Election Results 2022: Cox concedes, making Moore the first Black governor in Maryland

 Delegate Dan Cox called governor-elect Wes Moore to congratulate him and to concede from the race for governor.

The Associated Press called the race around 8 p.m. Tuesday, projecting Moore as the winner of Maryland's governor's seat, and making him the state's first Black governor.

As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, 89 percent of the votes were counted with Moore owning nearly 60 percent of the votes.

"I wish Governor-elect Wes Moore and Lt. Gov.-elect Aruna Miller and their families every blessing and success to ensure that he will keep his word and govern positively for all Marylanders," Cox said. "I will pray for them and their new role for all of us. I also urged that he will honor and protect constitutional rights, property rights, lower taxes and back the Blue Line and First Responders as he has said he would, support our families and small businesses in our freedom and opportunity, never again lock us down or force health care decisions, and ensure that no one is left behind, including parents in their children's education decisions and choices."

Read more here.

Democrat Steny Hoyer wins reelection to U.S. House in Maryland's 5th Congressional District.  

Hoyer defeated Republican Chris Palombi.

He has been serving Maryland's 5th Congressional District since 1981, and as House Majority leader since 2019.

Read more here.

The Associated Press called Republican Andy Harris winning reelection to the U.S. House in Maryland's 1st Congressional District.

He defeated Heather Mizeur for his seventh term in Congress.

In six terms in Congress, Harris has introduced more than 30 bills. The one that became law renamed a Salisbury post office to honor local fallen hero Sergeant Major Wardell B. Turner.

"I've done a good job for the time I've been in Congress," Harris said in an interview with WJZ. "We want to get crime under control. We want to get inflation under control. We want to control our southern border. These are the things that I've supported in congress, and I'll continue to support."

Read more here.

In a call with WJZ, Republican nominee for Baltimore County Executive Pat McDonough conceded the race. No news outlet has called the race yet, but Olszewski holds a double-digit lead with most districts reporting. 

His statement is as follows: 

"We are happy with what we accomplished. It was a good clean race on both sides. I accept the results. We will continue to be the watchdog for Baltimore County because people are concerned about growing crime and violence in our schools. Our job is to make sure Johnny Olszewski does something about it. We are not going to contest the election. We ran on issues and not personalities."

Dan Cox acknowledged to supporters gathered at an Annapolis hotel Tuesday night it's "not looking good" in his bid to be Maryland's next governor.

"I'm not going to lie to you. This is a very difficult race. I'm not doing as well as I'd hoped in places like Baltimore County," Cox said.

Cox spoke for about four minutes, thanking his wife Valerie and running mate Gordana Schifanelli. He did not concede the race, although Wes Moore claimed victory amid AP projections of Moore's victory.

Cox says many of the outstanding votes to be counted are Election Day votes.

"It's just a very possible situation with the votes still to be counted," Cox said. "If we pull of 60-65 percent of those, we can still win this. Very, very, very possible."  

Baltimore County Executive incumbent Johnny "O" Olszewski said in a speech to his supporters Tuesday night that "after analyzing key election results, we fully expect to win."

At the time of his speech, the Maryland Board of Elections has Olszewski 19 points over Republican opponent Pat McDonough, with 87% of precincts reporting. 

The lifelong Baltimore County resident told WJZ last month he wants residents to re-elect him as Baltimore County Executive to finish the groundwork laid over the years. This includes a focus on the public school system.

Two hours after his gubernatorial win was projected, Wes Moore took the stage at his campaign's watch party in Downtown Baltimore to make an acceptance speech.

Read a full transcription of his speech here.

Maryland voters approved legalizing recreational marijuana in a constitutional amendment Tuesday.

Lawmakers already approved legislation this year to take steps to changing the law regarding cannabis, but the General Assembly left matters of licensing and taxes for lawmakers to decide next year.

The constitutional amendment defines that recreational marijuana would not be legal until July 2023 for people 21 and over, subject to a requirement that the General Assembly pass legislation in its next session regarding distribution, regulation and taxation of cannabis.

Read the full story here.

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said he spoke to Wes Moore on Tuesday night after his gubernatorial win was projected, congratulating him and promising a "smooth and orderly transition to the next administration. 

"There is no higher calling than public service, and no greater honor than to serve the people of this great state," Hogan said. 

There was no immediate comment from Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox's campaign after the Associated Press projected Wes Moore winner. 

Gessler reported a staffer at Cox's watch party told him: "Apparently, they're associated with something we're not associated with."

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland won a second term Tuesday, defeating Republican Chris Chaffee in the heavily Democratic state.

In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1, Van Hollen's seat was considered a safe one for Democrats.

Van Hollen, 63, was elected to the Senate in 2016 after serving seven terms in the U.S. House.

Voters who supported Van Hollen described him as a reliable Democrat with a long history in Maryland. 

Read the full story here. 

The Associated Press called Democratic nominee Wes Moore as the winner of the governor's race the minute polls closed in Maryland. 

Moore's win would make him the state's first Black governor. 

There was no immediate comment from Republican opponent Dan Cox. 

Two area county executive seats are rematches – in both Baltimore County and Howard County.

Republican candidate Allan Kittleman is looking to score his old job back in Howard County from incumbent Democrat Calvin Ball.

In Baltimore County, incumbent Democrat Johnny Olszewski wants another four years in office, while Republican opponent Pat McDonough makes a run for the position. 

Olszewski is campaigning for education and a holistic approach to public safety. McDonough is campaigning on a tough-on-crime, leadership change up and giving more power to parents when it comes to what their child learns in school. 

Kittleman served as Howard County Executive from 2014 to 2018. He lost his seat to Ball in 2018 in their first face-off.

Read the full story here.

Delegate Dan Cox, the Trump-backed Republican candidate in Maryland's gubernatorial race, started his Election Day by voting at an elementary school in Frederick County.

Cox pitches himself as a check on the Democratic-led General Assembly, and his message down the stretch is economy and crime. He criticizes Democrats for their approach to inflation.

"Right now, everybody's hurting," Cox said. "The inflation is hurting us all. So, we need to get a handle on that. I intend to do that immediately by reducing and fighting to eliminate the inflationary taxation system in Maryland, starting with our fuel tax and our property tax system. So, I'm asking for your vote. Thank you for coming out today and let's go do this."

Cox is considered an "underdog" in this race as Moore has consistently polled higher and out-fundraised Cox nearly 10-1.  

Read the full story here.

Wes Moore has had a busy day. This is his final shot at getting any last-minute voters out there.

The candidate told WJZ's Avajoye Burnett he didn't sleep last night. He started out after the polls opened around 7 a.m., trying to hit several spots so that he could get even more visibility.

In the lead-up to Election Day, Moore spoke about free pre-kindergarten for every child, better teacher pay, and creating pipelines into the teaching profession. He also advocated for job training, funding for transportation and reducing income inequality between White and Black Marylanders.

His plan to address crime includes balancing funding for police while also having accountability funding for organizations like Safe Streets, a community violence intervention program in Baltimore. 

It is now time to see if those ideals clicked with voters.

Read the full story here.

• Governor: Although Maryland is considered a heavily Democratic state, Republicans have held Government House for the last eight years, and 12 of the last 20. Wes Moore, an author and former nonprofit CEO, looks to win the governor's race for the Democrats after coming out on top in a crowded primary. Donald Trump-backed Del. Dan Cox beat Hogan's hand-picked successor, former Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz. Moore has run a campaign on creating more economic opportunity for Marylanders, while Cox has said he would reduce taxes, remove critical race theory from schools and increase school choice.
• Comptroller: After making a bid for governor, Peter Franchot is leaving the comptroller's office after 16 years. Baltimore Democrat Del. Brooke Lierman and Republican Harford County Executive Barry Glassman are running to replace him. Glassman is touting his record as an executive who didn't raise taxes, while Lierman says she will modernize the office and prioritize transportation and green energy as one of three voting members of the Board of Public Works. 
• Attorney General: Brian Frosh is leaving after two terms as the state's top law enforcement official. Rep. Anthony Brown, a former lieutenant governor and gubernatorial candidate, beat his former boss' wife, Katie Curran O'Malley, in the primary. On the Republican side, Michael Anthony Peroutka, a former Anne Arundel County Council member with reported ties to the League of the South, which is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is the nominee. Brown says he will protect voting and reproductive rights. Peroutka recently pledged to bypass state laws on abortion and same-sex marriage.
• 1st Congressional District: The Democrat-controlled Maryland General Assembly approved a new congressional map trying to make this area more competitive for the party's nominee. But a judge ruled it was unconstitutional. Even so, incumbent Rep. Andy Harris, Maryland's lone Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, faces a formidable challenge from Heather Mizeur, a former member of the House of Delegates and candidate for governor. Harris has staked a position as the only Maryland Congressman to vote against President Biden's policies, while touting his own record on cutting taxes and combatting the opioid epidemic. Mizeur has labeled Harris as an extremist and said she will boost the economy in the district and take action on climate change in a way that helps Eastern Shore farmers.

• Anne Arundel County Executive: Republican Councilwoman Jessica Haire is challenging incumbent Democrat Steuart Pittman. She has criticized Pittman's record on taxes and spending, saying she'll lower taxes for residents. Pittman has said his administration has created better schools, enhanced public safety and enacted tougher environmental regulations. He said his budget improves the county's financial standing.
• Baltimore County Executive: Democrat incumbent Johnny Olszewski Jr. is facing off against Republican Pat McDonough, a former state delegate. McDonough has previously run for Congress and county executive. Olszewski has touted his accomplishments navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, providing record funding for education and investing in sustainability. Using the motto "Save Our County," McDonough has said he will impose a zero-tolerance policy for crimes, remove Superintendent Darryl Williams and encourage school choice.
  
• Howard County Executive: This 2018 rematch pits Democratic incumbent Calvin Ball against Republican Alan Kittleman. In 2018, Ball unseated Kittleman with a six-point win. In his bid to get the office back, Kittleman has said he would undo Ball's decision to remove school resource officers from middle schools, direct police to use community-based pratices and cut taxes. Ball touts his record on increasing education funding, handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and creating a more efficient government.