It’s considered one of the most Democratic states in the country.
There are more than twice as many registered Democrats in Maryland than Republicans. There isn’t a single Republican elected statewide.
Yet with hours until the polls open, the governor’s race in Maryland is believed by both parties to be surprisingly close.
Over the weekend, Cook Political Report reclassified the race as a tossup. One poll, conducted by Gonzales Research, shows Democratic nominee Anthony Brown leading Republican Larry Hogan by just two points.
During a recent visit to Maryland, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who leads the Republican Governors Association, said he was there to show that a Republican can win a heavily-Democratic state.
“It can happen,” Christie said. “I mean, listen. You know, you’ll have all kinds of people in the last couple weeks of the race in a tough state like this demographically who will tell you that it can’t happen. And I’m here to show people I’m living proof it can not only happen once but it can happen twice.”
Speaking again about Christie, Hogan said: “I tell you what, with his help, I actually believe the biggest upset in the country is going to be right here in Maryland.”
Who is Larry Hogan?
“Larry Hogan is not a career politician,” his website says. “He is a small businessman, a concerned citizen, and a lifelong Marylander who loves this state. Hogan is the Founder, President, and CEO of The Hogan Companies, a leader in economic development for over 25 years, and has brought hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs to Maryland. He clearly understands how government policy can have an impact on business growth and job creation.”
Hogan served as secretary of appointments under Bob Ehrlich, the Republican who became governor of Maryland in the 2002 election.
Brown is the lieutenant governor of Maryland. Hogan has run ads linking Brown to Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley, portraying him as an irresponsible tax and spend liberal.
As The Daily Caller’s Matt Lewis has pointed out, the unpopular President Barack Obama made one of his rare campaign appearances in support of Brown, in hopes of driving up the black vote. But Brown’s polls numbers went down after that visit.