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The Maryland Republican Party is the Maryland state branch of the Republican Party (GOP), headquartered in Annapolis.[2] It is the state's minority party, controlling no statewide offices, minorities in both houses of the state legislature, and 1 of 8 U.S. House seats.
Founded as a local branch of the nationwide Republican Party in 1854, the Maryland GOP has largely functioned as the local rival to the Maryland Democratic Party. The party has had long been in the minority in both chambers of the House of Delegates, however has been able to control the governorship several times thanks to popular moderate Republicans such as Theodore McKeldin, Spiro T. Agnew, Robert Ehrlich, and Larry Hogan.[3]
The party's nominee, Daniel Cox, was defeated in a landslide to Democratic candidate Wes Moore in the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election.[4] As of 2023, the party holds none of the statewide elected offices, holds only 1 of Maryland's congressional districts, and holds a minority of the seats in both chambers of the General Assembly.
Number of self-identified Democrats vs. self-identified Republicans, per state, according to Gallup, January–June 2010, showing Maryland as third most Democratic.
Both of Maryland's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Democrats since 1987. Charles Mathias was the last Republican to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate.
Historically, the Republican Party has been very weak in Maryland.[8] The Republican Party is the minority party in both houses of the Maryland General Assembly. In the House of Delegates, the Republicans control 39 seats to the Democrats' 102. In the Maryland State Senate, the Republicans control 13 seats to the Democrats' 34. Since 1854, the Republican Party has controlled both chambers of the General Assembly for only 5 years.[9] There have been only 9 Republican governors of Maryland, and just 2 of those have managed to win re-election.[10] In 2022, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Dan Cox, lost by a landslide margin of 32.41%, which was the largest loss for any gubernatorial nominee since 1986, in which Republican Thomas J. Mooney lost by a margin of 64.74%.[11]
The majority of voters in the state of Maryland live in urban metropolitan areas such as Baltimore and are affiliated with the Democratic Party.[13]
Former chair of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele
In 2003, Michael Steele became the first African American elected to statewide office in the state of Maryland, when he was elected lieutenant governor. Prior to this, Steele served as the chairman of the Maryland Republican Party. In 2009, Michael S. Steele was elected chair of the Republican National Committee, the first African American to hold that position.[14]
Financial status
The Washington Post characterized the party as "close to broke" as of January 2009, with $703.10 on hand and $57,000 in loans and bills. The Maryland Election Board also ruled in 2009 that the Maryland GOP must return $77,500 to a campaign account of Steele's for party legal expenses that he had paid.[15] In November 2011 The Baltimore Sun reported that the Maryland Republican party owed over $100,000 to vendors that stemmed from the 2010 election cycle.[16]
The picture changed after Republican Larry Hogan was elected as governor in November 2014. According to The Washington Post, "Hogan raised nearly $1.4 million in the two months after the election" and the state party raised another $1 million.[17]
Notable Maryland Republicans
Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. was the first Republican governor of Maryland since the 1960s, serving as governor from 2003 to 2007. He was defeated in the 2010 election by Democratic candidate Martin O'Malley. Ehrlich's wife, Kendel Ehrlich, is a notable state Republican who hosts, along with her husband, a conservative talk radio show on WBAL 1090-AM in Baltimore. Andy Harris was one of the few bright spots for Maryland Republicans in the 2010 election as he won a congressional seat back from the Democrats.
Larry Hogan was the most recent Republican governor, he defeated Democratic candidate Anthony Brown in November 2014. Boyd Rutherford was Hogan's running mate and was Lt. Governor of Maryland.
In 2018, Hogan won re-election as governor against Democratic challenger, Ben Jealous. This made him the first two-term Republican governor of Maryland since Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin.
Current leadership
The current officers of the Maryland Republican Party were elected at the fall 2022 convention to two year terms with the exception of the national committeeman and committeewomen who were elected at the spring 2022 convention to four-year terms.[18]
In December 2022, the Maryland Republican Party elected Nicole Beus Harris, the wife of U.S. Representative Andy Harris, to serve as its chair following the decision of Dirk Haire not to seek reelection.[19] She was re-elected in 2024.[20]
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