REMATCH: IT’s MOORE AND COX IN THE GOVERNOR’s RACE: Get ready for a rematch. Dan Cox won the Republican primary for Maryland governor on Tuesday, setting up a rematch with Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in November. The matchup pits Moore, a rising national star who is considered a 2028 presidential possibility, against a MAGA loyalist whom President Donald Trump endorsed in 2022. Moore trounced Cox that year, 65% to 32%. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
HALE, LOSING TO COX, DECRIES STATE OF REPUBLICAN PARTY: With 95% of precincts voting, Dan Cox had 45% of the vote to Ed Hale’s 36%. Hale, a lifelong Democrat turned Republican for this race, thanked his staff, supporters and campaign volunteers in a speech at his campaign watch party in Perry Hall about 10:30 p.m. But he never mentioned Cox by name, and expressed disappointment with Republicans who “were all calling me a RINO [Republican in name only] and Democrat and all that.” Bryan Sears and Will Hammann/Maryland Matters.
- “I’m really surprised,” a visibly dismayed Hale said during his concession speech Tuesday. “I really thought I was gonna win this.” Cox, a conservative firebrand closely aligned with President Donald Trump during his 2022 campaign, will now advance to the general election against Democrat Wes Moore, who easily won his party’s nomination. Mennatalla Ibrahim/The Baltimore Sun.
FERGUSON BETTERS LaPIN IN SENATE PRIMARY: Early voting, limited mail-in ballots and all 55 Primary Day precincts reporting showed Senate President Bill Ferguson with double-digit lead over social media celebrity and tour boat Captain Bobby LaPin. Ferguson declared victory around 10 p.m. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
FIVE GENERAL ASSEMBLY INCUMBENTS APPEAR TO HAVE LOST: Despite some aggressive challenges, an overwhelming majority of state lawmakers who were seeking reelection in Tuesday’s primaries skated through with relative ease. In state Senate races, only two – freshman Sen. Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City) and longtime Sen. Nancy King (D-Montgomery) – appeared headed for defeat in their primaries as of early Wednesday. And three delegates appeared to lose their primaries – while a few others endured close calls. Josh Kurtz and Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
- In one of the most closely watched Democratic Party races in Baltimore, Malcolm P. Ruff defeated incumbent Attar in the 41st District. With 57 of 58 election day precincts reporting, Ruff won 61% of the vote to Attar’s 39%. Initially considered the underdog, Ruff surged in recent weeks, backed by endorsements from Gov. Wes Moore and other top Democrats, while Attar was plagued by controversy over her pending federal criminal charges. Mark Reutter and Fern Shen/Baltimore Brew.
- The victory positions Ruff, a Baltimore civil rights attorney and first-term delegate, to represent the heavily Democratic Baltimore City district in the state Senate. No Republican filed to run for the seat, making the Democratic primary effectively determined. Maggie Trovato/The Baltimore Sun.
TRONE FALLS TO HIS SUCCESSOR McCLAIN DELANEY IN US HOUSE: Rep. April McClain Delaney of Maryland won a nail-biter of a Democratic House primary race on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, holding off a fierce, multimillion-dollar challenge from a former representative who had pulled from his personal fortune in an aggressive bid to reclaim his old seat. Bayliss Wagner/The New York Times.
- Tuesday’s primary election in deeply Democratic Maryland determined the next officeholder in several contests, including one of the country’s most expensive House races and another flooded by special-interest money. Robin Ficker won the Republican nomination for the District 6 seat held by McClain Delaney. Erin Cox/The Washington Post.
- Before they dipped into their vast personal fortunes and began lodging nasty allegations against each other, the current and former representatives from Maryland’s most competitive U.S. House District were friendly. Now the two Democrats are waging what’s among the most expensive House primary races in American history, for a seat in one of the country’s least popular political institutions. Erin Cox/The Washington Post.
HOYER PICK BOAFO WINS DEM PRIMARY FOR U.S. HOUSE: Del. Adrian Boafo (D-Prince George’s) got an early, and important, leg up in the crowded field of 24 Democrats running to replace longtime Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th) when Hoyer endorsed Boafo as his successor. But more than the endorsement were the millions of dollars of campaign support that flowed in for Boafo, from Hoyer and from politcal action committees and organizations that had long supported Hoyer. Boafo will face Republican Chris Chaffee in the November general election. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
CONGRESSIONAL INCUMBENTS WIN, SETTING UP NEW FIGHTS IN GENERAL: U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume defeated challenger Mark Conway in the Democratic primary to represent a district with a large Baltimore footprint. U.S. Rep. Johnny Olszewski Jr. comfortably secured a win over challenger Clint Spellman Jr. in the Democratic primary in District 2. U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth overcame challenges from a handful of Democrats to win in District 3. U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin won the Democratic nomination for the district centered in Montgomery County, besting a small field of Democrats. It was not immediately clear Tuesday night which Democrat would emerge as the nominee to go head-to-head this fall with incumbent Republican U.S. Rep Andy Harris. Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Banner.
AMONG ‘BIG EIGHT’ COUNTY EXEC RACES, WHO WON, WHAT’s NEXT? Five of the state’s “Big Eight” jurisdictions had hard-fought primaries for the top positions in county government. Four counties held open-seat Democratic primaries for county executive; the winners of each will be overwhelming favorites in the general election. Josh Kurtz, Mayah Nachman and Will Hammann/Maryland Matters.
INCUMBENT CASSILLY WINS GOP PRIMARY FOR HARFORD EXEC: Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly has won the Republican primary to keep the county’s top office, according to projections by the Associated Press. The race will shake up Harford County’s leadership picture, with Cassilly defeating Harford County Council President Patrick Vincenti for the Republican nomination. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
JULIAN JONES ON TRACK TO BECOME BALTIMORE COUNTY’s FIRST BLACK EXEC: Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones was leading in the race for Baltimore County executive on Tuesday night, with thousands of mail-in ballots yet to be counted. If he prevails, the Woodstock Democrat would be the first Black leader of the county, whose population is about a third African-American. Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.
ATTERBEARY DEFEATS THREE TO WIN PRIMARY FOR HOWARD EXEC: Howard County voters were on track Tuesday to elect its first female county executive in four decades and its first majority-minority council in its history. Former Del. Vanessa Atterbeary easily defeated three other candidates in the Democratic primary for county executive and was declared the victor by the Associated Press. If elected in November, she will be Howard’s first Black female county executive. Jess Nocera/The Baltimore Banner.
DEM PICKARD TO FACE REPUBLICAN CRAWFORD FOR ARUNDEL EXEC: The slate of moderate Democrats endorsed by retiring state Sen. Pam Beidle for the most part built commanding leads in Tuesday’s primary elections in Anne Arundel County. The Anne Arundel Democracy Slate was headlined by county executive candidate Allison Pickard, a Democrat who has represented Glen Burnie on the County Council for two terms. Alex Mann/The Baltimore Banner.
LONGTIME BA CO STATE’S ATTY SHELLENBERGER FALLS TO SARAH DAVID: Hours after polls closed, challenger Sarah David’s lead continued to grow in the race to be the next Baltimore County state’s attorney. As of 12:09 a.m. Wednesday, David had 27,573 votes, leading incumbent Scott Shellenberger, who had 14,164 votes, and Lauren Lipscomb, who had 10,811. That accounted for 247 of 258 precincts, as well as all early voting and some mail-in ballots. The remaining mail-in and provisional ballots will be counted over the next week. Maggie Trovato/The Baltimore Sun.
