Four Democrats who were running unopposed for Howard County Council secured their seats Tuesday night, but the consequential race to represent the county’s western reaches remains undecided.

The race for District 5 remains a toss-up between Republican Ryan O’Connor and Democrat Cat Carter, both of whom courted voters up until polls closed at 8 p.m. Preliminary results Tuesday night showed Carter with an edge in the vote, but mail-in ballots have yet to be counted.

At a party for Democrats in Columbia, some congratulated Carter, who said she felt “really, really positive” about the race.

O’Connor gathered with his own supporters in Ellicott City but said it was too soon to tell who won the seat.

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“This will be a very tight race,” he said.

Meanwhile, emergency room doctor Kevin Chin, public school teacher Jessica Nichols and Anne Arundel County administrator Janssen Evelyn are expected to join incumbent Councilwoman Christiana Rigby on the County Council this December. All four Democrats ran uncontested in the general election after beating out their competitors in the crowded June primary.

The biggest question is whether they’ll be working with another Democrat in Carter or the Republican O’Connor.

District 5 has long been a conservative stronghold in Howard, with retiring Republican council member David Yungmann holding the seat since 2018.

While Republican Allan Kittleman preceded two-term Democratic Executive Calvin Ball, the GOP’s influence in local government has diminished in recent years. However, a split between the four seated Democrats on key issues effectively gave Yungmann the power to break ties.

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O’Connor — who has a background in energy finance, both in the public and private sector, and volunteered for Howard County Boys Club Lacrosse — adopted messaging similar to Yungmann, who cast himself as more of a moderate than a political firebrand during his time in office. He has called for lower taxes, better budget forecasting for the school system and more police patrols to address constituent complaints about petty theft.

Carter — a former teacher and cybersecurity small-business owner who has served on the PTA Council of Howard County — pitched herself to voters with a campaign centered on constituent services, growth that keeps pace with the county’s infrastructure, and using existing revenue to address chronic issues like funding for schools and affordable housing.

Jake Kapneck, 34, said he voted for O’Connor because he supports reducing taxes, funding schools and protecting the rural character of Howard County.

Besides, O’Connor would be the county’s sole Republican, added Kapneck, an independent who said he wants to see more local political diversity.

“We need some checks and balances,” he said.

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Mike Lohmeyer, 69, said casting an all-Democratic ballot was a “protest vote.”

Living on a fixed income, the Howard County retiree and his wife have not been able to travel and visit family as often as they would like with the rising cost of gas. Things are even more challenging for those from younger generations, such as his nieces and nephews, who cannot afford to buy houses, he said.

Race results may not become clear until later this week since election officials won’t begin counting mail-in and provisional ballots before Thursday.

Baltimore Banner reporter Alissa Zhu contributed to this story.