Acle Prevails In Wicomico Special Election

SALISBURY – Wicomico County Councilwoman Nicole Acle overcame Democratic challenger Alex Scott in this week’s special election for District 2, according to preliminary results posted Wednesday.

Acle, a Republican, received 5,380 votes, while Scott received 4,240 votes. However, local election officials will continue to count ballots in the coming days.

Last year, the Wicomico County Council appointed Acle to fill the term held by former Councilman Marc Kilmer until the 2020 special election. Kilmer, who served as the District 2 representative for four-and-a-half years, resigned after announcing he and his family would return to his home state of Idaho.

Through mail-in ballots, Scott received 1,386 votes while Acle received 640. But during early voting and Election Day, Acle received a total of 4,740 votes while Scott received 2,854.

As of Wednesday, Acle had secured 55.8% of all votes counted.

In a speech this week, she thanked the voters of Wicomico County for their support.

“Today I celebrate the future of Wicomico County,” she said. “Twenty years ago, my family moved, as we saw the beauty of Wicomico’s largest geographic district. We saw the opportunities in it’s future. From the horse farms in Mardela to the shores of the Wicomico River and the Chesapeake Bay, the district represents a cross section of Wicomico’s hardworking families, and I couldn’t be more honored to be part of that voice and advocate for a bright future.”

In their campaigns, Acle and Scott both focused on issues such as education, fiscal responsibility, broadband and small businesses. Scott, however, took issue with the process for selecting a new county executive and vowed to restart the appointment process if he secured a spot on the dais.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Acle relocated to the Eastern Shore nearly two decades ago. She owns two businesses – Medical Nutrition Therapies, LLC, a medical consulting business, and Graceful Magnolia, LLC, a vacation rental management company – and co-owns a medical practice with her husband, Dr. Fernando Acle.

Scott, who was raised in Wicomico County, graduated from Parkside High School and Salisbury University. After a career in sales, he became a small business owner, operating The Brick Room in downtown Salisbury.

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.