Cardin, O'Malley Win in Md. Races

Steele, the former chairman of the state GOP and the first African American elected to statewide office, campaigned on his charismatic personality and as an independent force who would stand up to both parties. His message was less about specific policies than about his desire to use government to "empower" people and provide "opportunities" for state residents.

Steele, with four years in elective office, faced an opponent who came to the race with a combined 40-years experience in Annapolis and Congress. Steele tried to cast Cardin as an insider out of touch with "real people" and a man who marched in step with the Washington politicians.

Cardin, who won the U.S. Senate nomination over former NAACP president Kweisi Mfume, tried to harness the widespread dissatisfaction over the Iraq war. In his commercials, mailings and appearances, Cardin reminded voters he "stood up to President Bush on the war" and reminded them that Steele had consistently supported the war. He informed potential voters that the president's allies recruited Steele to run for office and helped him raise campaign cash. Cardin also highlighted their differences on Social Security and health care.

Election day ushered in other new faces to replace legendary figures in Maryland politics. In addition to Sarbanes, Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. (D) is stepping down after 20 years in the post, and another fixture, Comptroller William Donald Schaefer (D), lost a bitter battle for reelection in the primary.

In the race for comptroller, Peter V.R. Franchot (D), a state delegate from Takoma Park, took on Anne M. McCarthy (R), the first woman dean of the University of Baltimore's business school. In the September primary, Franchot unexpectedly beat Schaefer, the former Baltimore mayor and two-term governor. McCarthy is a relative newcomer to the state and its politics.

In the attorney general race, Gansler ran to replace Curran by saying he would more aggressively fight environmental and white collar crime. His opponent, Rolle ran as a crime-fighter who would use the position to toughen laws for sex offenders and violent criminals.

Victories by Gansler and Franchot would give Montgomery County its first two candidates elected to statewide office since 1919.

"The Washington area is asserting itself with force by putting Ganlser and me in these important positions," Franchot, confident of victory, said before the polls closed. "There are going to be a lot less sarcastic comments about Montgomery County."

The frontrunner in the race for Montgomery County executive largely ignored his challengers after the September's primary, confident in his chances in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1. Democratic party nominee Isiah "Ike" Leggett, a former four-term county council member, appeared on his way to victory.

But Republican Chuck Floyd, a former state department employee, and independent Robin Ficker, an anti-tax activist who served one term in the Maryland House of Delegates, campaigned aggressively to the end, hoping to loosen the Democratic Party's grip on the county.

The winner will become the county's first new county executive in 12 years, succeeding popular executive Douglas M. Duncan (D). Leggett, the former chairman of the state Democratic Party, would also be the county's first African-American executive.

The tight contest for Anne Arundel county executive featured Democrat George F. Johnson IV, a three-term county sheriff, and Republican John R. Leopold, a state delegate. Leopold surprised the political community with an easy primary win over four other candidates, illustrating his commanding popularity in his suburban-Baltimore district. Johnson easily defeated his lone primary opponent, former Annapolis Mayor Dennis Callahan.

In Prince George's County, most of the Democratic party's candidates ran unchallenged or faced only token opposition. The Republican Party did not field candidates for county executive, state's attorney, sheriff and seven out of nine County Council seats, leaving the leadership of the county in Democratic hands.

There were some reports of voting problems but nothing to rival the scope of the problems on primary day. Electronic voting machines at some precincts -- including polling places in Friendship Heights and at the Rock Creek Forest Elementary School in Chevy Chase -- had to be taken off line because they malfunctioned.

Some voters complained of "vote inversion," where a vote in favor of one candidate somehow was switched to another before the ballot was cast. Long lines lasting up to an hour or longer drove some voters away from the polls.

Democrats were angered by the appearance of more than six chartered buses filled with some 300 workers from Philadelphia who came to Prince George's County polling places in order to urge people to vote for Ehrlich and Steele. The workers said they were greeted by First Lady Kendel Ehrlich, who gave out t-shirts and baseball caps. One worker, Erik Markle, said he was told he would be paid $100, plus two meals for the day.

Ehrlich said he wasn't aware of the hiring of the workers from Philadelphia. "If folks are here from out of town that's fine with me. That's what the Democrats have always done. It's legal and it's what the Democrats have done forever. This is a story?"

Staff writers Matthew Most, John Wagner, Ann E. Marimow, Steve Vogel, Rosalind S. Helderman, Mary Otto, Katherine Shaver and Aruna Jain contributed to this story.