In one of the night’s biggest surprises, NBC News projects Republican Larry Hogan will defeat Democrat Anthony Brown to become the next governor of the heavily Democratic state of Maryland.
Brown was vying to become the state’s first African American governor and served as lieutenant governor under Martin O’Malley. But his association with the increasingly unpopular outgoing governor cost him votes.
Hogan’s campaign focused heavily on the economy, promising more jobs and to roll back tax increases passed under O’Malley.
-- Andrew Rafferty