1998 Maryland gubernatorial election
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The 1998 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic governor Parris Glendening sought re-election. Governor Glendening emerged victorious from the Democratic primary after defeating several candidates. Former state delegate Ellen Sauerbrey, who was the 1994 Republican nominee for governor, ran again for governor and won her party's nomination. The election between Glendening and Sauerbrey four years prior was extremely contentious, and ended with the Sauerbrey campaign challenging the results.[2] Ultimately, despite the controversial nature of the previous election, Governor Glendening comfortably beat back Sauerbrey's spirited challenge, winning his second and final term as governor. As of 2024[update], this was the last time that Allegany County voted Democratic in a gubernatorial election and the last time that the lieutenant gubernatorial nominee of the winning ticket was not a person of color.
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November 3, 1998
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| Turnout | 60.59%  0.08%[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Glendening: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Sauerbrey: 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- Lawrence K. Freeman, Lyndon LaRouche activist and perennial candidate
- Parris Glendening, incumbent governor of Maryland
- Terence McGuire, physician
- Eileen M. Rehrmann, Harford County Executive
Withdrew
- Ray Schoenke, Insurance executive retired professional football player[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Parris Glendening (inc.) | 296,863 | 70.09 | |
| Democratic | Eileen M. Rehrmann | 56,806 | 13.41 | |
| Democratic | Terence McGuire | 46,124 | 10.89 | |
| Democratic | Lawrence K. Freeman | 23,752 | 5.61 | |
| Total votes | 423,545 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Charles I. Ecker, Howard County Executive
- Ellen Sauerbrey, former State Delegate and nominee for governor in 1994
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ellen Sauerbrey | 175,633 | 81.03 | |
| Republican | Charles I. Ecker | 41,126 | 18.97 | |
| Total votes | 216,759 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Parris Glendening (D) |
Ellen Sauerbrey (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[5] | October 26–28, 1998 | 827 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 44% | 43% | 13% |
| Potomac Survey Research[5][A] | October 23–25, 1998 | 1,205 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 52% | 44% | 4% |
| Washington Post[5] | October 18–22, 1998 | 919 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 49% | 44% | 7% |
| Mason-Dixon[5] | October 15–17, 1998 | 821 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 46% | 44% | 10% |
| Potomac Survey Research[5][A] | September 29 – October 3, 1998 | 1,204 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 45% | 47% | 8% |
| Mason-Dixon[5] | September 18–20, 1998 | 804 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 45% | 44% | 11% |
| Potomac Survey Research[5][A] | September 3–7, 1998 | 1,204 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 45% | 44% | 11% |
| Mason-Dixon[5] | July 16–18, 1998 | 847 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 48% | 41% | 11% |
| Potomac Survey Research[5][A] | July 9–13, 1998 | 1,204 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 44% | 38% | 18% |
| Washington Post[5] | June 11–17, 1998 | 1,055 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 50% | 38% | 12% |
| Mason-Dixon[5] | April 2–5, 1998 | 803 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 45% | 41% | 14% |
| Mason-Dixon[5] | January 14–16, 1998 | 801 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 43% | 40% | 17% |
| Mason-Dixon[5] | July 17–19, 1997 | 805 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 42% | 45% | 13% |
| Mason-Dixon[5] | January 7–10, 1997 | 803 (RV) | ± 3.3% | 44% | 37% | 19% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Parris Glendening (inc.) | 846,972 | 55.14% | +4.93% | |
| Republican | Ellen Sauerbrey | 688,357 | 44.82% | −4.97% | |
| Write-ins | 649 | 0.04% | |||
| Majority | 158,615 | 10.33% | +9.90% | ||
| Turnout | 1,535,978 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
- Partisan clients
- Poll sponsored by The Baltimore Sun