Maryland Primary 2016: Leads Shrink for Trump, Clinton

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland is about to have its turn in the presidential campaign spotlight, and the newest poll shows both the Republican and Democratic races tightening.

Maryland’s primary election will be held April 26; polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day.

Early voting in Maryland begins Thursday, April 14, and runs through Thursday, April 21. Polling places are open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. those days.

While Texas Sen. Ted Cruz handily won in Wisconsin on Tuesday over New York businessman Donald Trump, Cruz is a distant third-place for Maryland voters with dogged Ohio Gov. John Kasich in second.

And the Democratic presidential contest in Maryland will be a close-fought primary, with Sen. Bernie Sanders cutting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s lead in half since a poll a month ago.

The new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll gives Clinton a 55 percent to 40 percent over Sanders among likely Democratic voters. This week’s poll shows that Clinton has roughly double the support among African-Americans, women, voters age 50 and older, and moderates and conservatives in the party

The strengths for Sanders are voters younger than 40, and he has a slight lead among white voters.

The poll of likely GOP voters gives Trump the lead with 41 percent support, Kasich next at 31 percent and Cruz trailing at 22 percent.

Kasich has won only his home state, to date, but his supporters in recent days have talked about the likelihood that he could win the nomination at the Republican national convention as a divided GOP gathers in July with no clear favorite.

The Ohio governor and former senator leads among Maryland college graduates with 43 percent, while a majority of voters without a college degree name Trump as their favorite.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who endorsed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, has not endorsed any of the remaining contenders. But Hogan has said whose approval ratings are soaring, has said he does not think Trump should be the party’s nominee. But he has declined to endorse any other candidate since his close friend, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, dropped out.

Hogan has made it clear, in recent interviews, that he’s not a fan of Trump.

“I’m not a Trump fan,” Hogan told The Associated Press last month. “I don’t think he should be the nominee. At this point in time, I have no idea who the candidates are going to be or who I’m going to vote for.”

Crucial contests for Clinton are April 19 in New York, as well as primaries in Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island on April 26, says The Baltimore Sun.

Where to Vote, Ballot Preview

Maryland holds its presidential primary -- along with primary contests for U.S. Senate, Congressional seats and statehouse races -- on April 26.

You can vote in an early voting center in the Maryland county where you live. See a list of the 2016 Primary early voting sites (PDF).

The ballots vary by county and can be viewed ahead of time on the Maryland State Board of Elections website.

Besides voting for Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, Maryland residents will select Congressional nominees, U.S. Senate candidates for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Congressional candidates, and delegates to the national political conventions, among other races.

To vote in Maryland, you must register to vote. Your local board of elections can answer questions on how and where to do that. Online Voter Registration also is available.

»Photos by Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons