Maryland Election Results for 2010

Maryland had a number of tough races going on, as well as a number of different ballots to be considered. The results of the 2010 elections for Maryland are as follows.

Concerning the governor election between Martin O'Malley and Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. Martin O'Malley won by a wider margin than any candidate in the state of Maryland has in twenty years. Martin O'Malley beat his opponent 55.8 percent to 42.3 (Washington Post, 2010) .

As far as the shift of power is concerned between the parties, the Republicans took back control of the House. The Republicans made great gains in the Senate also; however, the Democrats still have predominated control. Republicans feel upset that their party could not gain complete control, while Obama and his supporters are unhappy that the Democrats could not remain as powerful as they have been. This change in political power may cause difficulties with some legislation being passed that the Democrats have hoped for, such as the legislation regarding the healthcare reform. Not to mention, there will not be as much reliance on federal funding, which will trouble some areas that have relied on it the most (Washington Post, 2010).

There were two ballot issues that were to be considered by individuals residing in Montgomery County and Anne Arundel County. The ballot issue that was brought before residents of Montgomery County was whether or not a fee should be charged for ambulance services. EMT Workers and paid fire fighters supported the fee, saying that the money that came from these fees would help to expand services in the county to help county residents. These individuals went to the doors of many, trying to convince them why paying a fee would be a good idea. Volunteer fire fighters and other volunteer workers were against such a fee being charged, and they persuaded residents not to support it. Most Montgomery County residents voted "no" and the fee was voted down. There were the slot machines in Anne Arundel County. Residents in this county were to vote for whether or not they'd allow slot machines in the county to improve services and provide more revenue. Fifty-six percent of the voters voted that they would allow slots, and now, one of the largest slot machine parlors in Maryland's industry will be set up next to the shopping mall. These individuals said that they'd overlook the concerns that other state that gambling will cause, such as an influx of traffic, which may jam the streets, and gambling related problems (Washington Post, 2010).