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Maryland State Senate elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16
- Early voting: Oct. 25 - Nov. 1
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Only during early voting period
- Voter ID: No ID required generally
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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| 2018 Maryland Senate elections | |
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| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | June 26, 2018 |
| Past election results |
| 2014・2010・2006・2002 |
| 2018 elections | |
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Democrats kept control of the Maryland State Senate in the 2018 elections, winning 32 seats to Republicans' 15 seats. All 47 Senate seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Democrats held 33 seats to Republicans' 14.
Following the 2018 election, Maryland continued to be under divided government with incumbent Gov. Larry Hogan (R) winning the governor's office and Democrats maintaining control of both chambers of the state legislature. Maryland became under divided government in 2014 after Hogan was first elected to the governor's office. Prior to the 2014 election, Democrats controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Because state senators in Maryland serve four-year terms, winning candidates in the 2018 election served through 2022 and played a role in Maryland's redistricting process—the drawing of boundary lines for congressional and state legislative districts. Prior to 2020-2022, redistricting last took place in Maryland from 2010-2012. Read more below.
The Maryland State Senate was one of 87 state legislative chambers with elections in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Maryland state senators serve four-year terms, with all seats up for election every four years.
Post-election analysis
- See also: State legislative elections, 2018
The Democratic Party maintained supermajority status in both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly in the 2018 election. In the state Senate, all 47 seats were up for election. The Democratic Maryland State Senate supermajority was reduced from 33-14 to 32-15. Four Democratic incumbents and one Republican incumbent were defeated in the primary. Two incumbents were defeated in the general election; one Democrat and one Republican.
The Maryland House of Delegates held elections for all 141 seats. The Democratic supermajority in the House of Delegates increased from 91-50 to 99-42. Eight Democratic incumbents were defeated in the primary and six Republican incumbents were defeated in the general election.
National background
On November 6, 2018, 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 6,073 of 7,383 total seats, meaning that nearly 82 percent of all state legislative seats were up for election.
- Entering the 2018 election, Democrats held 42.6 percent, Republicans held 56.8 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.6 percent of the seats up for regular election.
- Following the 2018 election, Democrats held 47.3 percent, Republicans held 52.3 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.4 percent of the seats up for regular election.
- A total of 469 incumbents were defeated over the course of the election cycle, with roughly one-third of them defeated in the primary.
Want more information?
- Incumbents defeated in 2018's state legislative elections
- 2018 election analysis: Partisan balance of state legislative chambers
- 2018 election analysis: Number of state legislators by party
- 2018 election analysis: State legislative supermajorities
Candidates
General election
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
Primary election
Margins of victory
A margin of victory (MOV) analysis for the 2018 Maryland State Senate races is presented in this section. MOV represents the percentage of total votes that separated the winner and the second-place finisher. For example, if the winner of a race received 47 percent of the vote and the second-place finisher received 45 percent of the vote, the MOV is 2 percent.
The table below presents the following figures for each party:
- Elections won
- Elections won by less than 10 percentage points
- Elections won without opposition
- Average margin of victory[1]
| Maryland State Senate: 2018 Margin of Victory Analysis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Elections won | Elections won by less than 10% | Unopposed elections | Average margin of victory[1] |
 Democratic |
||||
 Republican |
||||
 Other |
||||
| Total | ||||
The margin of victory in each race is presented below. The list is sorted from the closest MOV to the largest (including unopposed races).
Seats flipped
The below map displays each seat in the Maryland State Senate which changed partisan hands as a result of the 2018 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2018. Hover over a shaded district for more information.
| State legislative seats flipped in 2018, Maryland State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | 2018 winner | Direction of flip |
| Maryland State Senate District 38 | James Mathias Jr. |
Mary Beth Carozza |
D to R |
| Maryland State Senate District 42 | James Brochin |
Chris West |
D to R |
| Maryland State Senate District 9 | Gail Bates |
Katie Hester |
R to D |
Incumbents retiring
Ten incumbents did not run for re-election in 2018.[2] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Current Office |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Kasemeyer |  Democratic |
Senate District 12 |
| Rich Madaleno | Democratic |
Senate District 18 |
| Roger Manno | Democratic |
Senate District 19 |
| Ulysses Currie | Democratic |
Senate District 25 |
| C. Anthony Muse | Democratic |
Senate District 26 |
| John Astle | Democratic |
Senate District 30 |
| James DeGrange, Sr. | Democratic |
Senate District 32 |
| Linda Norman |  Republican |
Senate District 35 |
| James Brochin | Democratic |
Senate District 42 |
| Victor Ramirez | Democratic |
Senate District 47 |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Election Law, Title 5 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
For principal party candidates
A candidate for federal, statewide, or state legislative office seeking the nomination of a principal political party in a primary election must submit to the Maryland State Board of Elections a certificate of candidacy, which notes the office being sought, the year of the election, the name and address of the candidate, and includes a statement verifying that the candidate satisfies the legal requirements for candidacy for the office being sought. A candidate for statewide or state legislative office must also submit a financial disclosure form to the Maryland State Ethics Commission.[3][4]
A principal party candidate must pay a filing fee. Fees vary according to the office being sought and are established by statute. Fees are detailed in the table below.[5]
| Filing fees for principal party candidates | |
|---|---|
| Office sought | Filing fee |
| Governor, Lieutenant Governor, United States Senator, Comptroller of the Treasury, Attorney General | $290 |
| United States Representative | $100 |
| Member of the General Assembly | $50 |
All required paperwork and filing fees must be submitted to the appropriate office by 9 p.m. on the last Tuesday in February of the election year. It should be noted that the certificate of candidacy must be submitted in person (or by certified mail, personal messenger, or delivery service if the candidate is unable to file in person due to illness, military service, or temporary absence from the state).[3][6]
For non-principal party candidates
Non-principal party candidates file paperwork in two phases. First, a candidate must submit a declaration of intent to the Maryland State Board of Elections. This form must be filed by the last Tuesday in February of the election year. A filing fee does not have to be paid at this time.[3][7]
By 5 p.m. on the first Monday in August of the election year, the candidate must submit to the Maryland State Board of Elections a certificate of nomination signed by the officers of the candidate's party (non-principal parties may determine for themselves the methods by which they nominate candidates). The candidate must also submit at this time the same financial disclosure form as principal party candidates. Non-principal party candidates must likewise pay the same filing fees as principal party candidates.[3][7]
For independent candidates
Independent candidates file paperwork in two phases. First, a candidate must submit a declaration of intent to the Maryland State Board of Elections. This form must be filed no later than the first Monday in July.[3][8][9]
By 5 p.m. on the first Monday in August of the election year, the candidate must submit a certificate of candidacy to the Maryland State Board of Elections and a financial disclosure form to the Maryland State Ethics Commission. The candidate must also submit to the Maryland State Board of Elections a petition signed by either 10,000 registered voters, or 1 percent of the total number of voters who are eligible to vote for the office being sought by the candidate, whichever is less. Independent candidates must also pay the same filing fees as party candidates.[3][8]
For write-in candidates
A write-in candidate for either the primary or general election who intends to have his or her votes tallied must file a certificate of candidacy and a financial disclosure form. The deadline for filing these materials with the appropriate office is the earlier of the following:[6]
- seven days after a total expenditure of at least $51 is made to promote the candidacy by the candidate's campaign finance entity
- 5 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding the day of the election
Qualifications
Section 9 of Article 3 of the Maryland Constitution states, "A person is eligible to serve as a Senator or Delegate, who on the date of his election, (1) is a citizen of the State of Maryland, (2) has resided therein for at least one year next preceding that date, and (3) if the district which he has been chosen to represent has been established for at least six months prior to the date of his election, has resided in that district for six months next preceding that date.
If the district which the person has been chosen to represent has been established less than six months prior to the date of his election, then in addition to (1) and (2) above, he shall have resided in the district for as long as it has been established.
A person is eligible to serve as a Senator, if he has attained the age of twenty-five years, or as a Delegate, if he has attained the age of twenty-one years, on the date of his election.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[10] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $54,437/year | $115/day for lodging. $63/day for meals. |
When sworn in
Maryland legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January after the election.[11]
Maryland political history
Party control
2018
In the 2018 elections, the Democratic majority in the Maryland State Senate was reduced from 33-14 to 32-15.
| Maryland State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 33 | 32 | |
| Republican Party | 14 | 15 | |
| Total | 47 | 47 | |
2014
In the 2014 elections, Democrats maintained their majority in the Maryland State Senate, but Republicans gained two seats.
| Maryland State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2014 | After November 4, 2014 | |
| Democratic Party | 35 | 33 | |
| Republican Party | 12 | 14 | |
| Total | 47 | 47 | |
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Democrats in Maryland held a state government trifecta from 1992 to 2002 and 2007 to 2014.
Maryland Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty-two years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Wave election analysis
- See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)
The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?
Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.
Applying this definition to state legislative elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose 494 seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.
The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 state legislative waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.
| State legislative wave elections | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | President | Party | Election type | State legislative seats change | Elections analyzed[12] | |
| 1932 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -1,022 | 7,365 | |
| 1922 | Harding | R | First midterm | -907 | 6,907 | |
| 1966 | Johnson | D | First midterm[13] | -782 | 7,561 | |
| 1938 | Roosevelt | D | Second midterm | -769 | 7,179 | |
| 1958 | Eisenhower | R | Second midterm | -702 | 7,627 | |
| 2010 | Obama | D | First midterm | -702 | 7,306 | |
| 1974 | Ford | R | Second midterm[14] | -695 | 7,481 | |
| 1920 | Wilson | D | Presidential | -654 | 6,835 | |
| 1930 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -640 | 7,361 | |
| 1954 | Eisenhower | R | First midterm | -494 | 7,513 | |
Competitiveness
Every year, Ballotpedia uses official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Nationally, there has been a steady decline in electoral competitiveness since 2010. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition has dropped by more than 10 percent.
Results from 2016
Click here to read the full study »
Historical context
Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.
Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.
Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.
Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.
Redistricting in Maryland
- See also: Redistricting in Maryland
Because state senators in Maryland serve four-year terms, winning candidates in the 2018 election served through 2022 and played a role in Maryland's redistricting process—the drawing of boundary lines for congressional and state legislative districts. Prior to 2020-2022, redistricting last took place in Maryland from 2010-2012.
State process
In Maryland, the primary authority to adopt both congressional and state legislative district lines rests with the state legislature. The governor submits a state legislative redistricting proposal (an advisory commission appointed by the governor assists in drafting this proposal). The state legislature may pass its own plan by joint resolution, which is not subject to gubernatorial veto. If the legislature fails to approve its own plan, the governor's plan takes effect. Congressional lines are adopted solely by the legislature and may be vetoed by the governor.[15]
The Maryland Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous, compact, and "give 'due regard' for political boundaries and natural features." No such requirements apply to congressional districts.[15]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in Maryland. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Maryland with 60.3 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 33.9 percent. In presidential elections between 1789 and 2016, Maryland voted Democratic 52 percent of the time and Republican 21 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Maryland voted Democratic all five times.[16]
See also
- Maryland State Senate
- Maryland State Legislature
- State legislative elections, 2018
- Maryland state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- Maryland state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Excludes unopposed elections
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Annotated Code of Maryland, "Election Law, Title 5, Subtitle 3, Section 304," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Maryland State Ethics Commission, "State Employees/Officials," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ Annotated Code of Maryland, "Election Law, Title 5, Subtitle 4, Section 401," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Annotated Code of Maryland, "Election Law, Title 5, Subtitle 3, Section 303," accessed May 28, 2025
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Annotated Code of Maryland, "Election Law, Title 5, Subtitle 7, Section 703.1," accessed May 16, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Annotated Code of Maryland, "Election Law, Title 5, Subtitle 7, Section 703," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "Maryland Deadline Victory Confirmed," September 23, 2016
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Maryland Constitution, "Article III, Section 6," accessed February 11, 2021
- ↑ The number of state legislative seats available for analysis varied, with as many as 7,795 and as few as 6,835.
- ↑ Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
- ↑ Gerald Ford's (R) first term began in August 1974 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (R), who was first elected in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972. Because Ford only served for two full months before facing the electorate, this election is classified as Nixon's second midterm.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 All About Redistricting, 'Maryland," accessed April 30, 2015
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Maryland," accessed June 22, 2017
