Dems take two more Senate seats, win Frederick County exec race – Maryland Matters

The nice vibrations simply saved coming for Maryland Democrats Friday, as closing tallies of mail-in ballots confirmed them successful two hotly-contested state Senate elections and the race for Frederick County government, amongst others.

The ultimate outcomes additionally noticed a Democratic sweep of all countywide workplaces in purple Anne Arundel County, together with the top of the 40-year Kittleman dynasty in Howard County.

Though Republicans led many key races on election evening, Democrats on common took about 70% of the vote in mail-in ballots, tipping the contests their manner.

In Frederick, County Councilmember Jessica Fitzwater (D) claimed a 989-vote victory over state Sen. Michael Hough (R) within the race to interchange term-limited County Govt Jan Gardner (D). Hough led within the depend till the ultimate surge of votes had been tallied on Friday. The margin was lower than 1 level — 50.4% to 49.46%.

“I’m grateful to the Board of Elections and its workforce for his or her diligent work counting each vote,” Fitzwater stated in a Fb publish Friday night. “And to each certainly one of you who powered our marketing campaign to victory — thanks. With out your help, we’d not be the place we’re immediately.”

Hough in an announcement stated he was disenchanted however wished Fitzwater nicely. And he praised former Del. Invoice Golden (R), who gained his Senate seat on Election Day.

“I knew the chance once I gave up a protected seat within the Senate to run for County Govt in a now blue Frederick County,” Hough stated. “The GOP tide we had anticipated throughout America didn’t come, and it was particularly worse in Maryland. My successor Invoice Folden is a conservative Republican and can do an excellent job within the Senate.”

The lengthy vote depend robbed Fitzwater of 10 days to organize for taking up from Gardner on Dec. 5. However she stated in her Fb publish that she and Gardner have already begun discussing the transition.

“Now the actual work begins!” she wrote.

In the meantime, Democrats additionally claimed victory within the final two state Senate races to be referred to as, in Anne Arundel County’s thirty third District and in Harford County’s thirty fourth District.

“Good day for the MD Senate Caucus!” Sen. Craig Zucker (D-Montgomery), chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, stated in a textual content to Maryland Issues. Zucker spent a lot of the autumn stumping for Democratic incumbents and open-seat candidates.

Within the thirty third, lawyer Daybreak Gile (D) defeated Del. Sid Saab (R) within the race to interchange retiring Sen. Ed Reilly (R), 55.35% to 44.54%. Gile additionally waited a number of days earlier than overtaking Saab by way of the mail-in ballots.

“I made a decision to run for the Maryland Senate to carry recent management for District 33 to Annapolis, together with to guard our Bay, absolutely fund our faculties, rise up for girls’s reproductive rights, and help our veterans and dealing households,” Gile stated Friday. “I’m honored that the individuals of District 33 have chosen me to be their subsequent State Senator, and I sit up for going to work for our communities.”

Though Saab sued Gile for defamation final month for marketing campaign mailings despatched out by the Senate Democrats’ marketing campaign committee, he supplied congratulations on Friday night.

“At this time, I referred to as my opponent to congratulate her, wished her success and supplied my assist if she ever wants it,” Saab stated in a Fb publish. “I’ll proceed to be accessible till the top of my time period and past.”

Within the thirty fourth District, former Del. Mary-Dulany James (D), making her third bid for the Senate seat, defeated former Del. Christian Miele (R), 50.55% to 49.24% — a 591-vote victory. James, the daughter of the late state Senate President William James (D), will exchange outgoing Sen. Robert Cassilly (R), who was elected Harford County government final week. She is going to develop into the primary Democrat to carry the thirty fourth District seat since 1994.

“I’m excited to get again to Annapolis to make sure Harford County households have good paying jobs, strong infrastructure, and absolutely funded faculties,” James stated.

With the ultimate two races referred to as Friday, Senate Democrats will get pleasure from a 34-13 seat benefit over Republicans through the subsequent four-year time period, a two-seat pickup.

Home Democrats additionally wound up choosing up seats because of some late-breaking races.

In Anne Arundel County’s District 33C, Del. Heather Bagnall (D) secured a second time period by defeating Republican Kerry Gillespie, 54.05% to 45.86%. In one other Anne Arundel district, 12B, Democrat Gary Simmons topped Republican Ashley Arias, 55.43% to 44.38%.

In an excellent tighter race, two-term Del. Trent Kittleman (R-Howard) seems to have misplaced by 10 votes in District 9A, which takes in a part of Howard County and a sliver of northern Montgomery County. Within the two-seat district, businesswoman Natalie Ziegler (D) led the way in which with 17,471 votes, good for 26.63%. One other Democrat, scientist Chao Wu, was subsequent with 17,292 votes, or 26.35%. Kittleman completed with 17,282 votes, or 26.34%. Republican Jenny Zeng completed fourth, with 20.61%.

Assuming Kittleman loses, it’ll finish a 40-year run of Kittlemans representing Howard County within the Normal Meeting. Trent Kittleman’s late husband, Robert Kittleman (R), was elected to the Home in 1982 and later moved on to the state Senate. When he died in 2004, his son, Allan Kittleman (R), who later went on to develop into Howard County government, took his Senate seat, the place he served till 2014. Trent Kittleman was elected to the Home in 2014.

Democrats are anticipated to carry 101 seats when the Home reconvenes in January, in comparison with 40 seats for the Republicans, a two-seat achieve from the earlier legislative time period. Nevertheless, as a result of Democrats misplaced two seats in Baltimore Metropolis via the redistricting course of, they successfully flipped 4 Republican-held seats on this election.

And assuming Kittleman loses, Republicans could have only one elected official left in Howard County — County Councilmember David Yungmann, who gained reelection by simply 1,284 votes.

Equally, Democrats swept each countywide place in Anne Arundel County, following Democrat Everett Sesker’s upset victory over Sheriff Jim Fredericks (R). Esker pulled forward on Friday night, taking 104,120 votes (50.44%) to Fredericks’ 102,065 (49.45%).

The surge in Democratic votes via mail-in ballots allowed statewide Democrats to exceed their already-substantial election evening margins. For instance, Gov.-elect Wes Moore (D) seems to be ending with 63.9% of the vote, in comparison with 32.73% for Del. Dan Cox, the Republican nominee. It was the most important successful share for a gubernatorial candidate in Maryland since William Donald Schaefer (D) gained 82% in 1986.