2024 Maryland elections explained

Election Name:	2024 Maryland elections
Country:	Maryland
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2022 Maryland elections
Previous Year:	2022
Next Election:	2026 Maryland elections
Next Year:	2026

A general election will be held in the U.S. state of Maryland on November 5, 2024. In addition to the U.S. presidential race, Maryland voters will elect all of its seats in the United States House of Representatives, and one of its U.S. senators. Various municipal elections, including in Cecil County, Baltimore, and the city of Hagerstown, will also be held.

Polls will be open from 7 AM to 8 PM EST.^[1]

Federal offices

President of the United States

See main article: 2024 United States presidential election in Maryland, 2024 Maryland Democratic presidential primary and 2024 Maryland Republican presidential primary. Maryland is represented by 10 electors in the electoral college.

United States Senate

See main article: 2024 United States Senate election in Maryland. Incumbent three-term Democratic Senator Ben Cardin was reelected in 2018 with 64.9% of the vote. On May 1, 2023, he announced that he would not be seeking reelection to a fourth term in office.^[2] Democratic candidates for the office include Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks^[3] and U.S. Representative David Trone, while Republican candidates include former governor Larry Hogan^[4] and perennial candidate Robin Ficker.^[5]

Alsobrooks and Hogan won their respective primaries on May 14, 2024, and will face off in the general election.^[6]

United States House of Representatives

See main article: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland. All eight of Maryland's seats in the United States House of Representatives are up for election in 2024, of which three are open seats.^{[7] [8] [9]}

Ballot propositions

Maryland 2024 ballot propositions! Proposition! Description

Question 1

Enshrines the right to reproductive freedom in the state constitution.^[10]

Polling

On a referendum strengthening abortion rights

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Yes	No	Other	Undecided
OpinionWorks	October 20–23, 2022	982 (LV)	± 3.1%	71%	19%	–	11%
University of Maryland	September 22–27, 2022	810 (RV)	± 4.0%	78%	16%	–	5%

Municipal elections

Baltimore

Mayor

See main article: 2024 Baltimore mayoral election. Incumbent Brandon Scott was first elected in 2020 with 70.5% of the vote and is running for re-election to a second term.^[11] He faces primary challenges from former mayor Sheila Dixon^[12] and perennial candidate Thiru Vignarajah.^[13] Vignarajah withdrew from the race and endorsed Dixon on May 1, 2024,^[14] but will still appear on the primary election ballot and have votes cast by mail for him counted.^[15]

Scott won the Democratic primary on May 14, 2024.^[16]

City Council

District	Incumbent				Candidates^[17]
Location	Member	Party	First elected	Status
data-sort-value=0	President			2020		Incumbent lost renomination^[18]	nowrap	Zeke Cohen (Democratic) Emmanuel Digman (Republican)
1			2016		Incumbent retired to run for City Council President.^[19] New member to be elected. Democratic hold.	nowrap	Mark Parker (Democratic)
2			2019	Incumbent renominated	nowrap	Danielle McCray (Democratic) Andy Zipay (Republican)
3			2016		Incumbent renominated Democratic hold.	nowrap	Ryan Dorsey (Democratic)
4			2020		Incumbent renominated Democratic hold.	nowrap	Mark Conway (Democratic)
5			2016		Incumbent renominated Democratic hold.	nowrap	Yitzy Schleifer (Democratic)
6			2016	Incumbent renominated	nowrap	Sharon Green Middleton (Democratic) Ronday Wilson (Republican)
7			2020	Incumbent renominated	nowrap	Christopher Anderson (Republican) James Torrence (Democratic)
8			2016		Incumbent retired.^[20] New member to be elected. Democratic hold.	nowrap	Paris Gray (Democratic)
9			2016		Incumbent renominated Democratic hold.	nowrap	John Bullock (Democratic)
10			2020		Incumbent renominated Democratic hold.	nowrap	Phylicia Porter (Democratic)
11			2014		Incumbent lost renomination^[21] New member to be elected. Democratic hold.	nowrap	Zac Blanchard (Democratic)
12			2016		Incumbent lost renomination^[22] New member to be elected. Democratic hold.	nowrap	Jermaine Jones (Democratic)
13			2020	Incumbent renominated	nowrap	Alexander Artis (Republican) Antonio Glover (Democratic)
14			2020	Incumbent renominated	nowrap	Renaud Deaundre Brown (Green) Odette Ramos (Democratic)

Polling

On the mayoral election

On the city council president election

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin	Zeke Cohen	Nick Mosby	Shannon Sneed	Other	Undecided
OpinionWorks	April 7–11, 2024	508 (LV)	± 4.3%		40%	21%	17%	3%	19%
Goucher College	April 3–7, 2024	508 (LV)	± 4.3%		27%	23%	17%	14%	20%
Global Strategy Group	February 15–20, 2024	400 (LV)	± 4.3%		31%	22%	18%	5%	24%
	October 20, 2023	Shannon Sneed enters the race
Goucher College	September 19–23, 2023	537 (RV)	± 4.2%		30%	17%	–		34%	18%
Global Strategy Group	May 31 – June 1, 2023	702 (LV)	± 3.7%		40%	24%	–	–	18%

Cecil County

In Cecil County, voters will elect the County Executive as well as two seats in the County Council, in Districts 1 and 5.

County Executive

Election Name:	2024 Cecil County Executive election
Flag Image:	Flag of Cecil County, Maryland.png
Type:	presidential
Previous Year:	2020
Next Year:	2028
Election Date:	November 5, 2024
Ongoing:	yes
Nominee1:	Adam Streight
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Nominee2:	Bill Kilby
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
County Executive
Before Election:	Danielle Hornberger
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)

The incumbent county executive is Republican Danielle Hornberger, who was elected with 63.4% of the vote in 2020.^[23] She ran for a second term in 2024, but was defeated in the Republican primary election by Adam Streight.^[24]

= Nominee

=

• Adam Streight, police sergeant and candidate for HD-35B in 2022^[25]

=Eliminated in primary

=

• Danielle Hornberger, incumbent county executive

= Results

=

= Nominee

=

• Bill Kilby, dairy farmer

= Results

=

General election

County Council

District	Incumbent				Candidates^[26]
Location	Member	Party	First elected	Status
1			2016	Incumbent renominated	nowrap	Bob Meffley (Republican) Michelle Ravert (Democratic)
5			2016		Incumbent lost renomination	nowrap	Dawn Branch (Republican) Russ Melrath (Democratic)

Hagerstown

Mayor

The 2024 Hagerstown mayoral election will be held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent mayor Tekesha Martinez became the city's mayor and the city's first Black mayor on February 7, 2023, after Emily Keller resigned following Governor Wes Moore naming her to serve as Special Secretary of Opioid Response in his administration.^[27] On July 12, 2023, she announced that she would run for Congress in Maryland's 6th congressional district, opting against re-election as mayor.^[28]

Candidates

• Bill McIntire, business owner^[29]
• Stephen S. Schutte, broadband executive^[30]

Results

City Council

Members of the Hagerstown City Council are elected in an at-large nonpartisan election, where the top ten candidates from the primary will move on to the general election, where the top five candidates will be elected.

= Advanced to general election

=

• Kristin Aleshire, incumbent city councilmember
• Caroline Anderson, business owner
• Erika Bell, business owner
• Mark Bell, business owner
• Tiara Burnett, incumbent city councilmember
• Sean Flaherty, data analyst
• Stacy Michael
• Rich Owens, therapist
• Peter Perini, incumbent city councilmember
• Matthew Schindler, incumbent city councilmember

= Eliminated in primary

=

• Journie Martinez, poet

General election results

Prince George's County

At-large district special election

Election Name:	2024 Prince George's County Council at-large special election
Flag Image:	Flag of Prince George's County, Maryland.svg
Type:	presidential
Previous Year:	2022
Next Year:	2026
Election Date:	November 5, 2024
Ongoing:	yes
Image1:	Jolene Ivey Peace Cross Rededication.jpg
Nominee1:	Jolene Ivey
Party1:	Maryland Democratic Party
Nominee2:	Michael Riker
Party2:	Maryland Republican Party
Councilmember
Before Election:	Mel Franklin
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	TBD

On June 17, 2024, Prince George's County council member Mel Franklin resigned from his at-large seat on the county council.^[31] On June 25, the Prince George's County Council unanimously voted to hold a special primary election on August 6, 2024, and a special general election will be held on November 5, 2024.^[32] County council president Jolene Ivey and retired policy officer Michael Riker won the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively, and will face off in the general election.^[33]

= Candidates

=

Nominee

• Jolene Ivey, president of the Prince George's County Council (2023–present) from the fifth district (2018–present)^[34]

Eliminated in primary

• Tim Adams, mayor of Bowie (2019–present) and candidate for comptroller of Maryland in 2022^[35]
• Angela Angel, former state delegate from the 25th district (2015–2019) and candidate for in 2022
• Tamara Davis Brown, attorney and candidate for SD-26 in 2022
• Leo Bachi Eyomobo, at-large candidate for the Prince George's County Council in 2022
• Marvin E. Holmes Jr., state delegate from district 23B (2003–present)
• Judy Mickens-Murray, former member of the Prince George's County Board of Education (2021–2024)
• Gabriel Njinimbot, paralegal, entrepreneur, and candidate for in 2024

Withdrawn

• Wala Blegay, Prince George's County councilmember from the sixth district (2022–present) (endorsed Adams)^[36]
• Mahasin El Amin, Prince George's County Clerk of the Circuit Court (2018–present)^[37]
• Kiesha D. Lewis, whistleblower (remained on ballot)^[38]

= Results

=

= Candidates

=

Nominee

• Michael Riker, retired police officer

Eliminated in primary

• Kamita Gray, environmental activist
• Isaac Toyos, federal legislative affairs analyst
• Jonathan White, veteran and Democratic candidate for the at-large Prince George's County Council seat in 2022

= Results

=

= Results

=

Ballot propositions

Several local ballot initiatives will be voted on during the 2024 general election. Some notable ones include:

• In Baltimore, voters will decide on:
  • Whether to establish the Baltimore's Children and Youth Fund, which would make $1,000 payments to families with new children.^[39]
  • Whether to shrink the size of the Baltimore City Council from fourteen to eight members.^[40] This ballot initiative is funded by David D. Smith, the executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group.^[41]
• In Baltimore County, voters will decide whether to expand the Baltimore County Council from seven to nine members.^[42]
• In Charles County, voters will decide whether to change the county from a home rule form of government to a charter government, establishing a county executive and county council.^[43]
• In Howard County, voters will decide whether to establish the inspector general's office.^[44]
• In Montgomery County, voters will decide whether to reduce term limits for the county executive from three to two terms. This ballot initiative is funded by Reardon Sullivan, the former chair of the Montgomery County Republican Party.^[45]
• In Wicomico County, voters will decide whether to restore the county to a council–manager government, which would abolish the office of the county executive effective 2026.^[46]

See also

• Political party strength in Maryland
• Elections in Maryland

Notes

Partisan clients

External links

• • Candidates at Vote Smart Candidates at Ballotpedia

Notes and References

1. Web site: Voting in Maryland . elections.maryland.gov . Maryland State Board of Elections . August 11, 2022.
2. News: Barker . Jeff . Longtime Maryland U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin won't seek re-election, creating rare Senate vacancy . May 1, 2023 . . May 1, 2023.
3. News: Janesch . Sam . Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks launches campaign for U.S. Senate . May 10, 2023 . . May 10, 2023.
4. News: Witte . Brian . Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is running for the US Senate . February 9, 2024 . . February 9, 2024 . en.
5. News: As Ben Cardin Deliberates, One Republican Wades Into Maryland Senate Race . 2023-03-28 . Diamond Eye Candidate Report . 2023-04-17 . Frisk . Garrett . en-US.
6. News: Kobell . Rona . Blackwell . Penelope . Wood . Pamela . Cohn . Meredith . Alsobrooks wins Senate Democratic primary; will face Hogan in the fall . June 17, 2024 . . May 14, 2024 . en.
7. News: Pathe . Simone . Rep. David Trone announces campaign for Senate in Maryland . September 8, 2023 . . en.
8. News: Sears . Bryan P. . Sarbanes won't seek reelection in 2024 . October 26, 2023 . . October 26, 2023.
9. News: Barker . Jeff . US Rep. Ruppersberger won't seek reelection after 21 years in Congress and nearly 40 years in public office . January 26, 2024 . . January 26, 2024.
10. News: Cox . Erin . Maryland voters to see constitutional referendum on abortion rights . March 30, 2023 . The Washington Post . March 30, 2023.
11. News: New polling shows Mayor Scott's re-election bid at risk . Rebecca . Pryor . April 18, 2023 . May 17, 2023 . .
12. News: Opilo . Emily . Former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon to run again in 2024, apologizes again for crimes that forced her from office . February 9, 2024 . . September 7, 2023.
13. News: Sullivan . Emily . Thiru Vignarajah joins Baltimore mayor race with publicly-funded campaign . February 9, 2024 . . January 24, 2024 . en.
14. News: Opilo . Emily . Thiru Vignarajah drops out of Baltimore mayoral race, endorses Sheila Dixon . May 9, 2024 . . May 1, 2024.
15. News: Mullan . Dillon . Opilo . Emily . Mail-in votes for Thiru Vignarajah will still be counted, Maryland State Board of Elections says . May 9, 2024 . . May 5, 2024.
16. News: Witte . Brian . Incumbent Brandon Scott prevails in Baltimore mayor’s race primary . June 17, 2024 . . May 15, 2024 . en.
17. Web site: Baltimore City 2024 Presidential Primary Election Local Candidates List . May 30, 2023 . Maryland State Board of Elections . May 29, 2023.
18. News: Olaniran . Christian . Zeke Cohen wins race for Baltimore City Council President . May 14, 2024 . . May 14, 2024.
19. News: Opilo . Emily . Baltimore Councilman Zeke Cohen enters council president race, setting up clash with incumbent Nick Mosby . March 19, 2023 . . March 19, 2023.
20. News: Wood . Pamela . Banner political notes: Burnett to step down; Baltimore County public funding; state entertainment council . June 8, 2023 . . June 3, 2023.
21. News: Miller . Hallie . City Council: Blanchard, Jones, Gray hold slim leads as vote counting winds down . May 23, 2024 . . May 23, 2024 . en.
22. News: Opilo . Emily . Baltimore election certification delayed, Jermaine Jones comes out ahead in District 12 . May 24, 2024 . . May 24, 2024.
23. Web site: Official 2020 Presidential General Election results for Cecil County . elections.maryland.gov . Maryland State Board of Elections . March 12, 2023.
24. News: Hamilton . Carl . Final primary results: Streight defeats Hornberger; Branch beats Gregory . May 24, 2024 . . May 24, 2024 . en.
25. News: Hubbard . Matt . Adam Streight announces 2024 campaign for county executive . April 27, 2023 . Cecil Whig . April 14, 2023.
26. Web site: 2024 Candidate Listing . elections.maryland.gov . January 12, 2024.
27. News: McMillion . Dave . 'It's surreal': Hagerstown celebrates Tekesha Martinez as its first black mayor . March 12, 2023 . Herald Mail-Media . February 7, 2023.
28. News: Ford . William J. . Kurtz . Josh . Political notes: Hagerstown mayor to run for 6th District seat, O's advocacy in D.C. . . July 12, 2023 . July 12, 2023.
29. News: Political Notebook: First candidate files for Hagerstown mayoral race . October 9, 2023 . . October 9, 2023.
30. Web site: 2024 Candidate Listing . elections.maryland.gov . January 25, 2024.
31. News: Ford . William J. . Longtime Prince George’s County Council Member Mel Franklin resigns . June 17, 2024 . . June 17, 2024.
32. News: Anderson . Amber . Prince George's County Council votes to hold a special election to fill Mel Franklin's vacancy . June 25, 2024 . . June 25, 2024.
33. News: Ford . William J. . Jolene Ivey holds comfortable lead in Democratic primary for at-large seat . August 7, 2024 . Maryland Matters . August 6, 2024.
34. News: Moreno . Leslie . Prince George's County Council Chair Jolene Ivey announces run for At-Large seat . July 2, 2024 . . June 26, 2024.
35. News: Ford . William J. . Crowded field files to replace former Prince George’s County Council Member Mel Franklin . July 6, 2024 . . July 6, 2024.
36. News: Sanchez-Cruz . Rafael . Prince George's County Council At-Large candidate withdraws hours after announcing her bid . July 12, 2024 . . July 3, 2024.
37. News: Ford . William J. . Prince George's County special election cost estimated at $1.3 million, and counting . July 12, 2024 . . July 9, 2024.
38. News: Ford . William J. . Musical chairs could be in Prince George’s immediate electoral future . July 12, 2024 . . July 12, 2024.
39. News: Opilo . Emily . Baby Bonus question to pay new parents $1,000 gets OK to appear on Baltimore ballots . July 2, 2024 . . July 2, 2024.
40. News: Conrad . Brooke . Baltimore’s City Council is larger than panels in some similarly sized cities. Voters will decide whether to downsize it. . August 5, 2024 . Baltimore Sun . August 5, 2024.
41. News: Opilo . Emily . Baltimore ballot question financed by Sinclair Broadcast Group chair slashing City Council size garners 25K+ signatures . July 2, 2024 . . January 18, 2024.
42. News: Russell . Lia . Baltimore County Council votes to expand number of members, sends question to voters . July 2, 2024 . . July 1, 2024.
43. News: Wynn . Matt . Charter presented to Charles commissioners, charter board dissolved . July 30, 2024 . Southern Maryland News . July 24, 2024 . en.
44. News: Zimmardi . Abby . Howard County Council approves inspector general resolution . July 30, 2024 . The Baltimore Banner . July 29, 2024 . en.
45. News: Bixby . Ginny . Initiative to limit county executive to two terms will appear on November ballot . July 30, 2024 . MoCo360 . July 24, 2024.
46. News: Peck . Louis . Wicomico County Council puts referendum on ballot to do away with county executive’s office . June 2, 2024 . . June 19, 2024.