 In 2011, Fitzgerald resigned from County Council to run for the office of County Executive (a provision of the Home Rule Charter provides that a person may not run for County Executive while serving as a member of County Council).In the May 2011 Democratic Primary, Fitzgerald faced Mark Patrick Flaherty for the nomination.He received 66,387 votes, or 55.24% of the vote, while Flaherty received 52,802, or 43.94% of the vote.