In the Fifth District, Democratic challenger Nina McIntosh now leads Republican incumbent Nino Mangione. McIntosh stopped short of declaring victory Monday, saying, "I'm not claiming victory today because every single vote must be counted before victory is claimed."

The Eighth District race also remains undecided. Democratic candidate Sharonda Dillard-Huffman echoed that sentiment: "People counted me out, but we can't count anything out until we actually count the votes." Republican Josh Sines maintained a slim lead Monday morning and expressed confidence. "I think that we're going to be in a good place at the end of the week," Sines said. "But we're going to wait and let the process play itself out and let all the votes be counted."

In the Ninth District, mail-in ballot totals pushed Democrat Arkia Wade closer to her Republican opponent, Tim Fazenbaker. According to her campaign, Wade is winning two-thirds of the mail-in votes. "This race isn't over yet and I'm still in this race and I'm here until the very end," Wade said.

Baltimore County Elections Director Ruie Lavoie said an estimated 1,200 provisional ballots will be counted Thursday, with results expected to be certified on Friday.

The tight contests come as Baltimore County prepares to seat a newly configured council that will include its first Latino member, its first Black woman and Generation Z voices — a shift in representation that has drawn attention amid the ongoing vote count. The council has also been weighing a proposed salary increase to $119,000, a debate that has highlighted questions about compensation and accessibility for local office.

For now, candidates and election workers are urging patience as the final ballots are tallied. The outcome of the three races will determine the balance of power on the council and shape county policy on issues including housing, climate resilience and corporate accountability in the years ahead.