Wes Moore, a writer and former soldier, easily defeated far-right Republican Dan Cox to become Maryland's first black governor.

Larry Hogan, a moderate Republican, will be replaced by Moore as governor of Maryland, which includes Baltimore and the suburbs of Washington, DC.

The new governor had never previously held a position of authority. He ran on a platform of increasing the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour, enhancing public transportation, and lowering the cost of healthcare and early childhood education.