2018 Maryland gubernatorial election


The 2018 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018. The date included the election of the governor, lieutenant governor, and all members of the Maryland General Assembly. Popular incumbent governor Larry Hogan and Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford, both Republicans, were elected to a second term in a landslide against Democrat Ben Jealous, the former NAACP CEO, and his running mate Susan Turnbull. This was one of eight Republican-held governorships up for election in a state carried by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Hogan became the second Republican governor of Maryland to win re-election, and the first since Theodore McKeldin in 1954. He also became the first Republican to win over 55% of the vote in a statewide election in Maryland since U.S. Senator Charles Mathias in 1980. This was the first election since 1974 in which Maryland simultaneously elected a gubernatorial nominee and a U.S. Senate nominee of opposite parties. This was the first and only Maryland gubernatorial election in which both major party candidates received over one million votes. As of 2025, this is the last time that a Republican won a statewide election in Maryland.

Background

At the presidential level, Maryland is a staunchly Democratic state due to the large number of Democratic voters in the Washington metropolitan area and Baltimore City. Maryland had not seen a Republican presidential candidate win its votes since 1988, and the state had not been within 15% since 2004; 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 Brown by a margin of 51% to 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

Declined

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominated

Eliminated in primary

Deceased

Withdrew

Declined

Green nomination

Candidates

Declared

Results

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

Larry Hogan 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.

Polling

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Ben
Jealous 		OtherUndecided
University of MarylandOctober 4–7, 2018648 LV± 4.5%58%38%0%3%
University of MarylandOctober 4–7, 2018814 RV± 4.0%56%36%0%2%
Gonzales ResearchOctober 1–6, 2018806± 3.5%54%36%2%9%
Mason-DixonSeptember 24–26, 2018625± 4.0%52%37%2%9%
Goucher CollegeSeptember 11–16, 2018472± 4.5%54%32%2%9%
Gonzales ResearchAugust 1–8, 2018831± 3.5%52%36%1%11%
Garin-Hart-Yang July 10–14, 2018601± 4.0%49%40%–11%
Gonzales ResearchJune 4–10, 2018800± 3.5%51%34%–14%
University of MarylandMay 29 – June 3, 2018968± 4.5%51%39%–10%
Goucher CollegeApril 14–19, 2018617± 3.9%44%31%–22%
Mason-DixonFebruary 20–22, 2018625± 4.0%50%33%–17%
Gonzales ResearchDecember 27, 2017 – January 5, 2018823± 3.5%49%36%–15%
Mason-DixonSeptember 27–30, 2017625± 4.0%49%33%–18%

with Rushern Baker

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Rushern
Baker 		Undecided
Gonzales ResearchJune 4–10, 2018800± 3.5%48%37%15%
University of MarylandMay 29 – June 3, 2018968± 4.5%51%39%9%
Goucher CollegeApril 14–19, 2018617± 3.9%44%31%22%
Burton Research & Strategies March 4–11, 2018600± 4.0%54%29%15%
Mason-DixonFebruary 20–22, 2018625± 4.0%51%36%13%
Gonzales ResearchDecember 27, 2017 – January 5, 2018823± 3.5%47%37%16%
Mason-DixonSeptember 27–30, 2017625± 4.0%46%39%15%

with Richard Madaleno

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Richard
Madaleno 		Undecided
Gonzales ResearchJune 4–10, 2018800± 3.5%50%36%14%
University of MarylandMay 29 – June 3, 2018465–497± 6.0–6.5%50%40%10%
Goucher CollegeApril 14–19, 2018617± 3.9%45%27%26%
Mason-DixonSeptember 27–30, 2017625± 4.0%49%30%21%

with Alec Ross

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Alec
Ross 		Undecided
University of MarylandMay 29 – June 3, 2018465–497± 6.0–6.5%55%31%13%
Goucher CollegeApril 14–19, 2018617± 3.9%46%26%26%

with Jim Shea

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Jim
Shea 		Undecided
University of MarylandMay 29 – June 3, 2018465–497± 6.0–6.5%53%35%13%
Goucher CollegeApril 14–19, 2018617± 3.9%47%27%25%

with Krish Vignarajah

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Krish
Vignarajah 		Undecided
University of MarylandMay 29 – June 3, 2018465–497± 6.0–6.5%54%35%11%
Goucher CollegeApril 14–19, 2018617± 3.9%45%25%27%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Generic
Democrat		OtherUndecided
Goucher CollegeFebruary 12–17, 2018658± 3.8%47%43%–10%
GBA Strategies November 14–18, 2017600± 4.0%45%35%––
OpinionWorksOctober 25 – November 7, 2017850± 3.3%43%28%4%24%
Washington Post/University of MarylandMarch 19–22, 2017914± 4.0%39%36%3%22%
Washington Post/University of MarylandMarch 16–19, 2017914± 4.0%41%37%2%20%

with Valerie Ervin

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Valerie
Ervin 		Undecided
University of MarylandMay 29 – June 3, 2018465–497± 6.0–6.5%51%38%11%

with Kevin Kamenetz

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Kevin
Kamenetz 		Undecided
Goucher CollegeApril 14–19, 2018617± 3.9%45%28%23%
Burton Research & Strategies March 4–11, 2018600± 4.0%57%26%15%
Mason-DixonFebruary 20–22, 2018625± 4.0%49%34%17%
Gonzales ResearchDecember 27, 2017 – January 5, 2018823± 3.5%48%34%18%
Mason-DixonSeptember 27–30, 2017625± 4.0%48%35%17%

with John Delaney

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		John
Delaney 		Undecided
Public Policy PollingApril 15–17, 2016879± 3.3%48%29%24%

with Tom Perez

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Larry
Hogan 		Tom
Perez 		Undecided
Public Policy PollingApril 15–17, 2016879± 3.3%48%24%28%

Results

By congressional district

Hogan carried six of eight congressional districts, including five held by Democrats. This included the district of then-House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, whom Hogan was defeated by in 1992.
DistrictLarry
Hogan		Ben
Jealous		Elected
Representative
79%20%Andy Harris
56%43%Dutch Ruppersberger
56%43%John Sarbanes
40%59%Anthony Brown
52%47%Steny Hoyer
59%39%David Trone
44%55%Elijah Cummings
53%46%Jamie Raskin