Maryland's incumbent Gov. Larry Hogan's victory Tuesday marked the first time a GOP governor has nailed a re-election in the deep-blue state in 64 years, the Washington Examiner reported.
The Associated Press projected Hogan's victory over Democratic challenger, Ben Jealous, the former head of the NAACP; Hogan distanced himself from President Donald Trump during the race.
And though the Jealous campaign sought to portray Hogan as a conservative who had not stood up to President Donald Trump enough and was weakened by Democratic state lawmakers, voters disagreed.
"Hogan is not a real Republican," Michael Sheras of Rockville, Maryland, told The Washington Post, describing himself as a loyal Democrat since President Lyndon Johnson.
"He has done some really good things for the state."