By Greg Bassett

Julie Giordano, a 40-year-old public schools English teacher and political newcomer, will be sworn in as Wicomico County Executive on Tuesday, Dec. 6, in the school in which she teaches.

The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. at James M. Bennett High School in Salisbury.

Even as mail-in votes continued to be counted Tuesday, Giordano’s lead was substantial enough to ensure her victory as the third elected County Executive in Wicomico’s history.

A Republican, Giordano had 14,757 votes or 53 percent of the total.

Trailing in second was Ernie Davis, a Democratic County Council member, with 11,601 votes or 42 percent.

Libertarian Muir Boda of the Salisbury City Council was in third place with 1,562 votes or 6 percent.

A resident of Hebron and a Baltimore native, Giordano has been teaching for 16 years in Wicomico County. She holds a bachelor’s in Communications/Public Relations and a master’s in Leadership from Salisbury University. She has been a Wicomico County resident for 20 years.

Since 2006, the Wicomico County Executive has served as the chief executive officer of the county. Serving full time, the executive crafts and submits the annual county budget to the County Council, recommends measures for legislative action and oversees all county employees. The executive holds veto power over certain legislation and is a public face of Wicomico County government.

In 2014, Bob Culver – the last elected County Executive – was first sworn in at Wor-Wic Community College. His 2018 swearing-in ceremony was held in the council chambers of the Government Office Building in Salisbury.

Giordano defeated Acting County Executive John Psota in July’s Republican primary.

Davis, 58, and Boda, 49, faced no primary opposition.

In an address Monday before the Greater Salisbury Committee, Giordano said she will implement the already-approved county Water and Sewer Plan, expand broadband throughout our county and help the county grow by touting the airport, Civic Center, port and baseball stadium.

Davis of Salisbury has been a County Council member for the past eight years, representing District 1. Born in Wicomico County, he is a retired Maryland State Police Trooper who now owns Mid-Atlantic Power Washing and Mid-Atlantic Transportation Inc.

Of the two elected executives in the county’s history, one was a Democrat and one was Republican.

The County Executive’s annual salary was recently increased from $85,000 to $124,000.

Statewide offices

Though none of them won statewide, Wicomico voters backed the Republicans running for governor, attorney general and comptroller.

Dan Cox defeated Wes More in Wicomico gubernatorial balloting, with 53 percent of the vote.

Barry Glassman took 56 percent of the vote against the actual winner, Brooke Lierman, in the state Comptroller’s race.

In the Attorney General’s race, Michael Anthony Peroutka received 55 percent of the vote over winner Anthony G. Brown.

The counting of mail-in ballots will continue today, Nov. 17. To be eligible, county elections officials need to receive those ballots through the mail and postmarked no later than Nov. 8. Properly completed and timely mailed ballots returned by the U.S. Postal Service will be accepted until Nov. 18 at 10 a.m.

Provisional ballot canvassing was to be held Wednesday, Nov. 16. Local certification cannot occur before Nov. 18.