Maryland incumbent Gov. Wes Moore beats Republican Dan Cox in midterm election: AP

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland incumbent Governor Wes Moore has won his re-election bid, defeating Republican challenger Dan Cox in the midterm election, according to the Associated Press.

The backstory:

Democrat Gov. Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller first took office in January 2023, with Moore making history as the state's first Black governor and Miller as the first immigrant and Asian American elected in the state. 

Moore centered his re-election bid on public safety achievements and legislative priorities. 

By the numbers:

Gov. Moore went into the final stretch of the race with a substantial lead. An October survey by the UMBC Institute of Politics showed Gov. Moore leading Cox 51% to 24%. 

READ MORE | UMBC Poll: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore holds strong lead over Dan Cox

What they're saying:

During his campaign, the governor highlighted Maryland's public safety trends. 

"When people said we have to address violent crime, we’ve had among the fastest drop in violent crime in America, and we know there’s more work to be done," Moore told FOX 5 DC during the race.

Moore also spent time during his campaign rallying support for Question 3, the statewide congressional redistricting ballot measure that would allow Maryland to draw new congressional boundaries.

The Source: Information in this article is from the Maryland State Board of Elections and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.