2010 Election guide

GOP recaptures the house

Nationwide anti-Democratic sentiment fueled large Republican gains in the House and Senate. Republicans gained the majority in the house by winning 60 seats. They also picked up five seats in the Senate. The fact that a different party controls each house could lead to more gridlock and compromise, said George Washington University political science professor Sarah Binder. "I think not much will be done at all," she said. "There will be more disagreement between the chambers, and that will dampen legislation."

If Republicans follow through on their promise to spend less, it is likely that federal funding in the D.C. area will be cut, said Binder. Since Republicans don't plan on cutting spending on defense, Medicare or Social Security, Binder predicts that they will cut federal worker pay and enact furloughs. "The local area will feel a pinch from this," she said. However, according to Georgetown University political science professor Steven Wayne, it is unclear how much influence Republicans will have, since the presidency and the Senate are still controlled by Democrats.

O'Malley defeats Ehrlich

Governor Martin O'Malley secured a comfortable reelection against long-time opponent, Robert Ehrlich Jr., defeating the Republican by 14 percentage points, the largest margin in a gubernatorial race in two decades.

According to University of Maryland American Politics professor Frances Lee, O'Malley was able to survive the Republican gains nationwide because Maryland's economy was not as bad as those of other states. Even though the economic recession and constant budget cuts hurt O'Malley's first term, voters supported O'Malley's dedication to prioritizing education and public safety.

Now that O'Malley has won, it is unlikely that major shifts in policy will occur, Lee said. O'Malley has said his top priority is to balance the state's budget, as he has done in previous years during the recession. The governor said he will not raise taxes but stated that cuts will have to be made. He also stressed that Maryland should avoid division along party lines and aim to move toward the political center.

Marijuana: close but no cigar

This year, Californians were able to vote on legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Proposition 19 was defeated 54 percent to 46 percent. Proponents of the proposition, like Richard Lee, a campaign leader for Yes on Proposition 19, argued that the close vote showed that marijuana is closer to being legalized in the future. "We have broken the glass ceiling," he said in a press statement. "Proposition 19 has changed the terms of the debate."

Binder said that the vote was a significant defeat for supporters because most people expected the ballot to pass. "Regardless of the size of the vote, I think it harms the progress that has been made," she said. Based on the results, recreational marijuana is still a long way from being legalized in Maryland and D.C., Binder added. "If they can't get it adopted there, I'm hard-pressed to see much support succeeding [in other states]," she said.

County rejects ambulance fees

Montgomery County residents voted against the ambulance fee referendum, which would have allowed the county to collect money from insurance companies with no additional charge to Montgomery County residents. The fee referendum was defeated 54 percent to 46 percent despite an active government campaign. Days before the vote, opponents sued County Executive Isiah Leggett's administration for allowing firefighters to electioneer during work hours. The lawsuit was not heard in court because it was filed too late, so it did not prevent firefighters from passing out flyers at the polls.

According to Leggett, the additional funding would have helped the county avoid a $13 million gap in the budget. However, opponents argued that the extra charges forced on insurance companies would trickle down to hurt individuals and small businesses.Leggett said he would no longer push for ambulance fees during his second term but did warn that severe cutbacks in the budget would occur to provide funding for the fire and rescue squads.