The seat vacated by the retiring Democratic Sen. Paul Sarbanes will stay in Democratic hands. Democrat Ben Cardin is a projected winner over Republican Michael Steele.
Steele is the state's pro-life lieutenant governor and an African-American -- a factor he had hoped would aid his race in a state which has the highest percentage of African-Americans outside of the Deep South.
As a congressman, Rep. Cardin voted 100 percent of the time with pro-abortion groups NARAL and Planned Parenthood, and he voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment.
