2002 Maryland gubernatorial election

{{Short description|none}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}}  {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox election | election_name = 2002 Maryland gubernatorial election | country = Maryland | type = presidential | ongoing = no | turnout = 61.85% {{increase}} 1.26%<ref>{{cite web |title=2002 Gubernatorial General Election - Voter Turnout |url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2002/turnout/g_statewide.html |website=elections.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections |access-date=May 1, 2022}}</ref> | previous_election = 1998 Maryland gubernatorial election | previous_year = 1998 | next_election = 2006 Maryland gubernatorial election | next_year = 2006 | election_date = November 5, 2002  | image1 = File:Robertehrlichrep.jpg | image_size = 150x150px | nominee1 = '''Bob Ehrlich''' | party1 = Republican Party (United States) | running_mate1 = '''Michael Steele''' | popular_vote1 = '''879,592''' | percentage1 = '''51.55%'''  | image2 = File:Kathleen Kennedy Townsend giving out awards, 2001, cropped (cropped).jpg | nominee2 = Kathleen Kennedy Townsend | party2 = Democratic Party (United States) | running_mate2 = Charles R. Larson | popular_vote2 = 813,422 | percentage2 = 47.68% | map_image = 2002 Maryland gubernatorial election results map by county.svg | map_size = 295px | map_caption = County results '''Ehrlich:''' {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#d72f30|70–80%}} '''Townsend:''' {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} | title = Governor | before_election = Parris Glendening | before_party = Democratic Party (United States) | after_election = Bob Ehrlich | after_party = Republican Party (United States) }} {{ElectionsMD}} 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 {{CURRENTYEAR}}, 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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x4tKAQAAMAAJ|title=Maryland Manual|year=1987|publisher=Hall of Records Commission}}</ref>

==Democratic primary== ===Candidates=== *Robert Fustero, retired grocery store stock clerk and perennial candidate<ref name="sun-ollove">{{cite news |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2002/09/12/kkt-got-a-run-for-her-money/ |title=KKT got a run for her money |date=September 12, 2002 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |first=Michael |last=Ollove |access-date=April 1, 2026}}</ref> *Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, lieutenant governor

===Results=== {{Election box begin no change | title = Democratic primary results<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2002/results/p_governor.html|title = 2002 Gubernatorial Election}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Kathleen Kennedy Townsend | party = Democratic Party (United States) | votes = 434,948 | percentage = 80.01 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Robert Fustero | party = Democratic Party (United States) | votes = 108,659 | percentage = 19.99 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 543,607 | percentage = 100 }} {{Election box end}}

Fustero's receiving one-fifth of the vote brought surprise, given his non-political background and relatively small campaign spending of less than $1,500 to Kennedy Townsend's $2.3 million.<ref name="sun-ollove" /><ref name="longshot">{{cite news |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2002/09/11/long-shot-democrat-takes-20-of-votes-2/ |title=Long-shot Democrat takes 20% of votes |date=September 11, 2002 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=April 1, 2026}}</ref> Townsend's campaign spokesman said such results were typical for a challenger in a Maryland Democratic primary.<ref name="wpnobody">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/09/12/maryland/4ded9e6b-2b20-40cb-8c37-574508099675/ |title=A Nobody |date=September 11, 2002 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url-access=registration |access-date=April 2, 2026}}</ref> Fustero said it showed that a significant number of Democrats were not happy with Townsend,<ref name="longshot" /> and predicted (correctly) that Townsend would lose to Ehrlich in the general election.<ref name="sun-ollove" /> Fustero previously ran for Montgomery County Council and congress,<ref name="sun-ollove" /> and ran for Montgomery County executive in 2006, placing third in the Democratic primary.<ref name="">{{cite web |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/36loc/mo/elect/primary/mo2006p.html |title=Montgomery County, Maryland: Election Returns, Primary Election |date=September 12, 2006 |website=Maryland State Archives |access-date=April 2, 2026}}</ref> He died in 2013 at age 62.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/robert-r-fustero-maryland-activist-and-gadfly-dies-at-62/2013/10/22/ad8d6abc-3b32-11e3-b6a9-da62c264f40e_story.html |title=Robert R. Fustero, Maryland activist and gadfly, dies at 62 |date=October 22, 2013 |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Marc |last=Fisher |url-access=subscription |access-date=April 2, 2026}}</ref>

==Republican primary== ===Candidates=== *Bob Ehrlich, U.S. Representative *Ross Z. Pierpont, perennial candidate *James J. Sheridan

===Results=== {{Election box begin no change | title = Republican primary results<ref name="auto"/> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Bob Ehrlich | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 229,927 | percentage = 92.88 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = James J. Sheridan | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 9,181 | percentage = 3.71 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Ross Z. Pierpont | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 8,458 | percentage = 3.42 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 247,566 | percentage = 100 }} {{Election box end}}

==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.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/11/05/elec02.md.g.hotrace/index.html Election 2002] CNN. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122220333/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/11/05/elec02.md.g.hotrace/index.html |date=January 22, 2009 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.partners26nov26,0,836237,full.story?coll=bal-home-headlines |title=For this pair, the talking is over |access-date=2011-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522115934/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.partners26nov26,0,836237,full.story?coll=bal-home-headlines |archive-date=2011-05-22 |url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Predictions=== {| class="wikitable" !Source !Ranking !As of |- |The Cook Political Report<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cookpolitical.com:80/display.cfm?section=political&edit_id=225|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021208065752/http://www.cookpolitical.com/display.cfm?section=political&edit_id=225|archive-date=December 8, 2002|title=Governor Updated October 31, 2002 {{!}} The Cook Political Report|website=The Cook Political Report|language=en|date=October 31, 2002|access-date=September 18, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> | {{USRaceRating|Tossup}} |October 31, 2002 |- |Sabato's Crystal Ball<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.centerforpolitics.org:80/crystalball/governor_all.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021212142349/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/governor_all.htm|archive-date=December 12, 2002|title=Governors Races|website=www.centerforpolitics.org|language=en-US|date=November 4, 2002|access-date=September 18, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> | {{USRaceRating|Lean|R|Flip}} |November 4, 2002 |}

===Polling=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" |- valign=bottom ! Poll source ! Date(s) administered ! Sample size{{efn|name=key|Key: A – all adults RV – registered voters LV – likely voters V – unclear}} ! Margin {{nowrap|of error}} ! style="width:100px;"| Bob Ehrlich (R) ! style="width:100px;"| Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) ! Other / Undecided |- |SurveyUSA<ref>[https://www.surveyusa.com/2002Elec.html SurveyUSA]</ref> | align=center| October 31 – November 2, 2002 | align=center| 797 (LV) | align=center| ± 3.6% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| '''51%''' | align=center| 46% | align=center| 2% |}

===Results=== {{Election box begin | title=Maryland gubernatorial election, 2002}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link| |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Bob Ehrlich |votes = 879,592 |percentage = 51.55% |change = +6.74% }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Kathleen Kennedy Townsend |votes = 813,422 |percentage = 47.68% |change = -7.47% }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Libertarian Party (United States) |candidate = Spear Lancaster |votes = 11,546 |percentage = 0.68% |change = }} {{Election box candidate| |party = Write-ins |candidate = |votes = 1,619 |percentage = 0.09% |change = }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 66,170 |percentage = 3.88% |change = -6.45% }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = 1,706,179 |percentage = |change = }} {{Election box gain with party link| |winner = Republican Party (United States) |loser = Democratic Party (United States) |swing = }} {{Election box end}}

'''Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican''' * Alleghany (largest municipality: Cumberland) * Howard (largest municipality: Columbia)

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20021104112138/http://www.bobehrlich.com/home.html Official election website of Bob Ehrlich] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20021104230111/http://www.friendsofkathleen.com/ Official election website of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend]

Maryland 2002 Gubernatorial Category:Michael Steele