OCEAN CITY — Continuing a decades-long trend, Worcester County and the Lower Shore remained an island of red amidst a sea of blue in Maryland during this week’s general election.
Fueled by the heavily-Democratic and densely populated center of the state, Maryland overwhelmingly voted for Joe Biden for president this week by a 62% to 35% margin.
In Worcester, however, 15,386 voters, or 65%, went for incumbent President Trump, while 7,989, or 33%, voted Biden. In Wicomico, the trend continued, although the gap was less pronounced. In Wicomico, 20,364, or 53%, voted for Trump, while 16,913, or 44% voted for Biden. It was a trend followed all over the Eastern Shore and in Western Maryland as well.
However, Biden carried Maryland easily on Tuesday and the outcome was never really in question because of the metropolitan areas of the state. In Baltimore City, 147,371 voters, or 87%, supported Biden. In Prince George’s County, a whopping 303,197 voted for Biden, or 89%. In Montgomery County, 246,956, or 79%, voted for Biden.
It’s certainly not a new phenomenon. Maryland, by a large margin, has supported every Democratic candidate for president for decades. One would have to go back to 1988 when Marylanders supported George H.W. Bush rather than Democratic challenger Michael Dukakis, but even then the margin was close.
By contrast, a look back at the records shows Worcester County has supported every Republican candidate for president since 1988, or the year when election result statistics were readily available on the state’s elections website. The closest brush with breaking that trend came in 1996 when a narrow majority of Worcester votes went for Republican Bob Dole over Democrat Bill Clinton, but even that was close with just 34 votes separating the candidates.
While there is clearly a red-blue divide in Maryland on presidential and even gubernatorial elections, the Lower Shore fell in line with much of the rest of the state on the questions on Tuesday’s ballot.
One constitutional amendment will authorize the General Assembly to increase, diminish or add items to the governor’s proposed budget, provided that the revisions do not exceed the total budget proposed by the governor. It will go into effect in fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter. Across Maryland, the state’s electorate voted 74% in favor of the constitutional amendment and 26% against. In the case of this constitutional amendment, Worcester and Wicomico fell in line with the rest of the voters in Maryland in terms of percentages.
The second statewide ballot question simply asked, “Do you approve the expansion of commercial gambling in the state of Maryland to authorize sports and events betting for the primary purpose of raising revenue for education?” Statewide, the question was approved by 66% of the voters, while 34% voted against it.
On the Lower Shore, the numbers were even more pronounced. In Worcester, 15,905 voters were in favor of expanded sports betting, or 72%, while in Wicomico, 25,760 votes were cast in favor of expanded sports betting, or 70%
Other contested races of importance on the local level include Worcester County Board of Education, District 2, Donald Smack, 1,429 (62%) over Rodney Bailey, 868 (38%); Worcester County Board of Education. District 3, Jon Andes, 2,390 (75%) defeated Angie Chatelle, 803 (25%); Wicomico County Council, District 2, Nicole Acle was relected with 5,380 votes (56%) over Alexander Scott’s 4,240; and Representative In Congress, District 1, Congressman Andy Harris retained his seat with 67% of the vote (209,828) over Mia Mason.
