Election Guide 2014

This state’s voters will decide Tuesday who will replace Gov. Martin O’Malley in Annapolis for the next four years. The race between Democrat Anthony Brown and Republican Larry Hogan has been closer than many expected in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1.

Two highly regarded political predictors recently came out with opposite forecasts for the election. The Cook Political Report labeled the race a “toss up,” while Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight said Brown was the strong favorite. A poll released last month by The Washington Post and this university put Brown ahead by 9 percentage points.

Because of the race’s closeness, several national political figures have visited the state in recent weeks to rally voters. President Obama and Hillary Clinton have come to stump for Brown, and Michelle Obama is scheduled to rally for Brown in Baltimore today. Hogan received his fourth visit from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie yesterday.

Early voting allowed registered voters to cast their ballot between Oct. 23 and Tuesday. Of these early voters, 4,057 people cast their votes at the College Park Community Center. About 8.5 percent of those registered in Prince George’s County voted early, just more than the state’s turnout of 8.3 percent. Democrats made up 61 percent of early voters, while just 28 percent were Republicans. Party affiliation indicates the party voters are registered with, not the candidate they selected.

In 2002, the last time a Republican governor was elected, 1 in 5 registered Democrats voted for Republican candidate Robert Ehrlich, according to Washington Post polling analyst Scott Clement.

Anthony Brown, this state’s current lieutenant governor, is a first-generation American whose father left poverty in Jamaica. Brown attended Harvard University (graduated cum laude in 1984), where he joined the Army ROTC and eventually enrolled for active duty service. After five years of military service, Brown earned a degree from Harvard Law School in 1992. He practiced law for four years before running for office.

He served as a member of the House of Delegates from 1999 to 2007, rising to majority whip from 2004 to 2007. As a state delegate, he represented Prince George’s County.

In 2004, while still in the Army Reserves, Brown was deployed to Iraq, where he served a 10-month tour of duty and earned a Bronze Star. Martin O’Malley chose Brown to serve as lieutenant governor in 2006, a position he held for eight years.

Running Mate: Ken Ulman graduated from this university in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in government and politics. He served on the Howard County Council in 2002 after working on multiple political campaigns. In 2006, he became Howard County executive and held the position for eight years.

Larry Hogan is a business owner in Anne Arundel County. In 1985, he founded The Hogan Companies, a land and real estate company with clients throughout the mid-Atlantic region. He has experience in state government under Gov. Robert Ehrlich. In 2003, he took a leave of absence from his company to serve as Ehrlich’s state cabinet secretary. During this time, he appointed people to all three branches of state government, including the Board of Regents. After Martin O’Malley’s reelection in 2010, Hogan founded Change Maryland, a political advocacy group focused on fiscal restraint, which would eventually launch his gubernatorial campaign

Running Mate:  Boyd Rutherford also served in the Ehrlich administration as secretary of general services. He also served as assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President George W. Bush. 

 

THE ISSUES

Brown: The O’Malley-Brown administration increased tuition by 3 percent annually since 2010, following a four-year tuition freeze. Brown has pledged to continue the 3 percent tuition cap and to not make any additional increases. Brown rallied students at Ritchie Coliseum Thursday and said, “This is the campaign that will fight to keep college tuition affordable on every college campus.”

Hogan: Hogan has been attacked throughout his campaign for his involvement in the Ehrlich administration, when tuition rose dramatically. Hogan has said he does not support tuition increases and would work to reduce spending at public universities to take the financial burden off students.   

Brown: Republicans throughout the campaign have criticized the O’Malley administration for repeated tax increases. Brown has defended the O’Malley tax increases but said he will not increase taxes if he is elected. Still, in a Washington Post/UMD poll, 47 percent of Maryland voters believe Hogan will do a better job handling taxes, while just 36 percent said the same for Brown.

Hogan: Hogan’s campaign has focused largely on economic issues, which polls have shown to be most important to this state’s residents. He has said he wants to lower the corporate income tax to create a better small-business climate to keep companies in the state and create more jobs. 

Brown: During Brown’s time as lieutenant governor, the state removed criminal punishments for possession of small amounts of marijuana. The state also made medical marijuana available to patients with a doctor’s note. Brown said he does not support full legalization right now but will monitor the situation in Colorado and Washington in order to determine if this state should legalize marijuana.

Hogan: Hogan supports the state’s recent decriminalization measures, but he is against legalization for recreational use. Hogan’s spokesperson Adam Dubitsky said: “He doesn’t believe the state should be making it any easier or encouraging people to use mind-altering substances.”

Brown: Brown said he wants to move forward with construction of the Purple Line, which would cut through the campus and connect Prince George’s County to Montgomery County. He said he supports mass transit efforts because they will reduce carbon emissions.

Hogan: Hogan opposes the Purple Line, saying the state cannot afford the $2.5 billion cost of the project. He wants to focus on fixing roads and bridges and reducing traffic, which he has called the worst in the nation. 

Brown: Brown said he supports a woman’s right to have an abortion and access birth control. He publicly opposed the Supreme Court’s decision to allow businesses to restrict their employee’s access to contraceptives following the Hobby Lobby decision. In September, the Maryland National Organization of Women PAC endorsed him.

Hogan: Hogan consistently has denied accusations that he would restrict women’s ability to get abortions or access birth control. In a September news release, he said: “My belief is that all women in Maryland should have access to the birth control of their choice.”  Hogan’s campaign has run ads featuring his three daughters saying the accusations of Hogan as anti-women are wrong.