The 2002 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. Democratic Governor

Parris Glendening Parris Nelson Glendening (born June 11, 1942) is an American politician and academic who served as the 59th Governor of Maryland from January 18, 1995, to January 15, 2003. Previously, he was the County Executive of Prince George's County, Mary ...

was term-limited and could not seek a third term. Republican

Bob Ehrlich Robert Leroy Ehrlich Jr. (born November 25, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 60th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, Ehrlich represented Maryland's 2nd Congressional district in the U.S. House of ...

defeated Democrat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, making him the first Republican governor of Maryland since Spiro Agnew in 1966. This was the last time Charles County voted Republican for any office. This election marked the first time since the 1934 gubernatorial election that a Republican won Maryland without Baltimore City or Montgomery County.

Democratic primary

Candidates

*Robert Fustero, perennial candidate * Kathleen Kennedy Townsend,

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

*Ross Z. Pierpont, perennial candidate *James J. Sheridan

Results

General election

Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend won the Democratic nomination, and Congressman

won the Republican nomination, both over token opposition. Ehrlich chose

Maryland Republican Party The Maryland Republican Party is the Maryland state branch of the Republican Party (GOP), headquartered in Annapolis. Current elected officials Members of Congress U.S. Senate *None Both of Maryland's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Demo ...

Chairman Michael Steele as his running mate, while Townsend chose Admiral

Charles R. Larson Charles Robert Larson (November 20, 1936 – July 26, 2014) was an Admiral of the United States Navy. Military career A 1958 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Larson twice served as Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis ...

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. Ehrlich ran advertisements assailing incumbent Governor

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.

Predictions

Polling

Results

Notes

References

{{2002 United States elections Maryland

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

Gubernatorial