Although Sen. Barack Obama beat Sen. Hillary Clinton convincingly in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Maryland — 60.6 percent to 35.9 percent – eight counties denied the Illinois senator a clean sweep.
Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties in Western Maryland; Caroline, Queen Anne’s and Worcester on the Eastern Shore; Cecil County in northeastern Maryland and Carroll County in central Maryland each went for the New York senator, according to unofficial results from the Maryland State Board of Elections.
Clinton’s biggest vote margin came in Cecil County, where she beat Obama by 2,209 votes. Her smallest vote margin came in Caroline, where she beat Obama by 78 votes.
David Paulson, communications director for the Maryland Democratic Party, declined to comment on the county returns.
But he did have something to say about voter turnout. “Well over 800,000 Democrats were so inspired to go to the polls in the sleet, ice and dead of night,” Paulson said. “And we know that both candidates inspired the turnout.”
According to the Maryland State Board of Elections’ unofficial primary presidential results, 821,682 Democrats headed to the polls on Tuesday, well ahead of the 486,449 who voted in 2004 and the 514,653 in 2000.
–By Maryland Newsline’s Michelle Williams
