Maryland was won by incumbent PresidentRonald Reagan (R-California), with 52.51% of the popular vote, over former Vice PresidentWalter Mondale (D-Minnesota) with 47.02% of the popular vote, a 5.49% margin.[2] Despite Reagan's victory in the state, it voted 12.73% more Democratic than the nation amidst his 49-state landslide.[3] Maryland weighed in as the Democratic Party's strongest state in theSouth for the first time, a distinction that it has held in every election since bar1992 and1996 (in which it was second toBill Clinton's nativeArkansas), and1988 (in which it was second to the heavily unionizedWest Virginia).[4]
Reagan won all but one of the state's 23 counties. The race was close, however, due to Mondale's strong performances in largelyAfrican-AmericanBaltimore City andPrince George's County. Reagan also wonMontgomery County in the Washington suburbs by only 888 votes out of almost 300,000 cast; this was the last time to date that a Republican has won this county.[5] This also marks the last time the Democratic candidate was held below 60% of the vote in neighboring Prince George's County.[6]
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