Anne Arundel County businessman Larry Hogan and his running mate, Boyd Rutherford, have won the general election to be the next Governor and Lt. Governor of Maryland. The Republican team of Hogan and Boyd beat their Democratic opponents, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, 51.5% to 46.8%.

As reported in the Baltimore Sun,

Hogan, 58, ran on a promise to curb state spending and cut taxes. He will become Maryland’s second Republican governor in half a century, and will face a Democratic-controlled legislature that may not be willing to help him.

Hogan spokesman Adam Dubitsky acknowledged Maryland remains a Democratic stronghold but said voters wanted change.

“It’s not a realignment. It’s not turning a blue state red,” Dubitsky said. “It’s people who are tired of the last eight years.”

Lt. Governor Brown conceded the election shortly after midnight.

Brown, a retired Army colonel and Harvard-educated attorney, campaigned as the candidate to continue Gov. Martin O’Malley’s policies on education and the environment. It was a platform that some Democrats said invigorated them, and others said made them vote for a different direction.

As reported in the Washington Post,

Hogan’s victory — a repudiation of the eight-year tenure of Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) — means that Annapolis will return to divided government for the first time since 2006.

…

Their victory sent a strong message that Marylanders had grown weary of the tax increases enacted under O’Malley, which Hogan harped on throughout the campaign.

For complete general election coverage of state and local races, visit the Maryland State Board of Elections general election results page. Vote percentages in this article are based on unofficial results as of 9:00 am this morning.