Floreen Delivers Signatures That Could Put Her on November Ballot
Councilmember Nancy Floreen said she collected 20,343 signatures, nearly three times the figure — 7,255 — to put her independent candidacy for Montgomery County executive on the November ballot.
Floreen delivered four boxes of signatures to the Montgomery County Board of Elections in Gaithersburg, saying her candidacy was an attempt to bring people together, not to divide the electorate.
The four-term councilmember spoke to the media and supporters before she delivered four boxes of signatures:
“This is a critical time for Montgomery County. And it’s a time for people to come together, not grow apart. It’s time to get away from the partisanship that we see at the national and state levels, and deal with what’s real, which is our county and our future,” she said as media and supporters looked on.
Elections officials said state law gives them 20 days to complete the signature verification process. They said they could need all 20 days.
Floreen, who was elected as a Democrat for each of her four terms on the County Council, announced her plan to run as an independent only days after the June 26 primary election. Her candidate in the race, former Rockville mayor Rose Krasnow, came in third.
Floreen said she was running to win, not to make a statement.
“I would not do this to make a statement,” Floreen said.
After Floreen announced she was becoming an independent, a number of volunteers showed up, she said.
“It’s been a very humbling experience to get so much community support so quickly, despite the fact that it rained every day,” she joked.
“We haven’t solicited any help. These are all people who have offered from the get-go to be part of being engaged and to be part of a really unified county,” Floreen said.
This is a critical time for Montgomery County. We shouldn’t split the vote. Ike Leggett knows the importance of party unity, and he tipped his hat to Elrich.