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2002 Maryland gubernatorial election

← 1998 November 5, 2002 2006 →
Turnout	61.85% 1.26%
Nominee Bob Ehrlich Kathleen Kennedy Townsend Party Republican Democratic Running mate Michael Steele Charles R. Larson Popular vote 879,592 813,422 Percentage 51.55% 47.68%
County results Ehrlich:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Townsend:      60–70%      70–80%
Governor before election Parris Glendening Democratic Elected Governor Bob Ehrlich Republican

Elections in Maryland
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Government
v t e

The 2002 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Democratic Governor Parris Glendening was term-limited and could not seek a third term. Republican Bob Ehrlich defeated Democrat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, making him the first Republican governor of Maryland since Spiro Agnew, who served from 1967 to 1969. As of 2024, this is the last time Charles County voted Republican in a statewide election.

This election marked the first time since the 1934 gubernatorial election that a Republican won Maryland without Baltimore City or Montgomery County.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Robert Fustero, perennial candidate
• Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, lieutenant governor

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Bob Ehrlich, U.S. Representative
• Ross Z. Pierpont, perennial candidate
• James J. Sheridan

Results

General election

Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend won the Democratic nomination, and Congressman Bob Ehrlich won the Republican nomination, both over token opposition.

Ehrlich chose Maryland Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele as his running mate, while Townsend chose Admiral Charles R. Larson as her running mate. Larson switched to the Democratic Party just a few weeks before the election.

Kennedy's selection of Larson as her running mate proved to be an unpopular move, seeing as he was a white former Republican and had been selected without consultation with black Democratic leaders. Ehrlich ran advertisements assailing incumbent Governor Parris Glendening for the increasingly dismal fiscal situation in Maryland, an issue that resonated with Maryland voters. Glendening's unpopularity did little to help his Lieutenant Governor's flailing campaign.

Predictions

Polling

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Alleghany (largest municipality: Cumberland)
• Howard (largest municipality: Columbia)

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear

References

1. "2002 Gubernatorial General Election - Voter Turnout". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
2. Maryland Manual. Hall of Records Commission. 1987.
3. ^ "2002 Gubernatorial Election".
4. Election 2002 CNN. Archived January 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
5. "For this pair, the talking is over". Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
6. "Governor Updated October 31, 2002 | The Cook Political Report". The Cook Political Report. October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on December 8, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
7. "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
8. SurveyUSA

External links

• Official election website of Bob Ehrlich
• Official election website of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend

v t e Elections in Maryland
General	1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1982 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Governor	1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 (sp) 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 (Jan.) 1838 (Oct.) 1841 1844 1847 1850 1853 1857 1861 1864 1867 1871 1875 1879 1883 1887 1891 1895 1899 1903 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1969 (sp) 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
State Senate	1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
House of Delegates	1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
U.S. President	1788 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
U.S. Senate	1788 1790 1791 1793 1793 (sp) 1795 1796 1796 (sp) 1797 (sp) 1800 (sp) 1801 (sp) 1802 1806 1806 (sp) 1808 1809 1813 (sp) 1816 (sp) 1819 1819 (sp) 1821 1822 (sp) 1825 1826 (sp) 1827 1831 1833 1835 (sp) 1836 (sp) 1837 1838 (sp) 1839 1839 (sp) 1841 (sp) 1843 1849 1850 (sp) 1851 1855 1861 1864 (sp) 1865 (sp) 1868 (sp) 1874 1880 1884 1886 1890 1892 1892 (sp) 1896 1898 1902 1904 1908 1908 (sp) 1910 1913 (sp) 1914 1916 1920 1922 1926 1928 1932 1934 1938 1940 1944 1946 1950 1952 1956 1958 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024
U.S. House	1789 1790 1792 1794 1798 1803 1806 1822 1826 1829 1831 1833 1835 1837 1839 1841 1844 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Attorney General	1895 1899 1903 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Comptroller	1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1909 1911 1913 1915 1917 1919 1921 1923 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
County Executive	2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2025 sp
County offices	2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
See also: Political party strength in Maryland

• 2002 United States gubernatorial elections
• Maryland gubernatorial elections
• 2002 Maryland elections
• Michael Steele