ELECTION IN PICTURES: The Sun has compiled a nice — and long — photo gallery of election night — from O’Malley’s victory to voters voting.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OVERVIEW:
OVERVIEW: The national wave for Republicans turned into a mere ripple by the time it reached the Maryland General Assembly, as most Democrats perceived as vulnerable defeated their challengers, Michael Dresser reports for the Sun. Democratic House Speaker Michael Busch, openly targeted for defeat Ehrlich, won re-election in his three-member Annapolis district. Senate President Mike Miller, whom Ehrlich had said Republicans would “medicate” in order to get along with him better, coasted to re-election in Prince George’s and Calvert counties.
BALTIMORE CITY
BERNSTEIN READIES OFFICE: While many others on the ballot battled butterflies, political newcomer Gregg Bernstein — the shoo-in candidate for Baltimore state’s attorney — was relatively relaxed. His fight was over after the September primary, when he bested the city’s longtime prosecutor, Pat Jessamy, the Sun’s Tricia Bishop reports.
ROBOCALL SCOOP: The Sun’s David Zurawik gives a big shoutout to Jayne Miller of WBAL-TV for using old-fashioned reporting and the skilled use of new media to get the word out to voters that robocalls were being made in Maryland before the polls closed telling Democratic voters that O’Malley, who was up for re-election, and President Obama, who was not, had won. The calls added that no further action was required by Democratic voters — and that anyone receiving the call didn’t need to do anything further except stay home and watch the happy results on TV.
Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler says he will investigate the reports of illegal robocalls in the governor’s race seeking to supress voter turnout, the Associated Press reports in the Salisbury Daily Times.
Here’s live local election results for Baltimore City from the Sun.
BALTIMORE COUNTY
KAMENETZ WINS: Democratic County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz defeated Republican rival Ken Holt in the Baltimore County executive race, and this election also results in the most thorough overhaul of the County Council in years, Arthur Hirsch and Raven Hill report for the Sun. Five of seven seats on the County Council will change hands; four members departed, leaving open seats, and one incumbent was defeated in the primary State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger led challenger Steve Bailey in a rematch of their 2006 contest.
Steve Schuster of the Towson Times reports that, in declaring victory, Kamenetz said, “I am grateful to have a spirited race with Ken Holt and have a great discussion of ideas and now I welcome everyone to come together … for a better Baltimore County,”
COUNCIL CHANGES: Two major shifts occurred in the Baltimore County Council, according to the Arbutus Times. For one, council has gone from six Democrats and one Republican to five Democrats and two Republicans. And, for the first time in years, the council now has a female member.
DISTRICTS 5, 5B, 7, 10, 11, 12A, 42: Baltimore County voters resisted change on Election Day and voted to keep in all of its state delegates and senators, according to Jay Thompson, Brian Conlin and Pat van den Beemt of the Towson Times.
Here’s live local election results for Baltimore County from the Sun.
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
LEOPOLD WINS: Voters gave Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold a second term, endorsing the Republican incumbent by a 12,500-vote margin, Erin Cox reports for the Capital.
NEW COUNCIL: Voters ushered in a new class of county councilmembers, including five new faces to help govern county’s affairs, Ben Weathers and Pamela Wood report for the Capital.
STATE’S ATTY: Scott Daugherty of the Capital writes that according to preliminary numbers based on 98.5 percent of precincts, State’s Attorney Frank Weathersbee held a slight, 3,929 vote lead over Eric Gannon. More than 180,000 votes were cast in the race, though.
COURT UPSET: A Republican lawyer from Pasadena appears to have ousted one of the county’s Circuit Court judges. If the results stand, Alison Asti will replace Judge Ronald Jarashow and join Judge Laura Kiessling on the county’s bench, Scott Daugherty reports for the Capital.
Steve Lash of the Daily Record writes that Asti is a former Maryland State Bar Association president, but broke ranks with the organization’s policy of endorsing sitting judges.
Here’s live local election results for Anne Arundel County from the Sun.
CARROLL COUNTY
GOP GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Carroll County’s General Assembly delegation remains entirely Republican, reports the Carroll County Times.
COMMISSIONER BOARD: And Carroll’s first five-member county commissioner board will consist of all Republicans, the Carroll County Times reports.
Here’s live local election results for Carroll County from the Sun.
HOWARD COUNTY
ULMAN WINS: With only 8,000 absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and all five members of the County Council were re-elected, some by better than 2-to-1 margins, Lindsey McPherson, Kellie Woodhouse and Larry Perl of the Columbia Flier report.
COURTHOUSE: Howard County’s courthouse will greet a few new faces in 2011 and welcome back at least three incumbents who together have served the county’s circuit court for 36 years. But the future of one courthouse office, register of wills, remains in doubt, Kellie Woodhouse reports for the Columbia Flier.
GOP FAILS IN HOWARD: The GOP looked strong in some jurisdictions, writes Larry Carson and Gail Mary Hare, but not in Howard County.
JUDGING FRIENDSHIP: For Frances Wilson and Mary Schulman, Election Day means friendship. For 25 years, the two women have been chief election judges at Harper’s Choice Middle School. Mary Phelan writes about their friendship in the Columbia Flier.
Here’s live local election results for Howard County from the Sun.
HARFORD COUNTY
CRAIG STAYS AS EXEC: County Executive David Craig claimed a second election victory, with more than 80 percent of the vote. District 34 incumbent Sen. Nancy Jacobs narrowly lost to Art Helton in Harford voting, but appeared to retain her seat with strong Republican returns in Cecil County. Across the district, she held a double-digit lead just before 11:30 p.m, Aaron Cahall reports for the Dagger.
BANE LEADS: Kristen Dize and Allan Vought of the Aegis report that incumbent Harford County Sheriff Jesse Bane apparently won re-election by 2,556 votes, with 4,000 absentee ballots yet to be counted.
Here’s live local election results for Harford County from the Sun.
EASTERN SHORE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
DISTRICT 37, 37A&B: Incumbents stole the show in the District 37 race, with unofficial numbers showing a significant lead over newcomers, Sarah Lake writes for the Salisbury Daily Times. Sen. Richard Colburn retained the seat he’s held since 1994. In District 37A, Del. Rudy Cane, who has held the seat for 12 years, won with roughly 60 percent of the vote.
Republican team Del. Addie Eckardt and Del. Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio managed to retain their partnership in District 37B.
DISTRICT 38, 38B: Maryland’s District 38 State Senate seat stayed neck and neck late into the night. Republican Michael James, who was opposing 38B Del. Jim Mathias, said the decision would likely come down to absentee ballots, Calum McKinney reports for the Salisbury Daily Times.
In the District 38B race for two House of Delegates seats, incumbent Democrat Norm Conway secured a win along with Republican Mike McDermott. In the race for the late Del. Page Elmore’s seat, Republican Charles Otto won in a landslide victory
SOMERSET: Somerset County residents made history by electing their first black county commissioner and re-electing a popular sheriff to a seventh term. They also voted out the state’s attorney and two incumbent commissioners, report Liz Holland and Deborah Gates of the Salisbury Daily Times.
WICOMICO: Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt withstood a strong challenge from Republican Joe Ollinger and has been elected to a second term in office, Greg Latshaw of the Salisbury Daily Times reports.
The county’s next state’s attorney will be Matt Maciarello, a 36-year-old Republican who won in a landslide over Seth Mitchell.
WORCESTER: In a tight race and before absentee ballots were counted, challenger Beau Oglesby had an edge over veteran prosecutor Joel Todd in the race for Worcester County State’s Attorney, writes Charlene Sharpe for the Salisbury Daily Times.
SLOTS WINS
OVERWHELMING WIN: Anne Arundel County voters overwhelmingly approved a proposed slots parlor at Arundel Mills mall, clearing the way for the Baltimore-based Cordish Cos. to construct what will be the state’s most lucrative casino following a contentious multi-million dollar battle, Nicole Fuller reports for the Sun. Be sure to check out the video interview with David Cordish, the slots developer, who said, “I would have been just happy with a win, but the numbers are huge.”
Daniel Sernovitz of the Baltimore Business Journal writes of Cordish’s high-visibility campaign for slots.
TEMPORARY TENT: Erin Cox of the Annapolis Capital reports that a 4,750-slot machine gambling emporium could arrive as soon as The Cordish Cos. can erect a temporary tent to house it.
HORSE-RACING FUTURE? Meanwhile, reports the Nathan Rott of the Washington Post, Maryland’s horse-racing industry, after decades of pushing legislators to allow slots machines, warned the result could decimate it.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION?
IT WINS: Steve Lash of the Daily Record reports Maryland will engage in full-scale review of the state’s constitution as 55 percent of voters approved a statewide ballot calling for a constitutional convention.
IT LOSES: But Jessica Anderson of the Sun writes Marylanders have not successfully voted for a state constitutional convention in 40 years, and it could be another 20 before one is called.
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