Pippy Holds Narrow Lead in District 4 Delegate Race
Final vote counts in Frederick County's District 4 contests are scheduled for certification on Saturday after a close canvass.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Elections
Jesse Pippy won re-election as a District 4 state delegate, with unofficial results showing him ahead of Alleria Stanley by 127 votes, 28,015 to 27,888. Democrats Jerry Donald and Andrew Duck won the other two District 4 delegate seats, and Lara Westdorp defeated William "Bill" Folden in the state senate race.
Why it matters
The narrow margin in the delegate race underscores how small vote shifts during canvassing can determine legislative outcomes in Maryland. Certification by the Frederick County Board of Elections will make the results official for the district's representation.
Pippy led Stanley by 127 votes, 28,015 to 27,888, in unofficial District 4 delegate results, with 565 mail-in ballots and 557 provisional ballots presented to judges Friday. The board rejected 129 other ballots, and the official certified totals have not yet been released.
The players
Jesse Pippy
Pippy is a Republican state delegate representing Maryland's District 4 who won re-election in the 2026 general election.
Frederick County Board of Elections
The Frederick County Board of Elections is the local body responsible for counting, canvassing, and certifying election results in Frederick County.
The details
Election judges and the Frederick County Board of Elections completed the final scheduled day of canvassing on Friday, when Pippy pulled ahead of Stanley. Board members accepted two mail-in ballots initially marked untimely because they were postmarked on Nov. 3, while April Fleming Miller finished fifth and Jason Keckler sixth in the delegate race.
Timeline
Nov. 3: General election held; mail-in ballots postmarked by this date accepted.
Thursday night: Pippy held a 275-vote lead over Stanley.
Friday: Final scheduled day of canvassing; Pippy pulled ahead.
Saturday: The Board of Elections plans to certify the votes.
Season Trajectory
The close District 4 contest shows how Maryland's mail-in and provisional ballot rules can shift results during the final days of canvassing. The outcome may influence how Frederick County voters and state lawmakers view the reliability of late-counted ballots.
Voters in District 4 will have their representatives confirmed once the Saturday certification is complete, locking in the delegate and senate outcomes. The close margin means that the official count will determine which candidates take office in the next legislative session.
The takeaway
Close legislative races can hinge on a few hundred ballots, so checking official certified results after canvassing is the best way to confirm who won.
What happens next
The Frederick County Board of Elections is scheduled to certify the votes on Saturday, which will finalize the District 4 results.
Further reading
For more on the state's voting procedures, see Elections coverage of Maryland.
