Wicomico County,” Davis said.

He added that he plans to assemble the staff needed to move the county forward without disruption. He also identified the county nursing home as one of his first priorities.

“Well, of course the nursing home. We got to get that back in order. And that’s going to be one of the first things we work on with the administrator to have in place with the system in order. We’re going to go ahead and start on that right off the bat and get that back in order. So those people over there can feel at ease and not worried about getting fired,” Davis said.

Giordano’s campaign faced multiple controversies, including scrutiny over inappropriate communications with sheriff’s deputies, ‘No Queens’ signs protesting her re-election bid and criticism over racist comments posted on her social media pages.

WMDT reached out to Giordano but had not received a response at the time of publication.

In a statement posted to Facebook Wednesday morning, Giordano said she planned to wait until every vote was counted.

“While we fell a little short last night, we are going to remain patient and wait until every vote is counted. Every single vote matters, and the process deserves to run its course,” Giordano said.

“Regardless of the outcome, I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and grateful for the opportunity to serve this community. This isn’t the end of the conversation. More to come… Thank you, Wicomico County,” she added.

For more coverage of the race between Giordano and Davis, visit WMDT’s election coverage here.

This article was originally published on Nov. 3 at 11:11 p.m., and has since been updated with quotes and vote totals.