These are the eight candidates running for Montgomery County commissioner

Eight candidates are officially running in the May 16 primary election for Montgomery County commissioner.

On the Democratic side, five candidates are running for two spots — the biggest primary field in recent memory. That’s the result, in part, of Montgomery County Democrats’ decision to endorse just one candidate. With no one else getting the official party nod, it’s a rare chance to seek an open seat.

Republicans, by contrast, are facing a familiar dynamic: incumbent GOP Commissioner Joe Gale — a longtime critic of the county party — is seeking reelection to another four-year term without the support of his party. Two other Republicans are vying for two spots on the primary ballot.

Primary voters in each party will have the choice to select two candidates to advance to the November general election. Democrats have held a 2-1 majority on the board since 2012, and the county has become a turnout machine for the party in statewide elections. One seat is reserved for the minority party.

The crowded field comes as Montgomery County, the third largest by population in the state, faces its biggest leadership shake-up in years. Val Arkoosh resigned as chair of the three-member commissioners board in January to join Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, and Democrat Ken Lawrence Jr. isn’t seeking reelection.

The county board oversees an annual budget of more than $500 million. Among other responsibilities, the board will oversee the administration of the 2024 election.

None of the candidates’ nomination petitions had been challenged by Tuesday’s deadline, so the field is settled.

These are the candidates running for the job:

Tanya Bamford

Tanya Bamford, 54, is a marketing executive from Montgomery Township. In 2017 she became the first Democrat elected to the Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors and later led the board for three years. Bamford is managing director of R/A Marketing, a firm that works with home remodeling companies.

Kimberly Koch

Kimberly Koch, 40, is a public school teacher from Whitpain. As vice chair of the Whitpain Board of Supervisors, Koch has pursued what she calls “one of the most progressive agendas in the county.” For example, in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the township passed an ordinance aimed at protecting abortion rights.

Neil Makhija

Neil Makhija, 36, is a lawyer from Lower Merion. He’s a lecturer in election law at the University of Pennsylvania and executive director of the South Asian civic and political group Impact. Previously, as an attorney with Berger Montague, Makhija worked on consumer protection litigation.

Noah Marlier

Noah Marlier, 42, is a lawyer from Springfield. He was elected county prothonotary in 2019 and is seeking reelection to that position this year. If he wins the Democratic primary for commissioner, he’d likely be replaced on the ballot for prothonotary in the general election. An attorney with Hamburg Rubin Mullin Maxwell & Lupin, Marlier is solicitor to several municipalities.

Jamila Winder

Jamila Winder, 44, lives in East Norriton and is an executive at the digital medical education company Lecturio. Winder was appointed commissioner in January after Arkoosh’s resignation, and Montgomery County Democrats subsequently endorsed her campaign for a full four-year term. She is a former chair of the East Norriton Board of Supervisors.

Tom DiBello

Tom DiBello, 60, is a business executive from Royersford. He’s a former Limerick Township supervisor and Spring Ford school director. DiBello is CEO of Meci Enterprises LLC, which owns franchises of a company that offers commercial and residential remediation services. DiBello was endorsed by the county GOP.

Liz Ferry

Liz Ferry, 58, is vice president for state legislative affairs at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. Before that she worked in the office of then-State Sen. Rob Wonderling. She has served as an elected commissioner in Upper Dublin Township since 2016. Ferry was endorsed by the county GOP.

Joe Gale

Joe Gale, 33, was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2015. The Plymouth Meeting resident ran against the Montgomery County GOP’s favored candidates that year and is doing so again. Gale says he’s served as “a watchdog for families and taxpayers of all political affiliations.”