Maryland 2010 Election Results

Maryland held its general election on November 2, 2010, deciding 186 legislative seats across 112 districts and 4 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• Democrats kept the governorship and three-fifths majorities in both chambers. Senate President Mike Miller called that stability "unbelievably atypical" in a year when Republicans took legislative chambers across the country.
• Martin O'Malley (D) won a rematch with former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) by more than 14 points. Ehrlich focused his campaign on attacking $1.4 billion in tax increases O'Malley backed in 2007.
• In the Senate, Democrats gained two seats, moving the chamber from 33-14 to 35-12. Former Frederick Mayor Ronald N. Young (D) unseated Sen. Alex X. Mooney (R), a Frederick County conservative, by about 1,000 votes in Senate District 3 after Democrats plowed hundreds of thousands of dollars into defeating him. On the Lower Eastern Shore, Del. Jim Mathias (D), boosted by Democratic money, beat hotel executive Michael James (R) by about 640 votes in the open Senate District 38.
• Republicans picked up six seats in the House of Delegates, moving it from 104-37 to 98-43. In Calvert County, Del. Sue Kullen (D) lost District 27B to Mark Fisher (R) by about 5 points. In Anne Arundel's three-seat District 30, home of Speaker Michael Busch (D), Herb McMillan (R) took a seat and Del. Virginia P. Clagett (D) finished fourth. Busch kept his own seat and expected his leadership team to return basically intact. In Worcester County's two-seat District 38B, Mike McDermott (R) won the seat Mathias gave up to run for the Senate.
• Attorney General Doug Gansler (D) was unopposed, and Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) beat William H. Campbell (R) easily.
• Voters approved 2 of 3 questions: Question 2 lets the legislature limit jury trials to civil cases involving more than $15,000, up from $10,000, and Question 3 requires Baltimore City Orphans' Court judges to be members of the Maryland Bar. Question 1, which called for a constitutional convention, won a majority of those who voted on it but still failed. The constitution requires a majority of all voters at the election, so voters who skipped the question effectively counted as no.

Legislature

• House of Delegates (141 seats): 104 D, 37 R before the election, 98 D, 43 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
• Senate (47 seats): 33 D, 14 R before the election, 35 D, 12 R after; control stayed with Democrats.

Statewide races

Legislative races

Ballot measures