Ben Jealous has taken home the Maryland Democratic Gubernatorial Nomination during Tuesday's Primary Elections, according to the Associated Press.
Election results as of right now:
Precincts polled: 99%
Ben Jealous - 40% - 220,045 votes
Rushern Baker - 29% - 161,963 votes
Jim Shea - 8% - 45,846 votes
Krish Vignarajah - 8% - 45, 222 votes
Rich Madaleno - 6% - 31,647 votes
Alec Ross - 2% - 12,887 votes
Ralph Jaffe - 2% - 8,822 votes
James Jones - 2% - 8,572 votes
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The two favorites heading into today’s election were former NAACP President Ben Jealous and Montgomery County Executive Rushern Baker.
The remaining six candidates include Ralph Jaffe, Ben Jealous, James Hugh Jones II, Maryland State Senator Richard Madaleno, Alec Ross, Jim Shea, and Krish Vignarajah.
Jealous has carried the banner of the more progressive front of the Democratic Party, pursuing endorsements from local unions, the Maryland State Education Association, California Senator Kamala Harris and New Jersey Senator Corey Booker, and campaigning with 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Baker received endorsements from some established politicians like former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, sitting Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, and Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer and John Delaney.
State Senator Richard Madaleno brings arguably the most governmental experience as a member of the state legislative body since 2007, sitting in several high ranking positions on state committees during that tenure.
Prior to the election, the candidates engaged in debate at WMAR-2 News' studio in mid-June.
A frequent remark this election cycle has been the difficulty the candidates have differentiating from each other, as they largely agree on many progressive issues, from better investment in education, to the legalization of recreational cannabis, to their loathing of President Donald Trump. Often they have tried to bolster their positions by projecting themselves as the most formidable opponent for Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican who is running unopposed in that party's primary, for November's General Election.
A particular wrinkle to primary balloting may be voters confused by the presence of Kevin Kamenetz and his running mate Valerie Ervin still appearing as candidates. Kamenetz died suddenly from cardiac arrest in May. Ervin assumed his spot in the race shortly thereafter, but she folded her campaign in mid-June, throwing her support behind Baker.
Voters may also have issues when they show up to vote, as a computer issue between the Maryland Motor Vehicles Association and the State Board of Elections may leave 80,000 potential voters filing provisional ballots. The problem could easily delay official results until early July.
This story will be updated as results come in.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the gubernatorial race
READ MORE: WMAR's pre-election coverage
