Scenes from Election Day 2018 in Maryland.
11.7.18 – Baltimore Sun
Elections were held across Maryland and the country on Tuesday — returning some politicians to office, replacing others, and shifting political power in several important ways.
Here’s what you need to know.
Gov. Larry Hogan won a second term.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, the Republican incumbent, soundly defeated his Democratic challenger, Ben Jealous, becoming just the second Republican re-elected to the governorship in the state’s history.
Maryland has twice as many Democrats as Republicans. And President Donald Trump lost the state by 30 points in 2016.
2018 Maryland Midterm Election Results »
Despite that, Hogan has maintained sky-high approval ratings for most of his tenure in office, and is one of the most popular governors in the country.
County executive seats went blue.
Hogan’s success in the state’s top race did not translate to Republicans across the state. In fact, Democrats took several county executive seats.
Democrat Johnny Olszewski Jr. won the Baltimore County executive seat, to replace Don Mohler. Mohler, a Democrat, was appointed to the post in May after the death of Kevin Kamenetz, also a Democrat.
In Howard County, Democrat Calvin Ball unseated incumbent Republican executive Allan Kittleman.
In Anne Arundel County, Democrat Steuart Pittman unseated incumbent Republican executive Steve Schuh.
Frosh held onto his attorney general seat.
Attorney General Brian Frosh, a Democrat who has emerged as one of the Trump administration’s chief antagonists, secured an easy victory.
Trone took an open House seat; Cardin and Harris were re-elected.
Democrat David Trone won Maryland’s open U.S. House seat in the state’s most expensive race.
Republicans fell short of hoped-for General Assembly gains.
It appeared late Tuesday that Republicans fell short of their hoped for gains in the General Assembly. That will curtail Hogan’s power, allowing House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, who both cruised to victory themselves, to override Hogan’s vetoes using only the votes of their fellow Democratic Party members.
Amendments to Maryland constitution were approved.
Voters approved two amendments to Maryland’s constitution.
One requires casino revenues to be added to school budgets. The other allows the General Assembly to create a system for eligible Maryland residents to show up at the polls, register and cast a ballot, all on Election Day.
Late lines caused slow results.
Polling stations were technically supposed to close at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Maryland, but people who were in line at polling stations by that time were entitled to vote – and some remained in line until after 10 p.m. waiting to do so.
That meant election results weren’t posted to the Maryland State Board of Elections website until after 10 p.m., as officials waited for the last ballots to be cast at Towson University and in Prince George’s County.