Gay Marriage
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland voters have approved same-sex marriage in a close vote.
Voters approved the ballot question on Tuesday with about 52 percent of the vote.
Gov. Martin O'Malley pushed for legislation this year. He spoke to a loudly cheering audience in Baltimore, where supporters danced, hugged and popped balloons in celebration. The governor said "every child's home deserves to be protected under the law."
The Democrat signed legislation in March to legalize same-sex marriage, but opponents successfully gathered enough signatures to petition the law to the ballot for voters to decide.
Dream Act
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland voters have approved allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public colleges.
It is the state's version of the Dream Act. Maryland is the first state in the nation to approve it by popular vote.
Undocumented immigrants can pay in-state rates if they attend a Maryland high school for three years and they or their parents can show they filed state income taxes during that time.
On the Dream Act, students would also have to state their intention to apply for permanent residency and register with the selective service, if they are required to do so.
You’ll soon be able to play table games in the state of Maryland…or visit a new casino near the nation’s capital after voters approved a measure to expand gaming in the state.
The measure received 52 percent of the vote.
Gaming interests spent nearly $80 million with MGM spending $30 million for the measure that will allow it to build an $800 million casino near the National Harbor.
Another $40 million came from gambling interests opposed to the measure fearful of competition.
New Faces On OC Town Council
There are some new faces on the Ocean City Town Council.
Dennis Dare came back after being ousted as City Manager while Joe Mitrecic won a seat on the council.
Meanwhile, incumbents Joe Hall and Jim Hall are out.
Dare was sent packing after the council said it wanted to go in a different direction.
But the former Town Manager was the big vote getter with over 19-hundred ballots cast.
Dare told the Salisbury Daily Times that his win is about doing good things for the resort not “calling shots or egos.”
Mayor rick Meehan also won reelection by nearly a 4-to-1 margin over Nick Campagnoli.
Tom Gordon Comeback
Tom Gordon made one of Delaware’s great political comeback as he beat Republican challenger Mark Blake to return as New Castle County Executive.
Eight years ago a scandal forced him to leave that office.
Gordon won 64 percent of the vote while his ally the Reverend Christopher Bullock won a seat on the County Council with 65 percent of the vote.
Both were open seats after Gordon beat incumbent Paul Clark in the September Democratic primary.
Other Delaware Races
Republican Party leader Greg Lavelle upset Democratic Senator Michael Katz during yesterday’s election in a contest for a district that includes many of the wealthiest communities in New Castle.
Lavelle won with just over 50 percent of the vote to 47.5 percent for Katz.
Lavelle challenged Katz after Democrats gerrymandered the Republican out of his House District.
Lavelle said he wanted to put the negative nature of the campaign behind him and to move forward.
The Wilmington News Journal reports that the race was one of Delaware’s most expensive campaigns of the 2012 season in the state.
It was one of the bright spots for the GOP with most candidates without much opposition.
Another closely watched race saw Republican Brian Pettyjohn who put his name on the ballot just days ago won the 19th Senate seat in central Sussex County.
In New Castle’s 12th District Republican incumbent Dori Connor lost to Democrat Nicole Poore.
Virginia and Maryland
Eastern Shore Virginians have a new Senator.
He’s former Governor Tim Kaine who beat out Republican George Allen.
Allen occupied that seat but was ousted 6 years ago Democrat Jim Webb…who decided not to run this year.
It was a narrow victory for Kaine who – not unexpectedly – lost the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
In Maryland incumbent Republican Andy Harris has become the face of the GOP in Congress for the state winning reelection in the First District.
Roscoe Barlett in the western part of the state lost his seat to John Delany after his congressional district was changed to include a large portion of Democratic Leaning Montgomery County.
Democrats now hold a 7 to 1 edge over the GOP in Maryland’s congressional delegation.
On a separate ballot question, Maryland voters also approved the state's congressional redistricting map. It had been petitioned to the ballot by opponents who said it had been gerrymandered to favor Democrats.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — President Barack Obama won Maryland's 10 electoral votes on Tuesday, an outcome that was expected in a heavily Democratic state.
Exit polling showed the president defeated Mitt Romney in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2-1 margin.
Around the state, turnout was robust. Voters stood in long lines in some places, with waits lasting more than two hours in parts of Baltimore County.
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Barack Obama defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Delaware, picking up the state's three electoral votes.
Neither candidate appeared in the state during the general election campaign, although Romney stopped in Wilmington during the GOP primary.
Obama's running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, cast his vote early Tuesday morning near his home in Greenville.
Obama's victory in Delaware was elected, given that Democrats heavily outnumber Republicans in the state.
