Spirit Halloween returning to Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg for 2022

Spirit Halloween is coming back to Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg for 2022. Their seasonal store will be at 101 Boardwalk Place, in the former Charming Charlie space. A tour of Spirit Halloween has become a Halloween activity and tradition in itself. New animatronics this year include Lord Raven, Bog Zombie, Monty the crazed cymbal-wielding monkey, Lucky Bottoms, Bag o'Bones, and Nozzles the Clown.

Blair still ahead of Elrich as vote-counting continues in Montgomery County Executive race

Businessman David Blair is still ahead of incumbent Marc Elrich by a nose in the Democratic primary contest for Montgomery County Executive. Montgomery County Board of Elections results reported after another day of counting Friday at 8:11 PM now show Blair remaining in first place with 46,824 votes (39.32%), and Elrich right behind with 46,693 votes (39.21%). After a day off Thursday, counting is scheduled to continue for three consecutive days through Monday, resuming at 10:00 AM this morning at the Germantown campus of Montgomery College, but election officials have warned that a final tally may come as late as August 12. Mail-in ballots were actually still being accepted as late as yesterday if they were postmarked by July 19, which means as of today, there will be no additional ballots being added to the pile of still-to-be-counted votes.

Maryland governor candidate Wes Moore to appear in Montgomery County August 1

Wes Moore, the Democratic Party nominee for Maryland governor, will appear at a rally in Silver Spring Monday night, August 1, 2022 at 6:00 PM. The rally will be held at Veterans Plaza at 1 Veterans Place in downtown Silver Spring. Also scheduled to appear, are U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, and Democratic Maryland Comptroller candidate Brooke Lierman. The event is scheduled to run from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

David Blair maintains lead in latest Montgomery County Executive election results

Businessman David Blair is still in first place in the 2022 Democratic Montgomery County Executive primary race, after another day of vote canvassing at the Germantown campus of Montgomery College. When the Montgomery County Board of Elections released the latest totals at 11:00 PM last night, Blair was up to 44,722 votes (39.33%), and runner-up Marc Elrich still a close second at 44,577 votes (39.21%). Believe it or not, no votes will be counted today! Canvassing of mail-in ballots will resume Friday at 10:00 AM at the college.

Five Below sets opening date at Gaithersburg Square (Photos)

Five Below is getting ready for opening day at 516 N. Frederick Avenue at Gaithersburg Square, stocking shelves, preparing displays and lining up shopping carts and baskets. The store will be opening July 29, 2022 at 10:00 AM, according to the Five Below website. Five Below, by prescience or coincidence, is well-positioned for the state of retail in the pandemic and inflationary age. While some "dollar" store chains must sheepishly announce they are blowing up their whole raison d'etre by charging more than a dollar, Five Below can continue delivering on its promises at least a while longer into this century.

David Blair regains lead in Montgomery County Executive race

Incumbent Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich fell behind challenger David Blair in the Democratic primary election results Monday. After another day of counting mail-in votes, Blair moved back into the lead with 42,705 total votes (39.33%) as of 11:00 PM Monday night, and Elrich dropped to second place with 42,571 votes (39.20%). Elrich continues to lead in mail-in votes, but enough came in from Blair-friendly precincts yesterday to put him back on top.

As you can see, the vote remains too close to call with only 134 votes currently separating the two men, and the total number of mail-in ballots that will have to be counted before a final tally is still unknown. There will also be provisional ballots to be examined, and you can bet those are going to be scrutinized even more closely with the tightness of this race.

Please note, there will be no counting of votes today. It is a scheduled day off for volunteers, according to the Board of Elections calendar. Canvassing will resume at the Germantown campus of Montgomery College on Wednesday. So another day of suspense, and this time, it is Blair supporters who are feeling a boost of optimism.

Pollo Campero in Gaithersburg to have drive-thru (Photos)

Since my last update on the new Pollo Campero restaurant at 426 N. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg, they've unwrapped the dining room furniture, and installed the booths, tables and chairs. Menu boards are in place behind the counter. Best of all, new signage indicates they will be using the drive-thru. Yessss! That beats Popeyes, which bizarrely doesn't seem to have any drive-thrus at its Montgomery County restaurants like KFC does (this was previously a KFC).

Tom Perez on media calling Maryland governor race for Wes Moore: "Not so fast"

A number of news outlets declared Wes Moore the victor in the Democratic Maryland governor race today, and the campaign of Tom Perez is pushing back. "Put simply, it’s too early to call this race," Perez campaign manager Sean Downey said in a statement. "Yesterday was the first day of counting for the 212,962 recorded and received vote-by-mail ballots and it was a huge day for Tom Perez. He flipped multiple counties from election day and made major vote gains statewide, all while as many as 80,000 votes remain in Montgomery County — the largest remaining vote share and Tom's incredibly strong base."

Perez has led the race decisively in Montgomery County since vote-counting began Tuesday night, at times hold double the number of votes Moore had in the jurisdiction. A resident and former county councilmember in Montgomery, Perez is now clearly counting on a hometown mail-in vote bonanza to even up the statewide race.

Moore has led statewide in the early voting and Election Day counts. In addition to the over 200,000 mail-in ballots, there are also 15,630 provisional ballots to be reviewed and counted. The winner will face off against Green Party candidate Nancy Wallace, Libertarian candidate David Lashar, and Republican nominee Dan Cox in November.

Signage installed at Kentlands CVS Pharmacy (Photos)

Signage has been installed at the future CVS Pharmacy at 311 Kentlands Boulevard in Gaithersburg. The main permanent sign has been attached to the facade, but the "Pharmacy" part is covered with a banner reading, "Coming Soon." Another sign indicates there is a drive-thru at this store, which I was not even aware of until now. The coming-soon banner is almost as long as a CVS receipt!

Shelves still not stocked at new Amazon Fresh store in Gaithersburg (Photos)

The interior of the new Amazon Fresh store opening soon at 15790 Shady Grove Road on the border of Rockville and Gaithersburg is complete, but merchandise is still not on the shelves and displays. I do see many shipping boxes filled with adhesive labels for price guns inside the front entrance. That is clearly a necessary step toward stocking the shelves. 

While we are waiting for the opening, there are two new in-store benefits for Amazon Prime members at Amazon Fresh grocery stores, including this one when it opens. The first is 20% off "everyday essential" items year-round. Second, is 20% off on a rotating selection of prepared foods, that will change about once a week. You can identify eligible items by their blue bubble tag that reads, "Prime Member Exclusive Deal."

David Blair remains ahead of Marc Elrich in too-close-to-call Montgomery County Executive race

David Blair

Counting of mail-in ballots

to begin today

Despite the counting of all early voting and election day ballots, a winner cannot yet be declared in the Democratic race for Montgomery County Executive. David Blair has led the contest by a thin margin for most of the hours since the polls closed Tuesday night. As of right now, Blair leads incumbent Marc Elrich 39.63% to 38%. But more than 20,000 mail-in ballots remain to be counted, and that tabulation will begin this morning. 

Third-place finisher Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer conceded the race in an interview with Bethesda Beat yesterday, and later on Twitter. "Earlier today I conceded," Riemer tweeted. "I did so full of gratitude and optimism. Gratitude to our incredible supporters. Optimism because of what we accomplished together - Ushering in a new era of progressivism in our County. Our work continues — to say YES to progress!" 

The full impact of Riemer's campaign won't be known until a winner is declared. His respectable current 20.40% showing bests any of Elrich and Blair's 2018 competitors in the executive race. Businessman Peter James is at 1.98% in last place as of this morning, and Republican Reardon Sullivan has decisively won his primary for County Executive.

Leaders in the Democratic County Council races as of this morning are as follows:

At-Large: Evan Glass (18.26%), Will Jawando (17.27%), Gabe Albornoz (15.50%), Laurie-Anne Sayles (13.39%)

District 1: Andrew Friedson (100%) [unopposed]

District 2: Marilyn Balcombe (46.98%)

District 3: Sidney Katz (57.98%)

District 4: Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart (44.52%)

District 5: Kristin Mink (40%)

District 6: Natali Fani Gonzalez (53.55%)

District 7: Dawn Luedtke (31.47%)

All Democratic Council primary winners except Friedson will face Republican opponents in the November election: 

Christopher Fiotes, Lenard Lieber and Dwight Patel (At-Large); Dan Cuda (District 2); George Hernandez (District 3); Cheryl Riley (District 4); Kate Woody (District 5); Viet H. Doan (District 6); and Harold C. Maldonado (District 7). 

Shady Grove Road Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins update (Photos)

The drive-thru menu board has been installed at the future Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins at 16268 Frederick Road in Rockville. It is located on the Shady Grove Road side of the property. The existing Dunkin' Donuts at 16220 Frederick Road will relocate over here when it is completed. We now can see which Baskin Robbins items can be ordered at the drive-thru, a rare amenity for an ice cream shop.

Dan Cox wins GOP nomination for Maryland governor as Donald Trump hands foe Larry Hogan an embarrassing defeat

Dan Cox will be the 2022 Republican nominee for governor in Maryland, based on election results at this hour, with 2048 out of 2074 election day precinct vote totals counted so far. Gov. Larry Hogan was handed a doubly-embarrassing defeat, as Cox was endorsed by Hogan's likely 2024 presidential election rival Donald Trump, and Hogan's endorsee Kelly Schulz was rejected by a majority of Republican voters statewide. Wes Moore has a comfortable lead in the crowded Democratic race at this hour. 

Cox's win was authoritative, currently standing at 56.23% over Schulz's 40.26%, with mail-in ballots still pending. He even won 52.23% support among Montgomery County Republicans, in current voting results here. 

The numbers indicate that Trump is, if anything, even more popular among Maryland Republicans than when he first ran in 2016. In Montgomery County, an increasing trend of moderate GOP voters switching parties to vote in the Democratic primary for County offices may have also benefitted Cox to the detriment of Schulz - the impact can be seen in Cox's decisive win, and in former Republican David Blair's slight lead in the Democratic race for County Executive.

Hogan's increasingly-caustic attacks on Trump over the last six years, which helped him earn bipartisan support and reelection in a blue state, have finally caught up to him. The results so far are a rebuke of Hogan by the Maryland GOP base, who also opposed his school closure lockdown policies during the pandemic. Some are also asking why Hogan spent the final days before the election campaigning for president outside of Maryland, instead of barnstorming the state with Schulz. If Hogan can't carry Republicans in his own state, his 2024 GOP primary prospects elsewhere in the country look bleak indeed at the moment.

Cox helped himself in the final weeks by pressing kitchen table issues like inflation, schools, and gas prices alongside his other popular talking points, and by giving one of his strongest speeches of the year during a tele-rally with Trump, which had a huge audience of voters and media listening. Experts are currently predicting another surge in the price of oil in October, in the closing weeks of the general election campaign. That could help Cox with independents, as could the questionable ability of President Joe Biden to give any boost to the Democratic nominee among independents by campaigning here in the fall. But Cox will face tropical-force winds from the national and local press, whose headlines are already dominated by the attacks Hogan and Schulz deployed in the primary against him.

In the Democratic race, Moore's outsider resume, energetic campaign and Oprah endorsement have boosted him statewide so far. He is currently in first place with 36.75%. Unlike the jurisdictional harmony in the GOP race, Montgomery County Democrats supported county resident Tom Perez over Moore 2 to 1, in results so far. Moore is currently is 2nd place in Montgomery County results. 

Peter Franchot has had a day almost as miserable as Hogan. Franchot was cast as the shoo-in favorite in the Democratic race years before the first vote was cast, and before Moore was even on anyone's radar. On paper, Franchot's slightly more moderate views and teamwork with Hogan made him seem to be a solid choice in a state where Republicans have a real chance to take the governor's seat every time. In the actual election, however, Franchot is a distant third currently in both county and state results.

Photo via Dan Cox for Governor

Democratic Montgomery County Executive race too close to call in early election results; Sullivan walking away with GOP race

David Blair

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and his leading challenger, businessman David Blair, are in a tight race for victory in the 2022 Democratic primary tonight. Blair had staked out a slight lead in early voting and in initial results from in-person voting today, but as more precinct report totals, Elrich and Blair are neck-and-neck at 38.30% and 38.53%, respectively. Blair has led from the beginning to this point, however small the margin. County Councilmember Hans Riemer is currently in third place with a respectable 21.36%, and businessman Peter James is bringing up the rear at 1.81%.

Marc Elrich

Republican voters are showing more of a consensus in early results. Businessman Reardon Sullivan is currently cruising to victory over attorney Shelly Skolnick, with 62.83% of the vote. 120 of 258 election day precincts have been counted statewide so far.

Reardon Sullivan

Trump-endorsed Dan Cox leading in GOP governor race in early Maryland election results, Perez staking lead among Democrats

President Donald Trump is showing he may be more popular now among Maryland Republicans than ever before, at least in the precincts where votes have been counted as of this hour. Trump's hand-picked candidate, Delegate Dan Cox, is leading in the GOP race for governor in early election results. Cox's strength is showing across the board, in both early voting and today's in-person results. There is electricity at the Cox Election Night party in Emmitsburg; as of 10:40 PM, Cox is leading Kelly Schulz 50.63%% to 42.25% for the Republican nomination.

Tom Perez

On the Democratic side, Tom Perez is racing out to a massive early lead over his crowded field of competitors. Like Cox, Perez is dominating in both today's tally from polling places, and in the early voting results. He holds a 46.70% lead over Wes Moore, who is currently in a distant second place with 23.09%. Peter Franchot, long considered the frontrunner in the race, is struggling to rack up even half of Moore's total so far.

"So far" is the operative phrase, of course. Only 85 of 258 election day precincts have been counted statewide so far. Depending which counties are further ahead in their counts, the results may change by morning, and into the rest of the week. 

New signage added for Ripieno's, JoJo's at Burger King in Gaithersburg

Ripieno's Italian Bistro and JoJo's Express have been operating in the newly-renovated Burger King at 16004 Shady Grove Road since April. Now they also have lit signage on the facade of the restaurant, which is at the border of Rockville and Gaithersburg. The branding is all over the place at the property, with Ripieno's referred to in different places as "Ripieno's Italian Bistro," "Ripieno's of Ocean City" and now "Ripieno's Express" on the new sign outside. This is still the best Burger King in Montgomery County, now with Ocean City's increasingly-famous giant Ripieno's pizza, which is beginning to get shoutouts from tourists in their reviews of the resort city.