Former AG Doug Gansler drops out of governor's race

BALTIMORE -- Former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler has dropped out of the race to become the Democratic nominee for governor.

Following a count of some mail-in ballots from 16 jurisdictions on Thursday, Gansler holds a 3% share of the vote, according to results posted on the Maryland State Board of Elections' website.

As of Wednesday, the board had reported receiving 250,540 mail-in ballots, but there won't be enough for Gansler to catch the leader in the race, author and nonprofit CEO Wes Moore.

In a post on his Facebook page, Gansler thanked his supporters and acknowledged this election will bring his career in politics to a close.

"As I exit this arena, I will dust myself off and look toward new ways in which I can contribute toward making Maryland a better place," he wrote.

A two-term attorney general, serving from 2007 to 2015, Gansler was previously an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., from 1992 to 1998, and the Montgomery County State's Attorney, from 1999 to 2007.

His 2022 campaign focused on decreasing the murders in Baltimore, protecting abortion rights in the state, and incentivizing renewable energy and other green measures.

In his note, Gansler declined to blame media coverage and outside political donations for his finish in the race.

"The truth is that we are in uncharted times politically and voters simply chose a different type of candidate," he said.  

In 2014, Gansler ran to succeed Gov. Martin O'Malley but finished a distant second behind Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown. 

Brown went on to lose to businessman Larry Hogan.

Gansler called on his supporters to support whoever wins the nomination and "reject the divisive politics and policies of the far right."

Gansler said he plans to practice law at the Washington, D.C. offices of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.