MARYLAND
      Nov. 8, 2016 U.S. Senate

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+Chris Van Hollen (D)
1,659,907 60.89%
Kathy Szeliga (R)
 972,557 35.67%
Margaret Flowers (G) 89,970
 3.30%
write-ins 3,736
 0.14%

2,726,170
Voter Registration: 3,900,090.  Total Voters: 2,807,322.
Plurality: 687,350 votes (25.22 percentage points).
 MD State Board of Elections


Notes:  The retirement of Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) after 30 years of service in the Senate (first elected in 1986) created an open Senate seat. 

The primaries were held on April 26.  On the Democratic side (1, 2), U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen defeated U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards, who was running as the more progressive candidate, by 53.2% to 38.9%.  House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga emerged from a crowded Republican field. 

There was just one general election televised debate, held by CBS WJZ-TV 13 Baltimore and the University of Baltimore on Oct. 26 (>); only the two major party candidates were invited to participate (15% threshold), although the Green Party nominee tried to crash the event.  The two (10% threshold) also debated on "The Politics Hour" on radio station WAMU on Oct. 7 (>).

According to the FEC (>), for 2015-16 the Van Hollen campaign reported disbursements of $11.5 million compared to $1.5 million for the Szeliga campaign.  (Note that Van Hollen did face the primary contest with Edwards, whose campaign spent $3.8 million).

Democrats hold a more than 2 to 1 registration advantage and not surprisingly Van Hollen easily defeated Szeliga.

 

Campaign Managers:
Chris Van Hollen:  Pat Murray
(announced May 27, 2016 succeeding Sheila O'Connell)  Executive director of the Maryland Democratic Party from June 2015.  Candidate for MD House of Delegates in District 34A (Harford County) in 2014.  Director of state affairs at Johns Hopkins University from 2011.  Deputy chief of staff for Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr..  Senior policy adviser for Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Michael E. Busch.  Also served as executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party, and has worked on campaigns around the country, including races in Iowa, New York, Utah, and Virginia. Law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law, 2010; bachelor's degree in history from Swarthmore College, 2001.

Van Hollen primary campaign: Sheila O'Connell from March 2015.
.



See also:
Josh Hicks.  "Facing long odds in Senate bid, Kathy Szeliga – as usual – rolls up her sleeves.  The Washington Post, Oct. 31, 2016. .




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