Democratic Vice President Al Gore easily carried Maryland on election day, taking 56.57% of the vote to RepublicanTexas GovernorGeorge W. Bush’s 40.18%. Maryland was the only state (along with DC) where Gore improved on Bill Clinton's margin four years earlier.[1][2] Gore's strong performance in the most highly-populated counties in the state, which are home to many urban and African American communities, contributed to his victory in the state.
In this election, Maryland voted 15.87% to the left of the nation at-large.[3] Maryland was one of ten states that backed George H. W. Bush for President in 1988 that didn't back George W. Bush in either 2000 or 2004.
^There were several other states where Gore scored a higher overall percentage of the vote than Clinton, due to a significant reduction in the third-party vote, as Ross Perot was no longer a candidate.