Maryland - A New Sheriff In Town

The dust has finally started to settle on the election results from Tuesday. Democrats are slowly clearing the cobwebs and trying to figure out exactly which elephant ran them over.

Anyway, here are a few of my local observations....

First off, congrats to Larry Hogan on becoming Maryland's next Governor. Hogan, who many people didn't give a snowball's chance in hell, will become only the second Republican to occupy the State House in the last 40 years. His opponent, Anthony Brown, was clearly hobbled by his association with current Governor, Martin Owe'Malley. Maryland residents are fed up with the Owe'Malley/Brown tax hikes over the past several years and they showed it at the polls on Tuesday.

Now, one of the things that I found intriguing about Brown's campaign was that I kept hearing, "Let's make history by electing Maryland's first African-American Governor". I can't help but wonder who in the hell they were referring to? Brown's father was Jamaican and his mother was Swiss. So, how does that make him African-American? Am I missing something here? I think we all know that this was just another attempt by the Dems to use race as a weapon. Apparently, it didn't work this time....

Not surprising, Brown took the majority of the vote in Montgomery and Prince Georges counties, as well as Baltimore City. These heavily Democratic voting areas, are usually all that a Democrat would need to win the overall election in Maryland. But Larry Hogan, with the exception of the big three and St. Mary's County, won every other county in Maryland. In the end, Hogan won by approximately 76,000 votes.

Interestingly enough, the voter turnout was below 40% in Montgomery and P.G. Counties and likewise in Baltimore City (actually, no county was over 50%). So, in effect, Hogan won by default as the majority of the voters sat this one out. I don't understand why people wouldn't exercise their right to vote. But that's another story. Nonetheless, if I were Antony Brown, I would be pissed. He spends endless hours campaigning and people can't get off of their asses to cast a vote? That's got to be beyond frustrating.

With that being said, I breathe a sigh of relief seeing Hogan heading to Annapolis instead Brown. I have nothing person against the man. I just feel like Brown would have essentially been a third term of Owe'Malley and ultimately more tax hikes. By the way, don't you find it ironic that Maryland is called "The Free State"? If it's so free, why does it cost me money every time it rains?

Speaking of Owe'Malley, did you notice how he was visibly absent when his Lieutenant Governor was giving his concession speech? I'll bet that if Brown had been giving a victory speech, Owe'Malley would have been on the stage with his sleeves rolled up and tie undone. It would been such a nice photo-op for his upcoming Presidential run.

Anyway, with Larry Hogan, perhaps Maryland can move into a new direction.....a land where people aren't taxed on the rain and a place where businesses can thrive instead of having their pockets picked by an insatiable tax-and-spend government. When businesses pack up and move out of state, there is no tax revenue. How much sense does that make?

The people spoke. They wanted change. Now, let's see how it works out.........

kw