Washington Post Op-Ed: Maryland’s free and fair elections must be respected

Larry Hogan, a Republican, is the governor of Maryland.

Early voting has begun in Maryland. As Marylanders head to the polls to exercise their fundamental right to choose their elected leaders, they can be confident in the integrity of our elections.

A recent nonpartisan report found that Maryland ranks second in the nation in election integrity. Despite weeks of headlines, campaign rhetoric and lawsuits surrounding the process, our elections remain free and fair. When the results are counted — whether we like them or not — we must accept them.

The foundation of our democracy rests on the legitimacy of our elections. And the legitimacy of our elections depends on honest leaders who recognize that the office they hold is bigger than they are or partisan politics.

I get that losing an election is hard to swallow, because I’ve been through it myself. In 1992, I ran an unexpectedly competitive challenge to Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). At 11 p.m. on election night, our campaign was ahead in the early returns by nearly 20 percentage points. However, this lead was eventually reversed in the final count. As tough as this loss was for me personally and professionally, I understood that it was my responsibility to accept it and move forward. In my successful elections in 2014 and 2018, Democratic gubernatorial nominees Anthony G. Brown and Ben Jealous returned that graciousness by quickly conceding after hard-fought campaigns.

Over the past eight years, just down the road from the nation’s capital, Maryland has set a shining example for how democracy can work to make life better for all of our citizens. Though the divisiveness and dysfunction in Washington have only continued to grow worse, I believe we have shown how to bring people together to get things done.

Now, the toxic politics of Washington has morphed from partisan gridlock and name-calling to something even more destructive: casting doubt on the integrity of election results and the fundamentals of our democratic process. Once again, Maryland cannot succumb to these dangerous trends. We must continue to show the nation a better path forward.

When the results are counted, we must respect them and move forward together as one state, recognizing that there is more that unites us as Marylanders than divides us.