In the race for the Democratic nomination to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Paul Sarbanes - With just over 24% of precincts reporting, Ben Cardin leads Kweisi Mfume by 9000 votes, or 45% - 37%.
The official results aren't being posted yet, so I don't know the area. Mfume would need a large vote in Baltimore City and County to counter the huge spending binge Cardin went on in the last few days.
As expected, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele is cruising to the Republican nomination with some 87% of the vote.
UPDATE 1 11:13 p.m.: With nearly 28% in, Cardin leads 45.2-35.5% for Mfume, and his vote total lead is over 12,000 now. The state site is still no help, as only one small county, Queen Anne's, has been posted there.
UPDATE 2 11:42 p.m.: Cardin is gradually widening his lead with 764 of 1793 Precincts Reporting - 42.61% of the total. He now leads by nearly 20,000 votes and over 10%, 46.3% - 36.0% over Mfume.
UPDATE 3 12:00 a.m.: With 908 of 1793 Precincts Reporting - 50.64% of the vote - Cardin still leads, 45.8 - 36.3%. I still can't determine if Baltimore is all out or not. If Baltimore is in, Mfume is toast. But if it is still out, he still has a chance, although it is becoming an outside one.
UPDATE 4 12:47 a.m.: 1188 of 1793 Precincts Reporting - 66.26% of total - and Cardin still holds a 9% lead at 46.0% -37.0%, about 29,000 votes. I suspect the Baltimore area is still out, though, as the relative lead has held roughly the same spread all night, and I expect a stronger showing for Mfume in the Baltimore area.
UPDATE 5 1:41 a.m.: The Baltimore Sun is calling the race for Cardin with 70% of precincts in. He has a 19,000 vote lead for a +8.3% edge. I'm still not sure, although it certainly seems that way. Guess it comes with age . . . I've been suspicious of late returns from urban areas ever since Chicago in 1960.
UPDATE 6 2:26 a.m.: With 1391 of 1793 Precincts Reporting - 77.58% of the total, Cardin has moved out to a 39,000 vote lead, 46.2 - 36.3%. This is a virtually insurmountable advantage.
Call it for Cardin, who ran the strongest in polls against the Republican nominee, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.
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2006 Senate Race, Maryland
Comments (5)
Jim, I'm following this rac... (Below threshold)1. Posted by COgirl | September 13, 2006 12:07 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Jim, I'm following this race as well for Hang Right Politics. Do you know if they go to a runoff if neither gets 50%?
1. Posted by COgirl | September 13, 2006 12:07 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 13, 2006 00:07
2. Posted by Corky Boyd | September 13, 2006 12:58 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Keep up the good reporting. The Sun and the WaPo have nothing and the Board of Elections is waaaay behind.
2. Posted by Corky Boyd | September 13, 2006 12:58 AM |
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Posted on September 13, 2006 00:58
3. Posted by Rory | September 13, 2006 1:17 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
COgirl
Looks like they passed the instant run off bill SB 292 but it does not go into effect until January 1, 2007.
Link to SB 292 Maryland
3. Posted by Rory | September 13, 2006 1:17 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 13, 2006 01:17
4. Posted by Richie | September 13, 2006 1:18 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Hey, I am watching this race closely.
My blog has been trying like hell
to help him out.
GO STEELE!!!
http://hiphoprepublican.com
4. Posted by Richie | September 13, 2006 1:18 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 13, 2006 01:18
5. Posted by Jim Addison | September 13, 2006 1:33 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
COgirl ~ Rory is right. There is no runoff - the winner is the winner.
The "instant runoff" - at least as proposed here - involves every voter taking a second choice. The votes for candidates out of the top two then go to their second choices, and the top votegetter wins, majority or not.
But as noted, that isn't yet in effect in Maryland.
BTW, it is closing a bit with 70% of the vote in. Mfume now trails by "only" 8.4% . . . I still can't say if Baltimore is out for sure, but it seems likely.
Could get closer, but he has a lot of votes to make up.
5. Posted by Jim Addison | September 13, 2006 1:33 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 13, 2006 01:33