Now that all the votes from last month’s primary election in Maryland are in, here are some takeaways, including a look at some key Baltimore area races.

Turnout numbers may change slightly since the State Board of Elections is still analyzing the ballots and won’t officially certify the election until July 23.

But the overall picture is clear:

While midterm primary season was lively in other states thanks to contentious races – in Texas, for example, primary voters smashed recent midterm turnout records – it was sleepy in Maryland.

Deep blue and with only a few progressives challenging establishment Democrats, Maryland saw low voter engagement in the June 23 primary.

Four years ago, by contrast, there were some competitive match-ups in the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial primaries – and Democrat Wes Moore’s successful bid to become the state’s first Black governor added some buzz.

This year, with many incumbents running unopposed, there was little excitement – particularly in Baltimore.

Setting a Record for Low Turnout

Last month’s primary set new records for Baltimore – just not ones to get excited about.

The city had the lowest turnout since at least the 2010 midterm election, with only 18.9% of eligible voters casting ballots.

By comparison, overall Maryland turnout was 24%, and in Baltimore County it was 27%.

The only jurisdiction with a lower turnout was Cecil County, with a dismal 17.4%.

Baltimore’s historically low participation during primaries in non-presidential election years has gotten worse over time.

Other than in 2014 and 2018, when Marilyn Mosby running for state’s attorney generated some interest, turnout from eligible city voters has dropped each cycle since the start of the 21st century:

• In 2002, the turnout was more than 36%.

• In 2010, it dropped to 23%.

• In 2026, it slumped to below 19%.

An Exception: Ruff vs. Attar

There were some exceptions. The diverse 41st District, which wraps around the west and northwest corner of Baltimore, was a political hot spot.

Delegate Malcolm Ruff’s bid to unseat incumbent Senator Dalya Attar sparked a bigger turnout than any of the city’s other state senate races.

Of eligible 41st District Democratic voters, 28% cast ballots compared 26.5% in the same race in 2022.

At least 19,274 ballots were cast during the course of the race, which attracted extra attention because of Attar’s federal extortion and conspiracy charges.

In the end, Ruff, who had endorsements from Governor Moore, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and other prominent Democrats, beat Attar 60% to 40%.

Ruff outperformed Attar in every voting category: early voting, mail-in votes, provisional ballots and Election Day votes.

But his largest margin was on primary day, when 67% of voters cast their votes for him.

Ferguson vs. LaPin

 The 41st District wasn’t the only state senate race that saw a higher turnout.

In south and southeast Baltimore, the match-up between incumbent 46th District Senator Bill Ferguson and cheeky challenger Bobby LaPin resulted in a 25% turnout, up from 23.5% in 2022.

Touting his strength as Maryland Senate President and with a campaign boosted by outside support from online casino gambling interests and others, Ferguson defeated the social media personality and charter boat captain.

In one sense, Ferguson’s margin of victory was comfortable – 57% compared to LaPin’s 43%.

But it was surprisingly competitive given that Ferguson faced no opposition in both the 2018 and 2022 Democratic primaries.

Upset in the 45th

Just 299 votes appear to have made the difference for Chanel A. Branch, who is poised to defeat incumbent 41st District Delegate Stephanie M. Smith.

In the race to determine the three Democrats who will represent this east and northeast district, Smith came in fourth, behind incumbents Jackie Addison and Caylin A. Young and former Delegate Branch.

The race has not yet been officially called by the State Board of Elections, but it looks like a victory for Branch, the daughter of former House Majority Whip Talmadge Branch.

She previously represented the 45th district from 2020 to 2023, casting the tie-breaking vote for the position after Delegate Cheryl D. Glenn pleaded guilty to corruption charges and left office.

Branch lost the seat in 2022, placing fourth after Addison, Smith and Young. This time around – supported by the district’s senator, Cory V. McCray, Branch regained it. (“An organized effort to push me out,” Smith described it afterwards.)

Branch appears to have edged Smith by less than a single percentage point – 20.37% to 19.48%.

There was a significant drop of voter participation in this year’s District 45 primary, with 4,209 fewer total votes compared to 2022.

Low County Turnout

In the Baltimore County Executive race, where 4th District Councilman Julian E. Jones Jr. proved victorious over fellow councilmen Izzy Patoka and Pat Young, attorney Nick Stewart and marine veteran Mansoor Shams, 28.8% of eligible Democrats cast ballots.

In 2022, 30.3% turned out.

The decline in participation came in all voting categories except provisional and early voting – early voting saw 1,871 more ballots cast last month compared to 2022.

Participation was even lower in the Republican primary race for county executive.

In 2022, about 25% of eligible Republicans cast ballots during the county executive primary.

Last month, only 19.8% participated.

The drop came despite the number of eligible Republican voters in Baltimore County slightly increasing, from 137,081 in 2022 to 138,798 in 2026.

Democrats saw their voter totals drop during the same period, from 308,209 to 305,490.