2018 Maryland gubernatorial election


The Maryland gubernatorial election of 2018 was held on November 6, 2018. The date included the election of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and all members of the Maryland General Assembly. Incumbent governor Larry Hogan and Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford, both Republicans, were reelected to a second term against Democrat Ben Jealous, the former NAACP CEO, and his running mate Susan Turnbull. Hogan thus became the second Republican governor of Maryland to win reelection, the first since 1954.

Background

At the presidential level, Maryland is a staunchly Democratic state due to the large amount of Democratic voters in the Washington metropolitan area and Baltimore City. Maryland has not seen a Republican presidential candidate win its votes since 1988; Hillary Clinton won the state by 26 points over Donald Trump in 2016, Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney by 26 points in 2012, and Obama defeated John McCain by 25 points in 2008.
Hogan was elected governor in 2014, defeating then-lieutenant governor Anthony G. Brown by a margin of 52–47; the result was considered one of the biggest election upsets that year. Prior to Hogan's victory, Bob Ehrlich, elected in 2002, had been the only Republican elected as Governor of Maryland since Spiro Agnew. However, Ehrlich was defeated for reelection in 2006 by Martin O'Malley and defeated again in 2010, when he faced O'Malley in a rematch.
In April 2018, Hogan had a 68% approval rating, the second-highest approval of any governor in the country, only behind Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, who had a 71% approval rating. Despite the state's Democratic leaning, Hogan had a high approval rating among all partisan groups.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominated

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominated

Polling

;Notes

Results

Green nomination

Candidates

Declared

Following the Maryland Green Party's nominating procedure, the delegates of the Coordinating Council, which is the party's State Central Committee, made the decision to nominate the gubernatorial ticket as no other candidate had filed by the party's March 30, 2018 deadline. More than one ticket seeking the nomination would have required the party to conduct a primary, an obligation not mandated by the State Board of Elections for non-principal parties.

Libertarian convention

Candidates

Declared

CandidateVotes in favorVotes againstNot voting
Shawn Quinn / Christina Smith3210

General election

Debates

and Ben Jealous met for their one and only scheduled debate on September 24. The debate was livestreamed in the evening by the Maryland Public Television.

Predictions

;Notes

Polling

;Notes

Hypothetical polling		------

;with Rushern Baker

Results

Results by congressional district

Hogan carried 6 of 8 congressional districts.
DistrictLarry
Hogan		Ben
Jealous		Elected
Representative
78.9%19.6%Andy Harris
56.3%43.2%Dutch Ruppersberger
55.8%43.1%John Sarbanes
40.1%58.5%Anthony G. Brown
51.9%47.1%Steny Hoyer
59.4%39.3%David Trone
43.9%54.9%Elijah Cummings
53.2%45.8%Jamie Raskin

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