Republican challenger Michael Zimmer defeated Democrat Dennis Beard in the Carroll County commissioner race.
Zimmer won with 26,010 votes, while Beard accrued 25,503 votes, according to the unofficial report of the state board of elections with all precincts reporting.
Final results won?t be cemented until after Thursday, when the more than 6,000 absentee ballots will be tallied.
“I?ll have an immediate impact because of my relationship with [Carroll?s state] delegation,” Zimmer said.
“I?m more philosophically in tune with the delegation and that will help [the county], regardless of who?s elected with me,” he said.
Zimmer will join incumbent Republicans Julia Gouge and Dennis Minnich on the three-seat board of commissioners.
Gouge had the largest number of votes with 35,936, with Minnich at a close 34,238.
Beard said he wasn?t sure if he?d remain politically active after his apparent loss in his first run for office.
South Carroll became this election?s battleground because both Zimmer and Beard reside there, said Tony Roman, Carroll Community College political science professor.
Part of the Baltimore Examiner’s 2006 election coverage
