David Blair, a wealthy businessman from Potomac, Md., is again running for county executive, after a razor-thin loss in 2018 to progressive Marc Elrich.

Blair, a Democrat who has never been elected to public office, implicitly criticized Elrich’s handling of the pandemic and county finances in a video released Wednesday morning.

“I’m running for county executive because we have to do better. We have a chance right now to rebuild the right way. But to get there, our county needs a new direction. We can’t recover from COVID with the same thinking and the same failed leadership that was costing us before the crisis,” Blair said.

Blair spent close to $3 million of his own fortune funding his campaign in 2018. His money and outsider status led opponents to compare him to President Trump — a toxic figure in the liberal county. “Another rich guy with zero government experience spending his millions to buy this election,” ran one ad.

But Blair was seen as the business-friendly candidate, compared to Elrich, who was supported by progressive groups and unions. He ended up losing in a crowded Democratic primary by just 77 votes.

Blair helped found the company Catalyst Health Solutions, Inc. in 1999 and served as its CEO until 2012, when the company sold for $4.4 billion. The company, based in Rockville, manages prescription drug benefit programs for companies and governments. Blair was reportedly offered a $16 million compensation package as part of the 2012 deal.

Blair was born and raised in Montgomery County, and lives with his wife and six children in Potomac.

Elrich, who previously served almost two decades on the Takoma Park City Council and 12 years on the Montgomery County Council, is in his first term as executive, and says he plans to run for re-election. A number of current County Council members are also eyeing bids.

At-large council member Hans Riemer, who is set to be term-limited out of office, told BethesdaBEAT he is “looking hard at the county executive race,” and said he planned to “begin the process of exploring a run for county executive,” once the coronavirus pandemic was more under control.

Craig Rice, another term-limited council member also suggested he might run for county executive. But he also indicated interest in a run for the Maryland General Assembly, where he previously served. “All options are on the table at this point,” Rice said to BethesdaBEAT. “I haven’t really ruled anything out at this point.”

Blair lost the Democratic primary race in 2018, all but ensuring Elrich’s victory in the general election, in a county where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 3 to 1.

Since 2018, Blair has been laying the groundwork for a second run, increasing his visibility in the county through philanthropy and launching a think-thank, the Council for Advocacy and Policy Solutions, which focuses on the local impacts of legislation.