Del. Kathy Szeliga has won the Republican nomination for open US Senate seat in Maryland.
Szeliga won in a large GOP field on Tuesday that included Richard Douglas, a former Defense Department appointee in the George W. Bush administration, and Chrys Kefalas. Early returns showed her with about 38 percent of the vote, leading her closest opponent by more than 20 percentage points.
Szeliga represents parts of Baltimore and Harford counties in the state House of Delegates. She'll face off against Democrat Chris Van Hollen in November.
Republicans are hoping Gov. Larry Hogan's popularity will help propel them to victory in November in a state where they are outnumbered by Democrats 2-1.
After she was declared the winner, Szeliga released the a statement thanking her supporters and saying her work had just begun.
"Gov. Hogan's successes and support in Maryland, including with Democrats, prove that Marylanders like the change he's bringing to our state and they will support a candidate, like me, who will bring that same real change to Washington. And that is exactly what I will do," Szeliga said. "As a small business owner, I will bring business-sense to Washington to get our economy moving again. And as a leader in Annapolis, I have a proven track record of working across the aisle to actually get things accomplished."
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