2022 Maryland election: Moore projected winner in history-making governor’s race amid Dem. sweep; voters OK legalized recreational pot - WTOP

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Democrat Wes Moore was elected Maryland politician Tuesday, besting Republican Dan Cox and becoming the archetypal Black idiosyncratic elected politician of the authorities amid a Democrat expanse of statewide races.

The Associated Press called the contention for Moore soon aft polls closed astatine 8 p.m.

Moore’s triumph was followed by wins for Democrat Anthony Brown for lawyer wide — the archetypal Black idiosyncratic elected to that presumption successful Maryland — and Democrat Brooke Lierman successful the comptroller’s race. Lierman is the archetypal pistillate to beryllium elected to that position.

Voters besides approved a law amendment to legalize recreational marijuana, according to the AP.

Governor’s race: Moore defeats Cox

Moore is simply a bestselling author, erstwhile nonprofit CEO and combat seasoned who pledged during the run to make greater accidental for Maryland residents, fortify acquisition and boost economical growth.

Endorsed by Oprah Winfrey during the Democratic primary, Moore besides rallied with President Joe Biden astatine Bowie State University connected the eve of the election.

Moore, who has ne'er held elected office, is the archetypal Black idiosyncratic elected politician and lone the 3rd Black politician elected successful the U.S.

Moore’s hostile Cox, a law lawyer and first-term authorities delegate, staked retired far-right blimpish positions, against railing against “critical contention theory” and “gender individuality indoctrination” successful schools and against the COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Analysts said helium did small during the run to mean his representation to entreaty to Maryland’s deep-blue electorate.

Race telephone wrong minutes of canvass closing

AP called the contention wrong specified minutes of the polls closing astatine 8 p.m. and earlier the Maryland State Board of Elections had reported immoderate ballot totals.

Moore’s moving mate, erstwhile authorities Del. Aruna Miller, emigrated from India and is the archetypal Asian American idiosyncratic elected statewide.

Cheers and dancing erupted astatine the Moore run predetermination nighttime ticker enactment successful Baltimore, wherever Moore addressed supporters aboriginal Tuesday.

In remarks astatine his predetermination nighttime ticker enactment successful Baltimore, Moore thanked supporters for believing “our authorities could beryllium bolder, and our authorities could spell faster.”

The governor-elect pledged to support termination rights, supply pre-kindergarten for each kid successful request and to enactment with constabulary and communities to guarantee nationalist safety, saying “In our Maryland, you volition consciousness harmless successful your ain neighborhoods — and harmless successful your ain skin.”

“Our medication volition combat to springiness each azygous Marylander the accidental to succeed,” Moore said adjacent the extremity of his triumph speech. “This is our time.”

The country astatine Cox predetermination nighttime party

Taking the signifier astatine his predetermination nighttime enactment successful Annapolis soon earlier 11 p.m., Cox told supporters “we’re astatine a constituent wherever it’s not looking good,” but helium did not concede the race.

He said it’s inactive “very, precise very possible” helium could win, pointing to “amazing numbers” connected Maryland’s Eastern Shore and successful Western Maryland’s Garrett County and due to the fact that astir of the votes near to number were ballots formed connected Election Day and those, helium said, favour him.

“It’s conscionable a precise imaginable concern … But I’m not gonna prevarication to you, this is simply a hard race,” Cox told supporters.

Dan Cox's predetermination nighttime code to supporters

It remains an unfastened question whether Cox volition judge the results of an election.

During the sole debate, Cox stopped abbreviated of saying helium would decidedly judge the results of the election, likening it to saying a country went good earlier it had taken place.

Cox had touted his endorsement from erstwhile President Donald Trump, but fashionable outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan, who won doubly astatine the polls, refused to endorse Cox and called him a “QAnon whackjob” implicit Cox’s enactment for mendacious claims of 2020 predetermination fraud.

Hogan tweeted astatine astir 8:40 p.m. Tuesday that helium had spoken to Moore and congratulated him connected his victory, pledging a “smooth and orderly transition.”

A abbreviated portion ago, I spoke to Wes Moore and congratulated him connected being elected arsenic Maryland’s adjacent governor. There is nary higher calling than nationalist service, and nary greater grant than to service the radical of this large state.

— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) November 9, 2022

Already, up of Election Day, much than 172,000 Marylanders formed ballots during aboriginal voting, and much than 642,000 Maryland voters person requested mail-in ballots. Of those, 400,000 ballots person already been returned, according to information from the Maryland State Board of Elections.

Eleven of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions — including astir of those successful the D.C. country — person already tabulated astatine slightest immoderate of the mail-in ballots and volition study partial results Tuesday night.

Counting of mail-in ballots volition proceed starting Thursday, and arsenic agelong arsenic they were postmarked by Tuesday, ballots sent done the message volition beryllium accepted until Nov. 18.

Attorney general

In the contention for lawyer general, Democrat Anthony Brown, a three-term typical who served arsenic Maryland’s lieutenant politician nether Martin O’Malley, was the projected victor implicit Republican Michael Peroutka, according to the AP.

Before the contention had been called Brown declared triumph during a code successful Baltimore Tuesday alongside Moore and the different statewide Democratic candidates.

“We spent 12 months meeting, Zooming, talking with Marylanders astir our values and goals — to sphere our democracy, to support and support our rights, to clasp our diversity, and to make equitable opportunities for each Marylanders,” Brown, who becomes the archetypal Black lawyer general, told supporters. “And this evening. I judge the work and the privilege to beryllium your adjacent lawyer general.”

Peroutka, a erstwhile Anne Arundel County Council member, had drawn disapproval for his former ties to a right-wing enactment called the League of the South and for hosting 9/11 conspiracy vigor shows.

The state’s existent lawyer general, Brian Frosh, who serves arsenic the state’s main instrumentality enforcement official, is retiring aft 2 terms.

Comptroller

In the contention for comptroller, Democrat Brooke Lierman was the projected victor implicit Republican Barry Glassman.

Lierman, a authorities delegate, represents a Baltimore City territory successful the General Assembly. Glassman is the two-term region enforcement for Harford County.

Lierman declared triumph Tuesday earlier the contention call.

“Thank you to the radical who told maine that this is the archetypal clip they were truthful excited to get progressive successful a comptroller’s race,” Lierman said. “Thank you to the grandmas, to the mothers, to the daughters, who said it’s clip for a pistillate to tally the wealth successful Maryland!”

Maryland’s comptroller acts arsenic the state’s taxation collector and is 1 ballot connected the almighty three-person Board of Public Works, which oversees authorities spending.

The 2 candidates had sparred successful debates implicit the relation of the comptroller, with Lierman pledging to instrumentality an expansive role that includes tackling climate, weapon violence, workers’ rights and economical fairness. Glassman, a mean Republican, has said helium sees the relation arsenic a nonpartisan main fiscal officer.

The state’s existent comptroller, Peter Franchot, who has served successful his presumption for 15 years, is stepping down. He made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic information for politician earlier this year.

Marijuana legalization

Maryland voters besides approved a law amendment — Question 4 — to legalize possession of up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana by adults 21 and older, according to a projection from the AP.

Maryland is 1 of 5 states with recreational marijuana connected the ballot this year. D.C. and Virginia person already legalized recreational usage of marijuana.

The 4 different statewide ballot measures are much method successful nature. Under Question 1, Maryland’s highest tribunal — present known arsenic the Court of Appeals — would beryllium renamed the Maryland Supreme Court. The second-highest tribunal — the Court of Special Appeals — would beryllium renamed the Maryland Appellate Court.

Officials said it would trim disorder and enactment Maryland successful enactment with however different authorities ultimate courts are named. Maryland is 1 of lone 2 states (along with New York) that doesn’t telephone its highest tribunal the Supreme Court.

Question 2 would make stricter residency requirements for Maryland authorities senators and delegates, requiring them to not lone found residency successful the territory which they correspond but besides marque it their superior spot of abode.

Question 3 would let Maryland lawmakers to bounds assemblage trials successful civilian cases successful which the magnitude successful question is little than $25,000.

Question 5 deals with changes to Howard County’s orphans court, Maryland’s mentation of probate courts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jack Moore

Jack Moore joined WTOP.com arsenic a integer writer/editor successful July 2016. Previous to his current role, he covered national authorities absorption and exertion arsenic the quality exertion astatine Nextgov.com, portion of Government Executive Media Group.

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