BALTIMORE (AP) - With two leading candidates who have a shot at becoming Maryland's first black governor, the crowded Democratic gubernatorial primary reflects the state's changing demographics and the party's efforts to harness the energy of an increasingly diverse electorate around the country.
Recent polls show former NAACP President Ben Jealous and Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker are leading in a close and crowded primary.
Whoever wins the June 26 Democratic contest will face a tough battle in the fall against the state's popular incumbent, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
The election also represents the latest test of whether Democratic efforts to appeal to minority voters in the age of President Donald Trump can be successful in state and federal elections nationwide.
