Vice President Kamala Harris defeated former President Donald Trump to take Maryland’s 10 electoral votes, according to an Associated Press race call shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m.
Voters faced a stark choice between two candidates with drastically different temperaments and visions for the world’s largest economy and dominant military power. More than 82 million people voted early across the country. Those casting Election Day ballots mostly encountered a smooth process, with isolated reports of hiccups that occur regularly, including long lines, technical issues and ballot printing errors.
Harris, a Democrat, was a strong favorite over the Republican Trump, who only won about one-third of the Maryland vote on his way to winning the White House in 2016 and just 32.1% seeking reelection four years later. Democrats outnumber Republican by about 2-to-1 in Maryland.
Harris stands to be the first female president if elected and has promised to work across the aisle to tackle economic worries and other issues without radically departing from the course set by President Joe Biden. Trump has vowed to replace thousands of federal workers with loyalists, impose sweeping tariffs on allies and foes alike, and stage the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
Maryland’s electoral votes were never in doubt, but the race certainly is.
Harris and Trump entered Election Day focused on seven swing states, five of them carried by Trump in 2016 before they flipped to Biden in 2020: the “blue wall” of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as Arizona and Georgia. Nevada and North Carolina, which Democrats and Republicans respectively carried in the last two elections, also were closely contested.
For most Maryland voters, the choice between the candidates was clear.
Dami Showunmi, 18, emerged ahead of everyone else as polls opened at Roger Carter Community Center in Ellicott City. He cast the first ballot of his life for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Showunmi said while he didn’t like Trump while he was in office, and he really came around on the Harris-Walz ticket during the vice presidential debate, which he described as more controlled and productive than the “headbutting” at the presidential version.
One of the issues motivating Showunmi is health care, which he felt would not get better or more affordable under a second Trump presidency.
Outside Jacksonville Elementary in Northern Baltimore County, Peter Koscielski, 30, described himself as a rare centrist voter in an highly partisan era. Koscielski, an accountant, said he voted for Harris because he thought Trump’s actions and demeanor disqualified him for the nation’s highest office.
”The presidency should not be stained by unprofessionalism,” he said.
Derrick Taylor of Westminster, accompanied by his daughter, Harper, picked Trump for business reasons.
“Three and a half years ago, I was doing a lot better financially,” he said. He’s been delivering building materials for 20 years and the last three years has been the company’s worst. The costs have been “through the roof,” he said.
Taylor doesn’t care much about political parties. “I look at what’s been good in my life and then kind of look to see who’s running everything,” said Taylor.
Brenda Hart cast her ballot for president at Brooklyn Park Elementary with one goal in mind — protecting women’s right to control their own bodies. She said she voted for Harris and never considered Trump a viable option.
”For me, it was always her,” said Hart, 53, a nurse. “We’ve already tried Trump.”
Hart says she doesn’t believe Trump when he boasts about loving women and wanting to keep them safe. And as a woman, she is proud to support Harris, who she hopes will soon break through the highest glass ceiling and become the country’s first female president.
At Lime Kiln Middle School in Howard County, Christopher Garza, 66, voted for Trump. He said when Trump was previously in office, the economy was better, and he wants to return to that. Garza more closely aligns with Trump on foreign policy, saying the U.S. needs to protect its allies, namely Israel and Ukraine.
”It’s not a proper thing to sit at home when all these issues are in the news and we think there’s a candidate out there that can correct things and get us back on the right track,” Garza said.
Across the county, Ellicott City resident Seth Martin voted for the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein.
”Both Republican and Democratic candidates were dumpster fires and I refuse to support either one,” Martin, 43, said.
Baltimore Banner reporters Jessica Calefati, Kristen Griffin and Maya Lora contributed to this article.
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