Democrat Wes Moore was elected Maryland's first Black governor Tuesday, just the third Black person elected governor anywhere in the U.S. and the first since 2006.

Moore, 44, is a political newcomer who made his origin story the centerpiece of his campaign. Moore was propelled to stardom with the publication of his 2010 best-selling memoir "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates," which Oprah Winfrey recommended.

He garnered nearly 60% of the vote to soundly beat Republican Dan Cox in the race to replace Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who was prevented from running again after serving the maximum two terms.

Moore relied on his experience as the former leader of the Robin Hood Foundation, one of the nation's largest anti-poverty nonprofits, as well as his time as a captain in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan to win over voters.

Moore was backed by former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Winfrey, among other notable Democrats.

"When I was an Army captain and led soldiers into combat in Afghanistan, we lived by a simple principle: Leave no one behind," he said during his victory speech. "Real patriotism means bringing people together. It means lifting each other up and improving each other's lives."

Moore's campaign slogan, "leave no one behind," has been his rallying call, closely followed by his commitments to fight child poverty in the state, protect reproductive rights, and work with police and local communities to help usher in a new era of public safety.

One of Moore's earliest tests will come next year when Maryland is set to implement the legalization of marijuana for residents 21 and over, which voters approved on Election Day.

Moore will be responsible for ensuring an equitable rollout of the policy after Maryland's botched medical cannabis rollout in 2017 when no vendors of color were initially issued licenses.

Of the 36 states holding gubernatorial elections, only a handful of them featured Black nominees: Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Deidre DeJear in Iowa, Yolanda Flowers in Alabama, Chris Jones in Arkansas, and Moore — all Democrats.

Of the list, only Abrams and Moore stood within striking distance on Election Day, with Abrams losing to Gov. Brian Kemp for the second straight time.

Maryland voters elected the first immigrant to statewide office Tuesday. Aruna Miller, an Indian-American, was elected lieutenant governor.

Democrat Brooke Lierman was also elected as the state's first woman comptroller and Democrat U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown was elected the state's first Black attorney general after losing a race for governor in 2014.