Seven incumbents took commanding leads as they sought renomination for spots in Maryland's congressional delegation, while a battle was waged for the eighth seat, vacated by U.S. Rep. Helen Delich Bentley, the five-term Republican who chose to run for governor rather than seek re-election.
Mrs. Bentley's voluntary departure from a district tailor-made for her spurred nine candidates to run for her seat, making for probably the most interesting congressional race in Maryland.
Democrats in the district hold a 2-1 voter registration edge, but the 2nd District, which includes eastern Baltimore County, Harford County and part of northern Anne Arundel County, has favored conservative candidates in recent elections.
In fact, the Democratic front-runner going into the primary, Towson Del. Gerry L. Brewster, has talked more like a Republican than traditional Democrat, with his support for a line item veto, balanced budget amendment and welfare reform.
But after 38 percent of the votes were counted, Mr. Brewster trailed behind Joe Bish, a Belair defense industry employee who campaigned as "the serious conservative" in the race with his pro-life, pro-gun, pro-business stances.
The early results could be misleading, because they came mainly from Harford County, Mr. Bish's home turf and the most conservative area of the district. With 64 of 170 precincts reporting, Mr. Bish had 39 percent of the vote, Dundalk Delegate Connie Galiazzo DeJuliis had 33 percent and Mr. Brewster had 25 percent.
Results from Baltimore County, where most of the votes in the 2nd District are located, were slow to come in, as were results from Anne Arundel County.
John Olsen, a Brewster campaign worker, said Mr. Brewster was actually leading the race, after his campaign workers took results from 16 key precincts in Dundalk and Towson.
On the Republican side, two-term Timonium Del. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. took a lead over Towson banker Bill Frank with 52 percent of the vote in early returns. Mr. Frank, running as a non-lawyer and political outsider, had 44 percent.
Mr. Frank refused to accept political action committee money, and signed a pledge that if elected he would serve only eight years in office. Mr. Ehrlich has campaigned on his record in Annapolis, often challenging people to ask Democrats what they think of him. "I'll stand on what they say."
In Maryland's 6th District, a slew of Democrats have campaigned to win the right to face incumbent U.S. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, a Republican who appeared vulnerable after several missteps in office, including a remark that a list of scholarship winners lacked "normal names."
Mr. Bartlett has regrouped and last night won his nomination with an estimated 88 percent of the vote.
Seven Democrats competed for the right to face Mr. Bartlett, but former state delegate Paul Muldowney emerged victorious with 29 percent of the vote, with 92 percent of the vote counted.
Former congressional aide Neil S. Dhillon, having raised the most money with $380,000, appeared to be a serious candidate until recent revelations that he didn't vote between 1982 and 1990 and that he had been convicted in 1989 of assaulting a Virginia bank official.
Mr. Dhillon's troubles probably helped Muldowney, Galen Claggett, a former Frederick County commissioner, and Steve Crawford, a public policy professor, but Mr. Muldowney edged out his opponents. He will face Mr. Bartlett in November.
In early returns from the 1st District, U.S. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, a second-term Republican, won his party's nomination with 73 percent of the vote over GOP challengers Bradlyn McClanahan, Scott Meredith and George Williams. Of the three Democrats running, Steven R. Eastbaugh, a George Washington University professor, garnered 74 percent of the vote over rivals James Brown and Ralph T. Gies.
In the 3rd District, Democratic incumbent U.S Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin won his primary with 86 percent of the vote after 32 percent of the vote was counted. He will face Robert Ryan Tousey in the November general election.
In Maryland's 4th District, incumbent U.S. Rep. Albert R. Wynn, a Democrat, locked up his party's nomination with 81 percent of the vote after 22 percent of the vote was counted. Republican Michele Dyson ran unopposed.
In the 5th District, Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, the state's most influential Congressman, dominated his opponents with 83 percent of the vote. Republican and former Reagan personnel director Donald Devine led the early returns with 48 percent of the vote over Harold R. Moroz and John E. Smathers.
U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, a Democrat, ran unopposed in the primary for the 7th District. He will face Republican Kenneth Kondner, who also had no primary opposition, in the general election.
In the 8th District, U.S. Rep. Constance A. Morella prevailed over challenger Arnold Anderjaska, with 71 percent of the vote. Steven Van Grack, the former mayor of Rockville, appeared to have won the Democratic nomination to face Rep. Morella with 57 percent of the vote.
)
CONGRESS, 2nd DISTRICT
Democrat
Anne Arundel
TP = 18
PR = 18
Bish = 666
Brewster = 1,306
DeJuliis = 2,421
DeLoach = 122
Epperson = 96
Kokkonen = 132
Baltimore Co.
TP = 98
PR = 98
Blish = 3,815
Brewster = 20,063
DeJuliis = 16,301
DeLoach = 2,681
Epperson = 959
Kokkonen = 567
Harford
TP = 54
PR = 54
Blish = 8,676
Brewster = 4,966
DeJuliis = 5,803
DeLoach = 133
Kokkonen = 174
Totals
TP =170
PR = 170
Blish = 13,157
Brewster = 26,335
DeJuliis = 24,525
DeLoach = 2,997
Epperson = 1,188
Kokkonen = 873
TP = total precincts; PR = precincts reporting
)
CONGRESS, 6th DISTRICT
Democrat
Allegany
TP = 46
PR = 46
Clagett = 303
Crawford = 574
DeArmon = 159
Dhillon = 2,358
Muldowney = 2,749
Puca = 192
Snyder = 144
Carroll = 41
TP = 41
Clagett = 1,381
Crawford = 1,689
DeArmon = 604
Dhillon = 1,610
Muldowney = 1,973
Puca = 147
Snyder = 823
Frederick
TP = 38
PR = 38
Clagrtt = 4,205
Crawford = 2,081
DeArmon = 910
Dhillon = 1,192
Muldowney = 1,165
Puca = 218
Snyder = 772
Garrett
TP = 19
PR = 19
Clagett = 150
Crawford = 207
DeArmon = 109
Dhillon = 355
Muldowney = 605
Puca = 46
Snyder = 67
Howard
TP = 44
PR = 44
Clagett = 1,002
Crawford = 1,955
DeArmon = 863
Dhillon = 1,397
Muldowney = 1,469
Puca = 1,358
Snyder = 655
Washington
TP = 47
PR = 47
Clagett = 708
Crawford = 1,363
Dearmon = 258
Dhillon = 1,073
Muldowney = 5,302
Puca = 114
Snyder = 226
Totals
TP = 235
PR = 235
Clagett = 7,749
Crawford = 7,869
DeArmon = 2,903
Dhillon = 7,985
Muldowney = 13,263
Puca = 2,075
Snyder = 2,687
TP = total precincts; PR = precincts reporting
)
CONGRESS, 2nd DISTRICT
Republican
Anne Arundel
TP = 18
PR = 18
Ehrlich =1,771
Fleig = 198
Frank = 1,311
Baltimore Co.
TP = 98
PR = 98
Ehrlich = 12,457
Fleig = 1,031
Frank 7,089
Harford
TP = 54
PR = 54
Ehrlich = 6,575
Fleig = 550
Frank = 5,422
Totals
TP = 170
PR = 170
Ehrlich = 20,803
Fleig = 1,779
Frank = 13,822
TP = total precincts; PR = precincts reporting
)
CONGRESS, 6th DISTRICT
Republican
Allegany
TP = 46
PR = 46
Bartlett = 5,417
Parker = 447
Yurus = 242
Carroll = 41
PR = 41
Bartlett = 10,410
Parker = 1,107
Yurus = 490
Frederick
TP = 38
PR = 38
Bartlett = 9,786
Parker = 622
Yurus = 487
Garrett
TP = 19
PR = 19
Bartlett = 2,974
Parker = 257
Yurus = 119
Howard
TP = 44
PR = 44
Bartlett = 5,050
Parker = 2,214
Yurus = 735
Washington
TP = 47
PR = 47
Bartlett = 6,631
Parker = 545
Yurus = 212
Totals
TP = 235
PR = 235
Bartlett = 40,268
Parker = 5,192
Yurus = 2,285
TP = total precincts; PR = precincts reporting
CONGRESS Democrat
DISTRICT 1
265 of 265 precincts - 100%
Ralph T. Gies 19,205 - 39 percent
Steven R. Eastaugh 18,072 - 37 percent
James Brown 11,471 - 24 percent
DISTRICT 3
257 of 257 precincts - 100%
Benjamin L. Cardin (i) 62,494 - 87 percent
Dan Hiegel 9,648 - 13 percent
DISTRICT 4
147 of 147 precincts - 100%
Albert R. Wynn (i) 51,791 - 84 percent
Robert Bates 9,655 - 16 percent
DISTRICT 5
170 of 170 precincts - 100%
Steny H. Hoyer (i) 46,383 - 82 percent
Harold Glynn Dial 6,315 - 11 percent
Ricardo V. Johnson 2,567 - 5 percent
Lawrence E. Keval 1,643 - 3 percent
DISTRICT 8
177 of 177 precincts - 100%
Steven Van Grack 23,204 - 54 percent
Ralph K. Shur 6,210 - 14 percent
Donald M. Deichman 4,838 - 11 percent
Jonathan Leeds 4,169 - 10 percent
George W. Benns 3,342 - 8 percent
James Yeganeh 1,360 - 3 percent
Republican DISTRICT 1
265 of 265 precincts - 100%
Wayne T. Gilchrest (i) 23,643 - 65 percent
Scott L. Meredith 5,913 - 16 percent
Bradlyn McClanahan 4,316 - 12 percent
George Williams 2,450 - 7 percent
DISTRICT 5
170 of 170 precincts - 100%
Donald Devine 12,955 - 55 percent
John E. Smathers 5,799 - 25 percent
Harold R. Moroz 4,898 - 21 percent
DISTRICT 8
177 of 177 precincts - 100%
Constance A. Morella (i) 22,417 - 70 percent
Arnold Anderjaska 9,554 - 30 percent