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Hogan Blames Trump for Down-Ballot GOP Losses

Rachel Baye

Maryland voters overwhelmingly backed a second term for Republican Gov. Larry Hogan Tuesday, but at the same time they rejected several Republican candidates for state and local offices.

On Wednesday, state leaders reflected on what that means — or doesn’t mean — for the state.

Hogan said his win shows that voters are tired of divisive, partisan politics. He blamed President Donald Trump for Republican losses in several county executive and state legislative races.

“It was a repudiation of the president, who lost this state by 30 points,” he said. “People came out and expressed their frustration against just about all Republicans” — except for Hogan, who bested Ben Jealous by about 16 points.

State Senate President Mike Miller blamed Jealous’s progressive policies for the loss. He said they are too liberal for Maryland.

“If we’d had our county executive from Prince George’s County, Rushern Baker, the Democrat would have done a whole lot better. If we’d had the former chairman of the Board of Regents, who was that — Jim Shea, the Democrat would have done a whole lot better,” Miller said.

Shea and Baker both lost to Jealous in the primary.

Rachel Baye is a senior reporter and editor in WYPR's newsroom.
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