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1986 United States Senate election in Maryland
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1986 United States Senate elections
April 2023
April 2023
1986 United States Senate election in Maryland Maryland presidential no 1980 United States Senate election in Maryland 1980 1992 United States Senate election in Maryland 1992 November 4, 1986 150x150px Barbara A Mikulski.jpg Barbara Mikulski Democratic Party (United States) 675,225 60.69% Reagan Contact Sheet C28746 (cropped) (cropped).jpg Linda Chavez Republican Party (United States) 437,411 39.31% 1986 United States Senate election in Maryland results map by county.svg 295px County resultsMikulski: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #3933e5 80–90% Chavez: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% U.S. Senator Charles Mathias Jr. Republican Party (United States) Barbara Mikulski Democratic Party (United States)
The 1986 United States Senate election in Maryland was held on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Republican Senator Charles Mathias Jr. decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Democratic U.S. Representative Barbara Mikulski defeated Reagan Administration official Linda Chavez for the open seat. Mikulski's swearing-in marked the first time since 1969 where Democrats held both Senate seats from Maryland.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Barbara Mikulski, U.S. Congresswoman and nominee for Senator in 1974
Michael D. Barnes, U.S. Congressman
Harry Hughes, Governor of Maryland
Debra Hanania Freeman
Edward M. Olszewski
A. Robert Kaufman, social organizer
Boyd E. Sweatt, perennial candidate
Leonard E. Trout, Jr.
Results
thumb|200px|Democratic primary results by county:
Map legend #BDD3FF Mikulski—30–40% #A5B0FF Mikulski—40–50% #7996E2 Mikulski—50–60% #6674DE Mikulski—60–70% #FFEEAA Barnes—30–40% #FFDD55 Barnes—40–50% #CE9b1E Barnes—70–80% #FFCCA9 Hughes—30–40%
Democratic primary resultshttp://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1986/results_1986/paall.html Maryland State Board of Elections Elections.state.md.us August 17, 2001 May 18, 2012https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=126896 Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - D Primary Race - Sep 09 1986 n.d. mdy-all www.ourcampaigns.com Our Campaigns en April 15, 2023
Barbara A. Mikulski
Democratic Party (United States)
307,876
49.50%
Michael D. Barnes
Democratic Party (United States)
195,086
31.37%
Harry Hughes
Democratic Party (United States)
88,908
14.30%
Debra Hanania Freeman
Democratic Party (United States)
9,350
1.50%
Edward M. Olszewski
Democratic Party (United States)
7,877
1.27%
A. Robert Kaufman
Democratic Party (United States)
6,505
1.05%
Boyd E. Sweatt
Democratic Party (United States)
3,580
0.58%
Leonard E. Trout, Jr.
Democratic Party (United States)
2,742
0.44%
621,924
100.00%
Republican primary
Candidates
Linda Chavez, Assistant to the President for Public Liaison
Mike Schaefer, former San Diego city councilman
George Haley, former Kansas State Senator
Melvin Perkins, perennial candidate
Nicholas T. Nonnenmacher
Richard Sullivan
Howard D. Greyber, perennial candidate
Monroe Cornish, perennial candidate
Herbert Stone Rosenberg
Horace Stuart Rich
Abraham H. Kalish
Results
thumb|200px|Republican primary results by county:
Map legend #D75D5D Chavez—70–80% #C21B18 Chavez—80–90% #A80000 Chavez—>90%
Republican primary resultshttps://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=126897 Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - R Primary Race - Sep 09 1986 n.d. mdy-all www.ourcampaigns.com Our Campaigns en April 15, 2023
Linda Chavez
Republican Party (United States)
100,888
73.07%
Michael Schaefer
Republican Party (United States)
16,902
12.24%
George Haley
Republican Party (United States)
5,808
4.21%
Melvin Perkins
Republican Party (United States)
2,785
2.02%
Nicholas T. Nonnenmacher
Republican Party (United States)
2,751
1.99%
Richard Sullivan
Republican Party (United States)
2,328
1.69%
Howard D. Greyber
Republican Party (United States)
1,678
1.22%
Monroe Cornish
Republican Party (United States)
1,497
1.08%
Herbert Stone Rosenberg
Republican Party (United States)
1,337
0.97%
Horace Stuart Rich
Republican Party (United States)
1,199
0.87%
Abraham H. Kalish
Republican Party (United States)
901
0.65%
138,074
100.00%
General election
Candidates
Linda Chavez (R), Assistant to the President for Public Liaison
Barbara Mikulski (D), U.S. Congresswoman
Campaign
Mathias announced his retirement from politics. At the time of this announcement, it was expected that then-Governor Harry Hughes would run for the seat being vacated by retiring Senator Mathias. However, Hughes became caught up in the aftermath of the Maryland savings and loan crisis. He lost popularity with voters, opening the door for Mikulski's bid for the Senate.
Chavez won the primary handily, defeating several Republican challengers. Later, she made comments that some Mikulski supporters interpreted as an attempt to draw attention to the issue of Mikulski's sexual orientation. In an article quoting Chavez's claim that Mikulski was a "San Francisco-style, George McGovern, liberal Democrat", The Washington Post reported that Chavez was directly implying that the never-married Mikulski was a lesbian.January 2010 Chavez was accused of making Mikulski's sexual orientation a central issue of the political campaign. In defending her use of the phrase, Chavez stated the line "San Francisco Democrats" was a reference to Jeane Kirkpatrick's 1984 Republican National Convention "Blame America First" speech, in which Kirkpatrick coined the phrase "San Francisco Liberal."January 2010. The phrase "San Francisco liberal" was common at the time.
Mikulski never directly responded to the issue and eventually won the race with 61 percent of the vote. She was the first female Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in her own right (not appointed or filling a seat of a deceased husband).
Results
United States Senate election in Maryland, 1986Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1986 https://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1986election.pdf Clerk of the House of Representatives 17https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000183/html/am183--676.html Archives of Maryland, Volume 0183, Page 0676 - Maryland Manual, 1987-88 n.d. mdy-all msa.maryland.gov Maryland State Archives 676 en April 15, 2023https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=3682 Our Campaigns - MD US Senate Race - Nov 04, 1986 n.d. mdy-all www.ourcampaigns.com Our Campaigns en April 15, 2023https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=24&year=1986&f=0&off=3&elect=0 1986 Senatorial General Election Results - Maryland March 26, 2009 mdy-all uselectionatlas.org Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections en April 15, 2023
Barbara A. Mikulski
Democratic Party (United States)
675,225
60.69%
+26.85%
Linda Chavez
Republican Party (United States)
437,411
39.31%
-26.85%
237,814
21.37%
-10.96%
1,112,636
100.00%
Democratic Party (United States)
Republican Party (United States)
Results by county
+CountyBarbara A. Mikulski
DemocraticLinda Chavez
RepublicanMarginTotal
Votes
Cast#%#%#% Allegany 8845 45.05% 10790 54.95% -1945 -9.91% 19635 Anne Arundel 54936 54.14% 46536 45.86% 8400 8.28% 101472 Baltimore (City) 137775 82.65% 28926 17.35% 108849 65.30% 166701 Baltimore (County) 126914 62.30% 76785 37.70% 50129 24.61% 203699 Calvert 5420 50.23% 5371 49.77% 49 0.45% 10791 Caroline 2241 45.04% 2735 54.96% -494 -9.93% 4976 Carroll 11659 43.20% 15329 56.80% -3670 -13.60% 26988 Cecil 6879 48.47% 7312 51.53% -433 -3.05% 14191 Charles 8958 50.82% 8670 49.18% 288 1.63% 17628 Dorchester 3562 47.18% 3988 52.82% -426 -5.64% 7550 Frederick 13153 44.29% 16547 55.71% -3394 -11.43% 29700 Garrett 1908 33.26% 3829 66.74% -1921 -33.48% 5737 Harford 21534 52.91% 19168 47.09% 2366 5.81% 40702 Howard 25723 57.57% 18960 42.43% 6763 15.14% 44683 Kent 2791 54.13% 2365 45.87% 426 8.26% 5156 Montgomery 117058 59.26% 80469 40.74% 36589 18.52% 197527 Prince George's 85536 66.76% 42585 33.24% 42951 33.52% 128121 Queen Anne's 3915 49.14% 4052 50.86% -137 -1.72% 7967 St. Mary's 6484 53.32% 5676 46.68% 808 6.64% 12160 Somerset 2566 43.65% 3312 56.35% -746 -12.69% 5878 Talbot 3712 43.12% 4896 56.88% -1184 -13.75% 8608 Washington 12181 44.81% 15005 55.19% -2824 -10.39% 27186 Wicomico 7463 44.54% 9291 55.46% -1828 -10.91% 16754 Worcester 4016 45.44% 4822 54.56% -806 -9.12% 8838 Total 675229 60.69% 437419 39.31% 237810 21.37% 1112648
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Anne Arundel
Baltimore (County)
Baltimore (City)
Calvert
Charles
Harford
Howard
Kent
Montgomery
Prince George's
St. Mary's
See also
1986 United States Senate elections
1986 United States elections
References
1986
Maryland
United States Senate