Editor’s Note: This article is republished with permission from the Baltimore Post-Examiner.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore said if he is elected and is forced to deal with a harsh coronavirus resurgence this upcoming winter his administration will “follow the science” and make decisions without political considerations when crafting a plan to respond to the outbreak.

More than 1.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the state and the positivity rate is above 7%, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Positivity rates of 5% or higher exceed what the CDC considers to be within the zone of effective containment.  More than 15,000 people in Maryland have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

“We are going to spend time with doctors and practitioners and scientists. We are going to get the best intelligence and the best data that they have about what is the threat,” Moore told Baltimore Post-Examiner in an impromptu interview earlier this week during a walking tour of downtown Frederick.

“I will be working in coordination with local jurisdictions to make sure that we are being transparent as a state about the information that we are seeing and the steps that we are going to take. But the number one priority that I am going to have is keeping our people safe. That is the number one job of any chief executive,” Moore added.

Asked if he would consider shutting down schools and businesses, as Gov. Larry Hogan did on the recommendation of scientists and medical authorities at the height of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, Moore reiterated that such a decision would be based on science.

“The goal and the objective is that we need to stay open. We need to keep our schools open and safe. We need to keep our businesses open and safe. We need to keep our communities open and safe. The objective is that we need to stay open. God forbid we ever get to a point that we are getting recommended for a full shut down. But while the objective is to make sure that we are staying open-the ‘and safe’ part is imperative as I make my calculation.”

Multiple attempts to get an interview with or comment from Moore’s Republican opponent, Del. Dan Cox of Frederick County, proved unsuccessful. Cox was a no-show last week for a scheduled phone interview with the Post-Examiner. His campaign spokesperson, Allie Rodriguez, said in a text she could neither reach nor locate the candidate. Subsequent requests were made following that incident.

Cox was present at a fundraiser former President Donald Trump held for the candidate on Monday at Trump’s home/resort Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Cox is a staunch supporter of the former president and has entertained conspiracy theories claiming Trump actually won the 2020 election.

On COVID-19, Cox and several other GOP state lawmakers unsuccessfully sued Hogan in 2020 over virus containment measures that the governor had put into place. Cox also launched an unsuccessful effort earlier this year to impeach Hogan for the same reason. Cox is adamantly opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Hogan was a strong supporter of Cox’s primary opponent, former state Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz. Moreover, Hogan has not only refused to support Cox, but has called the candidate a “QAnon whack job,” and has even gone as far as saying that he would not even give the delegate a tour of the governor’s office.

A recent Washington Post/University of Maryland poll showed Cox trailing Moore by more than 30 percentage points. The poll also showed nearly a quarter of registered Republicans backing Moore.

But Cox is not without his supporters and many share his views on how to address COVID-19.

“I would trust Dan Cox to deal with a resurgence because he would rely on the individual’s ability to make the choices that are best for them and the way that they feel they can best safely live their lives,” Del. Brian Chisholm, R-Anne Arundel, said.

Chisholm, who sits on the Health and Government Operations Committee, added: “I think most people would acknowledge that the [reaction from the] Democratic Party and somebody like Wes Moore is going to be to shut everything down and let the government control and dictate what happens.”

Sen. Johnny Ray Salling, R-Baltimore County, echoed similar sentiments.

“He (Moore) wants to revert back to things that were in place when COVID was at a serious high and was very very serious at the time. I look at COVID now and we are past the point of masks, and past the point of where we were. So I trust Cox more than anybody else at the moment.”

The post Moore on COVID-19 resurgence: ‘We are going to follow the science’ appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

This article is republished with permission from the BaltmorePostExaminer.com

Republican congressional candidate and Washington County state Del. Neil Parrott Tuesday fired back at Rep. David Trone after the Democrat said Parrott would make the House of Representatives an even more partisan place if he is elected.

Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washignton) (https://msa.maryland.gov)

“All you need to do is look at his (Trone’s) voting record,” Parrott told Baltimore Post-Examiner. “Congressman Trone votes 100% with Nancy Pelosi. That is not bipartisanship. That is a joke. It is rude to tell people that you are bipartisan when every vote you take is in line with the party.”

Trone leveled the criticism of Parrott in an interview with the Post-Examiner on Monday at a criminal justice reform roundtable event in Hagerstown in which he was joined by former GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

“There will be no bipartisanship,” Trone said of a potential Parrott victory.

Trone said his bipartisan credentials speak for themself.

“I am ranked the most bipartisan member in Maryland. The 12th most bipartisan member of the entire U.S. Senate and Congress. That is 12 out of 535.”

Trone is a self-made multimillionaire and the owner of the alcohol mega-retailer Total Wine & More. He partly attributed his bipartisan acumen to his extensive business experience.

“I have been self-employed for 37 years. You work with everybody. We do not worry about the party. We worry about results.”

Parrott, like Trone, insisted that his bipartisan credentials also speak for themself.

“I have a 12-year record in the Maryland House of Delegates. And I have a good rapport with people on both sides of the aisle. And I have worked with people on both sides of the aisle depending on the issue.”

Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) (Twitter)

Which candidate is more bipartisan?  

A 2021 report by the American Conservative Union (ACU) gave Trone a lifetime rating of 6% and Parrott a lifetime rating of 93%. A 2020 report by Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) gave Trone a lifetime rating of 85%. ADA does not rank state lawmakers so there was no score for Parrott.

The reports suggest the lawmakers vote with their respective parties the majority of the time. The ACU grades members on a scale of 0-100 based on degrees of political conservatism. The ADA uses the same scale to grade members based on degrees of political liberalism.

Trone has served in Congress since 2019 and is widely known for working across the aisle with Republicans, particularly on issues related to tackling substance abuse. He is seeking a third term.

Parrott has served in the House of Delegates since 2011 and is considered one of the most conservative Republicans in the legislature.

State of the race

Pundit ratings suggest the contest for Maryland’s Sixth Congressional District is the only competitive House race in the state. Perhaps that is why the two candidates are so intent on slugging it out.

Seven of Maryland’s eight congressional districts are represented by Democrats. And both of the state’s U.S. senators are Democrats.

Trone defeated Parrott by 20 percentage points in 2020. But the lines of the predominately western Maryland district are now decidedly different as it now includes less of solidly blue Montgomery County and more of purple Frederick County.

In recent weeks the candidates have launched radio and television and online ads attacking each other’s positions. The most publicized of which has centered around a 2005 editorial Parrott wrote in which he argued that people who are HIV-positive should be forced to get a tattoo signifying their status.

Parrott has since backed off that position. But the reignition of the 12-year-old controversy prompted him to hold a news conference on Oct. 5 in Frederick in which he fired back and accused Trone of having mislead district voters about what he actually wrote and the context behind it.

Parrott reiterated those sentiments Tuesday.

“He (Trone) is just trying to deceive people. He knows he cannot win on his record…I never ever talked about kids having a tattoo or it ever being in a public place. It was all for the protection of people who were about to have sex….At the time many people were dying of AIDS and many were being intentionally infected. So it was all for protection. He (Trone) knows he is misconstruing this whole thing.”

Trone trumps Parrott in Finances

Trone had about $13 million on hand as of the end of June, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), while Parrott had about $330,000 on hand. Most of Trone’s money came from a loan that he made to his campaign. The June numbers are the most recent available in the FEC database.

What might influence the outcome of the race? 

Carin Robinson, a professor of political science at Hood College in Frederick, said the outcome of the race is likely to be determined by the national political climate.

“If the economy is front-and-center on people’s minds, history suggests citizens will vote out the incumbent no matter how well-funded and well-known the incumbent is. In contrast, abortion is clearly benefiting the Democratic Party and if economic numbers tick up and abortion continues to be salient in early November, I think Trone will have the advantage.”

Robinson said voters in the district are at a distinct disadvantage due to the candidates’ inability to come to an agreement on a format for a debate.

President Joe Biden came to the district on October.7 and spoke at a Volvo plant in Hagerstown for National Manufacturing Day. Trone also was there and briefly spoke. Biden, whose approval rating is in the mid-40s and is being blamed by many pundits for high inflation-strongly urged voters to back Trone.

A Politico/Morning Consult poll released on Oct. 5 found that Democrats had a 3-point lead over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot.

The poll suggests a degree of changing sentiment in a year that many pundits still believe will favor Republicans.

The post Parrott Fires Back at Trone after Congressman Attacks his Record appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

Editor’s Note: This article is republished with permission from the Baltimore Post-Examiner.

President Joe Biden Thursday evening urged Maryland’s Democrats to get out and vote ahead of November’s midterm elections, saying hot button issues like abortion rights, marriage equality and even the right to use contraception are all on the ballot.

“We are at a serious moment in our nation’s history,” Biden said at a rally that was held in a packed gymnasium at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, which is located about 20 miles north of the nation’s capital.

“MAGA Republicans…they refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace political violence. They do not believe in democracy. That is why in this moment those of you who love this country-Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans-we must be stronger,” Biden added.

Biden emphasized his contention that Democrats are the party of the working class and that Republicans cannot be trusted to protect vital social safety net programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

The president noted that despite high inflation gasoline prices are slowly coming down and stressed that the Inflation Reduction Act, was recently passed by Congress and signed into law, will help struggling families.

Biden called on Democrats to hit the campaign trail with enthusiasm.

“We must take our case to the American people and be crystal clear about it. There is no question that it has been a hard two years…But we have come a long way.”

The 30-minute speech went smooth for the most part. There was a a brief moment when police and uniformed Secret Service personnel acted quickly to remove a heckler who shouted at Biden: “You stole the election!”

Across the street from the school a small anti-Biden protest could be seen prior to the event.

More than 1,000 people were in attendance. Among them were Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore and several other candidates for state office. Sen. Ben Cardin and Reps. Jamie Raskin and Steny Hoyer also spoke.  Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Rep. David Trone delivered virtual remarks that were displayed on a giant screen.

Lewis said the midterms are both a “fight for the soul of the nation” and the “soul of Maryland.” Lewis accused Republicans of being “radical alt-right extremists” who sow “ignorance and divisiveness.”

Raskin, a former constitutional law professor who is widely known for his work on the January 6th Committee, fired up the crowd noting that Biden defeated former president Donald Trump by more than 7 million votes. Raskin drew applause from the crowd when he quoted Thomas Paine and called Abraham Lincoln the “last great Republican president.”

Raskin credited Democrats for the rise of the American labor, civil rights, and women’s rights movements. Raskin subtly blasted Republicans, by saying Democrats are the party of “science and facts.”

Moore insisted that Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox, who is known for touting conspiracy theories, is too extreme to be let anywhere near the governor’s mansion. And Moore delighted in outgoing GOP Gov. Larry Hogan’s recent contention of same.

Moore said that although Maryland is one of the wealthiest states in the nation, economic prosperity has not touched all of the corners of the state.

“When you look at this state, we have some of the most prosperous communities in America .. but also some of its most impoverished …the most innovative tech companies on earth — biotech, agro-tech, cyber-tech, Maryland is poised to become the capital of quantum – and students who still don’t have access to wifi.”

“We’re the home of Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, a mentor of mine – Elijah Cummings … but we also incarcerate more young Black men in this state than anywhere else in the country. Number two is Mississippi. That all needs to change. We can be better, and we must,” Moore added.

The event was sponsored by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The crowd was racially diverse and was comprised of people of every age group.

The event comes about 70 days before voters head to the polls and just one day after Biden announced the cancellation of up to $10,000 in student debt for individuals who make less than $125,000 a year. The move garnered praise from progressive Democrats and intense criticism from Republicans. Biden had promised to take action on student debt during the 2020 campaign.

The enthusiastic crowd in the reliably Democratic bastion stands in stark contrast with that of the national mood. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released earlier this week showed Biden’s approval rating at 41%, which is nevertheless his highest in two months. Also a  CNN poll released last month showed that three-quarters of Democratic voters want their party to nominate a different candidate for president in 2024. It is unclear whom the Democrats would nominate in the event Biden chooses not to run again.

The post Biden rips into MAGA Republicans, rallies Maryland’s Democrats at Rockville event appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

Editor’s Note: This article is republished with permission from the Baltimore Post-Examiner.

If Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan decides to run for president would he be able to secure enough support to win his home state in a competitive GOP primary election?

Hogan’s more moderate brand of Republicanism appears to be at odds with a party that has many voters who are still enthusiastic about former President Donald Trump and his MAGA populist vision.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic Hogan angered many MAGA-type Republicans by imposing lockdowns and mandates. “Just wear a damn mask” and “Just get the damn vaccine” were frequent retorts by the governor. Hogan also angered many conservatives by calling out Trump on his demonstrably false claim that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen and by calling for Trump to resign following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the then-president.

And, yes, MAGA Republican primary voters are a force to be reckoned with even in states like Maryland where Trump lost to President Joe Biden by more than 30 percentage points.

How do we know this?

Maryland GOP gubernatorial nominee Del. Dan Cox (Screenshot)

Just last month former Hogan cabinet secretary and Republican standard-bearer Kelly Schulz lost the GOP gubernatorial primary election by double-digits to ultra-conservative conspiracy theory touting Trump-loyalist Del. Dan Cox, R-Frederick and Carroll.

Because Hogan backed Schulz and Trump backed Cox and Cox won, some pundits have since argued that the repudiation of Schulz essentially amounts to a repudiation of Hogan among the same constituency that helped thrust the now highly popular two-term governor onto the political stage nearly a decade ago.

Potential 2024 presidential candidates 

It is unclear if Trump will run for president again. Or if either former Vice President Mike Pence or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will decide to run and take up the MAGA mantle. Or maybe Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who recently lost a primary election to a Trump-backed candidate, will decide to run for president. At this point, we just do not know what the 2024 field will look like.

We also do not know if Hogan will run. But he has given some indication that he might, such as having recently traveled to New Hampshire and Iowa and Nebraska to campaign for Republicans who seemingly share his vision of where the party should go.

That is the national picture.

But closer to home, there are more pressing questions about a potential Hogan presidential bid.

State lawmakers and political analysts weigh-in 

First, if Hogan does run, can he win over the Maryland Republicans who enthusiastically nominated him twice but have since rejected his political protege and chosen successor? Second, does Schulz’s defeat signal that Hogan would be at risk of losing his home state in a presidential primary?

“I am not sure if it is as simple and direct an analysis as that,” Del. Jason Buckel, R-Allegany, told Baltimore Post-Examiner. 

Del. Jason Buckel, R-Allegany (msa.maryland.gov)

Buckel, who is the top Republican in the House of Delegates, added: “What we have found is that many voters in the Republican Party are not satisfied with the progress and the direction that the state has made over the past four years. Whether you can put that at the feet of Governor Hogan, who is trying hard to implement policies that most Republican voters would have preferred-or whether you simply chalk that up to the reality of the Democratic legislature that passes a lot of legislation that we believe is not good for Maryland and overturns pretty much every veto the governor issues-that is an open question.”

Buckel said Hogan’s sometimes vocal opposition to Trump could hurt him with some of the state’s Republican primary voters.

“There are some people in Maryland who are fans of former President Trump who probably take it personally the way that Hogan seems to make it a point to be against Trump in most circumstances. I think there are others who frankly feel like we have simply not accomplished enough…After eight years I am not sure. I have met a lot of people who are not sure if Maryland has really changed all that much from a policy perspective and an outcome perspective.”

Buckel said Maryland’s economy is undoubtedly much better now than it was when Hogan was first elected in 2014. However, the minority leader also stressed that many of state’s more rural and Republican strongholds-such as the eastern shore and western Maryland-have not experienced the same level of economic prosperity as that of the predominately Democratic Baltimore-Washington metropolitan region. Buckel said support for Cox in rural areas can partly be viewed as evidence of that fact.

As for whether Hogan would carry Maryland in a presidential primary, Buckel said he is not sure.

“It obviously would depend on who the other candidates are and a variety of other factors that are difficult to predict this far out. I do not think that it would be a slam dunk by any stretch of the imagination. I think Hogan would certainly be competitive in his home state.”

Former Republican National Committee Chairman and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele said it is too early to assess how Hogan might perform in any presidential primary.

Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (MarylandReporter.com file photo by Regina Holmes)

“I do not know what a Larry Hogan presidential campaign would look like or sound like. You do not judge anything until you see it in action and get the reaction of voters.”

Steele addressed recent polls showing that Trump is more popular than Hogan among Maryland Republicans and that Maryland Democrats have a more favorable opinion of the GOP governor than do members of his own party.

“I think those polls are reflective of an attitude shift that is much more toxic. Go back eight, nine, ten months, or a year ago. Go back and look at those polls. And you will see that that is not the case. Going into Larry’s re-election that was not the case. He had something like 80% approval among Republicans. You do not get to sit at 75% approval just on Democratic votes. That is not how the math works.”

Del. Brian Chisholm, R-Anne Arundel, said he does not believe Hogan could carry Maryland in a GOP presidential primary.

Del. Brian Chisholm, R-Anne Arundel (msa.maryland.gov)

“No. Because you need Republicans to show up and vote. The Republicans that vote in primaries are the ones that are the most in-tune, the most conservative, and the most red-meat Republicans. And he (Hogan) does not carry favor with harder-red Republicans. He is very popular with moderates, independents and Democrats.”

Chisholm said the state’s GOP gubernatorial primary was essentially a Hogan vs Trump proxy war.

“It really did become a Trump vs Hogan rather than a Schulz vs Cox in a lot of primary voters’ minds. Over the past four years many conservatives like myself just got tired of what we viewed to be a tyrannical government with the mandates and basically scolding people for not wearing a mask.”

Todd Eberly, a professor of political science at St. Mary’s College, said how Hogan might perform in a Maryland GOP presidential primary is somewhat difficult to assess.

“If Trump is not on the ballot it is an open question as to whether Hogan would win over the folks who otherwise would have voted for Trump. I suspect that many of them would see DeSantis as their second choice. The recent GOP primary in Maryland showed that at least half of GOP primary voters preferred more confrontational Trump-minded candidates-regardless of the considerable baggage they carry and their extremely limited appeal in a general election.”

Still, Eberly said Maryland Republicans would probably choose Hogan as their candidate for governor for a third time if that was an option.

“It is a bit more difficult to say whether or not the rejection of Schulz is akin to a rejection of Hogan. Hogan continues to enjoy a high approval rating among Maryland Republicans and I think it is a safe assumption that had Hogan been able to seek a 3rd term he would have easily secured renomination.”

Response from the governor’s office 

Hogan’s communications director, Michael Ricci, said the governor’s conservative credentials speak for themselves.

“The governor’s standing among Marylanders of all stripes is rock solid, and his record of conservative achievements in the state is unmatched.”

Ricci admonished Hogan’s Republican critics.

The post Could Hogan win Maryland in a GOP presidential primary? appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

This article first appeared in the Baltimore Post-Examiner. It is republished with permission.

The November rematch between Rep. David Trone (D) and Del. Neil Parrott (R) in the race for Maryland’s Sixth Congressional District is likely to be very competitive, according to recent polls.

The Cook Report rates the district D+2. FiveThirtyEight rates the district R+1.

Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) (Twitter)

Two years ago, Trone, 66, who has served in Congress since 2019, defeated Parrott, 52, by about twenty percentage points. And that pattern very likely would have remained constant were it not for a March decision by a state judge to throw out a congressional map approved by the Democratic supermajority in the General Assembly in Dec. 2021 over Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto.

Seven of Maryland’s eight congressional districts are represented by Democrats. Had the proposed map been implemented, it is possible that all of the state’s congressional districts would be represented by Democrats.

Concerns over partisan gerrymandering led to the map being thrown out and forced the legislature to go back to the drawing board and adopt a revamped map.

Under the revamped map, the sixth district includes all of Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick counties-as well as a swath of heavily Democratic northern Montgomery County. The previous map, which was adopted in 2011, split Frederick County between the sixth district and the eighth district, which is represented by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D).

The sixth district race is considered the only competitive congressional race in the state. But for a  candidate to prevail they may have to count on more than just how the district lines are drawn.

Can Trone win a third term in a year that is projected to favor Republicans at the national level? Is popular discontent with President Joe Biden coupled with record breaking inflation and gas prices sufficient to see Parrott through to victory?

“As is the case for many midterm races, it might come down to voter turnout. And we are not sure the extent to which national trends will mirror trends here in Maryland,” Carin Robinson, a professor of political science at Hood College in Frederick, told Baltimore Post-Examiner.

“Nationally, we expect economic concerns to drive voter behavior. And this is thought to benefit the Republican Party. At the same time, the Democratic Party is harnessing reactions to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and there is a chance Democrats fair better than expected. However, with abortion rights currently protected here in Maryland, I do not anticipate Democrats to have as much success mobilizing around this issue than in other states,” Robinson added.

Maryland GOP gubernatorial candidate Del. Dan Cox (Screenshot)

Robinson said the decision by GOP voters to nominate outspoken and conspiracy theory touting Del. Dan Cox (R-Frederick and Carroll) for governor, could have a negative down ballot affect for Republicans.

“The gubernatorial race is likely to shape the race in the 6th Congressional district as well. With Cox on the ticket, the Republican Party will be perceived as more Trump-friendly than it would if Kelly Schulz had won the nomination. If Parrott wants to differentiate himself from Cox/Trump, he might have a hard time doing so. Thus, moderate Republicans might be tempted to sit out this election giving an advantage to Trone.”

Moreover, Robinson said Trone likely will benefit from his fundraising prowess and the common perception that he is a moderate.

“Trone initially won with little political experience, he now has quite a bit of experience and I think comes to this race with some political accomplishments that will appeal to district 6 voters. I think particularly of his work on opioid abuse. He also has the funding – his own contributions and those from the national party which says it will contribute to this race as it fights to maintain the majority in the House. He has name recognition. There is a reason why incumbency advantage is usually upwards of 90% in the House – name and money shape political outcomes.”

Richard Vatz, a professor of political science at Towson University, said he believes Trone is more likely than not to win in November.

“I would be surprised but not astounded should Parrott win over Trone in the general election. Parrott looks like a Cox-like winner, strong in the primary which brings out intensive support from far-right Republicans, but falling short in November to Democrat incumbent Trone, who in 2020 beat him handily.”

Vatz said Parrott is unlikely to derive significant benefit from continuing to highlight that Trone, a Potomac resident, lives outside the congressional district that he represents.

“The residence issue and the new district map weigh in for Parrott as FiveThirtyEight details, but it should not be enough to turn over Trone’s popularity and fundraising potential which he has already demonstrated. If I may presume to give voters advice, it would be: ‘watch but don’t bet.'”

Trone has generally dismissed the residency issue as largely irrelevant and has instead emphasized his commitment to voters’ in the district vis-a-vis having secured money for infrastructure improvements and tackling pressing issues such as opioid addiction.

“I’ve kept my promise to work with Democrats and Republicans in Congress and I have delivered real wins for our district like securing nearly $1 million to expand broadband in Garrett County, $4.8 million for the Fayette Street Bridge in Cumberland, and $4 million for a new facility for after school and summer programs for children, not to mention tens of billions to combat the opioid epidemic throughout the region,” Trone told the Post-Examiner in a statement. “People throughout the Sixth District know that they can count on me to be on their side. And unlike some, I have never taken a dime from PACs, lobbyists, or corporations, and I never will.”

But Parrott, a Hagerstown resident who has served in the House of Delegates for more than a decade, said voters deserve to have a congressman who lives in their district.

Del. Neil Parrott speaking on the floor of the House of Delegates.(MarylandReporter.com)

“People in western Maryland believe that it is time to have someone who represents them in Congress. Someone who actually lives here and is one of them…It is not fair for western and central Maryland to be represented by someone who is not from this area.”

Parrott noted that Trone ran for Congress against Raskin in district eight in 2016 and lost that primary contest. Parrott relayed that he has been involved in the fight against partisan gerrymandering since around the time of the defeat of GOP Rep. Roscoe Bartlett in 2012. 

Bartlett represented the sixth district for two decades. For most of that time it was solely comprised of western Maryland. The adoption of a new map in 2011 would pave the way for his defeat to Democrat John Delaney. Delaney retired in 2019 after having served three terms and embarked on a very brief campaign for president.

Parrott said that Trone, the owner of the alcohol mega-retailer Total Wine & More, is out of touch with the district’s voters on many issues, such as energy costs.

“My opponent is all about trying to promote green energy and really does not care about the price of gas and how it affects everyday Americans. It does not affect him. He is a multimillionaire. He has this utopian view that we should have solar and wind when in reality we need to have electricity and fuel for cars. So that people can live and continue to go to their jobs.”

As for what affect Cox’s candidacy might have on other Republicans, Parrott said he believes the candidate will gain more political traction as the general election gets closer.

Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore (Twitter)

“We cannot afford to have Wes Moore as the governor of Maryland. This guy is going to come in, spend a fortune, and raises our taxes. You are going to see more and more people flee the state of Maryland like we did during the O’Malley years…I think that as we get closer and closer to November…I believe we are going to see a lot of more support for Dan Cox.”

Trone’s campaign had about $11 million of cash on hand as of late June, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Parrott had about $345,000 of cash on hand at that time, according to the FEC. The latest figures account for fundraising prior to the candidates’ primary elections. The next reporting period is at the end of September.

Trone’s campaign manager, Cheryl Bruce, told the Post-Examiner in a statement that many of Parrott’s views fall outside of mainstream political thought.

“Neil Parrott is an extremist willing to say or do anything to deflect from his own career because he’s never delivered anything for Western Maryland. Instead, he’s been focused on attacking marriage equality, working to turn back the clock on accessible, affordable healthcare, and fighting to limit investments in roads, bridges and broadband. Parrott is so far outside the mainstream he even sued fellow Republican Larry Hogan and has argued we should publicly tattoo people that are HIV positive. Neil Parrott’s record clearly shows he would rather grandstand on radical ideas than produce results.”

The post Maryland’s Sixth Congressional District Race Trone vs Parrott Extremely Competitive appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

This is republished with permission from the Baltimore Post-Examiner.

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade on June 24 and brought an end to federal abortion rights protections many liberals reacted with horror and many conservatives celebrated.

The nullification of the 49-year legal precedent has resulted in a flurry of  lawsuits aimed at blocking automatic abortion bans from going into effect in more than a dozen states with trigger laws.

Overall, it is estimated that more than half of the states in the nation could possibly outlaw abortion now that the high court has opened the door for them to do so.

Mass protests led by groups supportive of reproductive freedoms have been taking place since early May when news of a private vote by the justices to overturn Roe was leaked by Politico.

The protests have at times taken place in front of the justices’ homes in Maryland and Virginia and threats have become so commonplace that around the clock security has been provided to members of the court.

That Justice Clarence Thomas argued in a concurring opinion in the decision to overturn Roe that the high court should now revisit decisions that granted constitutional protections for same-sex marriage and contraception use has only added fuel to progressive outrage.

But how concerned is the general public about the end of Roe?

A USA Today/Suffolk University poll of likely midterm election voters released the very day Roe was overturned showed that while 61% of the respondents said that they support federal abortion rights as defined by Roe, only 15% said abortion was the most important issue.

A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released on June 27 showed that 78% of registered Democrats said they are more likely to vote in the midterms because of Roe being overturned. By contrast, only 54% of Republicans and 53% of independents said the same.

A recent FiveThirtyEight poll showed Republicans with a slight advantage on the generic ballot.

President Joe Biden’s approval rating is under 40%. Inflation is as high as it was in early 1980s and gasoline prices are through the roof. And, historically, the party in control of the White House loses seats in Congress during midterm elections.

That said, will Democrats beat the odds and get a boost from the end of Roe? Or will Republicans cruise to victory and retake the House or Senate or possibly even both chambers?

Democratic officeholders say the SCOTUS decision helps them with voters 

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) (Twitter)

“I think this is going to mobilize a lot of voters who do not want politicians and elected officials to interfere in their most private and personal decisions,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told Baltimore Post-Examiner. “What the Supreme Court did was give a green light to states to pass laws to prevent reproductive freedom and prevent women from making their own decisions.”

Van Hollen said he believes that the end of Roe will lead to the “mobilization of voters across the country” who support abortion rights.

Van Hollen said he is “confident” Democrats will maintain control of the Senate.

“No one should be taking anything for granted. These are going to be tough hard-fought elections. But I think that at the end of the day the Democrats will hold the majority in the Senate.”

Van Hollen said Democrats are doing their best to address inflation.

“We are working to reduce the price of prescription drugs. We are working to reduce the cost of childcare…In terms of gas prices, the President has taken a number of steps, including releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. But it is also important to remember that the primary driver of high gas prices is Putin’s attack on Ukraine. I believe the United States is doing the right thing by supporting the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom and democracy. But that does result in higher gas prices around the world.”

Rep. David Trone (D-Md.), whose district includes the western part of the state and portions of Montgomery County, also said he expects Democrats to get a boost from the end of Roe.

Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) (Twitter)

“People realize that when you make decisions-when you vote for Senate, Congress and President-there are consequences. And one of the consequences here is that something that a vast majority of Americans do not agree with just became law. That is not how it is supposed to operate.”

Trone, who is widely known for working across aisle with Republicans, said the debate over abortion obscures the many bipartisan “accomplishments” of Congress.

“The House in particular has become very polarized with a hard-left and a hard-right…Folks who live and die on one issue like this and are hard core on that issue-I think that is a mistake. It is one of many issues.”

Republican pundits say the effect of the SCOTUS decision is rather unclear 

Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (MarylandReporter.com file photo by Regina Holmes)

“It depends on the locale and the nature of the activism on one hand and voter response on the other weighted against other things voters are concerned about like inflation and the cost of bread,” former Republican National Committee Chair (RNC) and former Md. Lt. Gov. Michael Steele said.

“In a place like Alabama or Mississippi: No. In a place like Florida or Arizona: It may have some weight. In a state like Maryland or New York: A slightly different response. Because the issue has been largely settled for a long time…That is the starting gate on this. And now it remains to be seen whether Republicans have an attitude of ‘mission accomplished,’ or Democrats use it as a whipping post to get their base engaged electorally,” Steele added.

Steele said he believes now that Roe is gone the court may soon revisit decisions related to same-sex marriage and contraception. Steele also said he believes Republicans in Congress might press for a national abortion ban if they believe the votes are there.

“Roe does not fall by itself because it cannot. It is anchored by the notion and idea of a right to privacy…I do not see any reason why they (Republicans) would not do that. It would be inconsistent with previous behavior and rhetoric. You are seeing a Republican Party that was at one point very suspicious of government action. Since 2006 more methodically and more aggressively they have taken the position that they can use government to enforce certain action.”

Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican and a strong pro-life voice during his more than three decades in Congress, said the end of Roe might increase engagement on both sides.

Trent Lott (Official portrait)

“Some people that supported Roe v. Wade or abortion will be very upset about the Supreme Court ruling and become more activist. The flip side of that is there are people who wanted a repeal or modification of Roe v. Wade for 50 years. And they will be celebrating.”

But Lott said abortion is unlikely to be the most pressing issue to voters in November.

“The most controlling factors in this election are going to be the economy, inflation, gasoline prices, the immigration issue, hangover from Afghanistan war, and what is going on or not going on in Washington. There are a lot of factors at play. But I still think the dynamics are that most people are going to be most affected by the cost of living.”

How concerned are voters about abortion access?

Former Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) (Twitter)

“Those who vote based upon their view of abortion were already going to turn out, as they do every election. Those for whom abortion is a less important issue are more likely to vote based upon gas prices, inflation, and the overall economy, which does not bode well for Democrats. I doubt the outcome of a single race this November will be changed based upon the Supreme Court’s ruling. This is a wave election and public sentiment is running heavily against the Democrats. The abortion ruling won’t change that,” former Rep. Jason Altmire, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said.

Richard Vatz, a professor of political persuasion at Towson University, largely agreed.

“There is a general feeling among Democrats that any issue that replaces the economy, crime, the border disaster and the other failures of the Biden Administration on the electorates’ agendas will be beneficial to the Democrats. However, if polls are accurate, abortion rights are of relatively very low interest to voters. In addition, given abortion’s availability in many states, this also means that the right to abortion will not be a decisive issue in most state elections.

“The exception to this take is if Republicans foolishly announce their intention to nationally criminalize the seeking of abortion. That could add significantly to the issue’s prominence in the 2022 elections.”

The post How might the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe affect the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections? appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

This is republished with permission from the Baltimore Post-Examiner.

Violent crime is on the rise throughout Maryland.

Last week saw a gunman open fire in a Smithsburg factory killing three and injuring four others.

The year is not yet even half over and already there have been more than 150 homicides in Baltimore, mostly by shooting, according to the Baltimore Police Department. That trend puts Baltimore on pace to surpass more than 300 homicides by the end of the year, which has been the case since at least 2017.

One of the most pressing issues the next governor of Maryland will have to deal with is the surge in violent crime in the state, which is directly tied to easy access to illegal handguns.

But even outside of Maryland the debate over gun violence is raging.

The recent mass shootings by lone gunmen in Buffalo and Uvalde and now Smithsburg, Md. have brought the issue back to the political forefront as Congress is being pressured to reevaluate who should be eligible to buy a gun, what type of gun, and at what age. And even with recent reports of a breakthrough bipartisan agreement on gun safety legislation, it is still unclear whether lawmakers on Capitol Hill will be able to get the measure across the finish line.

As for Maryland, the state has some of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation. But that has done little to curb gun-related violence here.

So, what is the solution?

Baltimore-Post-Examiner spoke with three of the more well-known candidates in the governor’s race to get their thoughts on how the state can help local jurisdictions like Baltimore crack down on violent crime and try to prevent mass shootings seen elsewhere in the country from happening in Maryland.

Democrat Wes Moore’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for interviews. Democrat Tom Perez’s campaign was unable to schedule an interview by the deadline for this story.

Maryland’s primary elections will be held on Tuesday, July 19.

Former State Commerce and former State Labor Secretary-Kelly Schulz-Republican:

Kelly Schulz (Screenshot)

“We need to keep repeat violent offenders behind bars,” Schulz said. “Make sure that those who are creating all of the havoc in Baltimore City and who are repeat violent offenders-that they are in jail. Not out on low bail. Not out no bail. And increase penalties for those who are caught with illegal guns.”

Schulz’s crime plan also includes providing the city with more money to hire additional police officers and it has the support of at least seven county sheriffs throughout the state.

Schulz intimated that the city’s decision to sue a major manufacturer of “ghost guns,” which are guns that do not contain serial numbers or other tracking mechanisms, is merely a drop of water in the bucket in the fight against violent crime.

“Instead of talking about manufacturers of illegally produced guns, maybe we should look at the people who are already in our presence that have the illegal guns and keep them in jail.”

Schulz took aim at Baltimore City States’ Attorney Marilyn Mosby for her decision not to prosecute certain low-level offenses such as drug paraphernalia possession and prostitution. But Schulz said Mosby also has taken a more relaxed attitude toward the prosecution of violent offenders.

“The prosecutor has got to keep to the violent offenders and those who have illegal guns behind bars…She is not even prosecuting those that are the most heinous of the violent repeat offenders out there. Because they are back on the streets…There are laws on the books for a reason. We need to have prosecutors all over the state that prosecute people to be able to make sure that our communities are safe.”

On protecting schools from mass shooters, Schulz said the presence of SROs (Student Resource Officers) on campus is a crucial part of prevention.

Legislation enacted in 2018 requires that every public school in Maryland either have an SRO on campus or provide access to “adequate” law enforcement coverage.

“We have to make sure that the conversations that started a couple years ago about defunding the police does not necessarily go back to defunding and limiting the control of SROs in public schools. We have to make sure that the resources that are provided to schools to keep them safe for different kinds of security measures, like single-point of entry, [remain in place].”

Schulz said addressing mental health is equally crucial and emphasized that the pandemic served to highlight mental health challenges, particularly among younger people.

Former State Attorney General Doug Gansler-Democrat: 

“I think it starts at the top. I think the governor has to set the tone,” Gansler, who has prosecuted cases at the local, state and federal level, said. “Change the picture. And say: This is not going to be happening in our state.”

Gansler emphasized that his crime plan calls for hiring 1,000 additional police officers, greater collaboration between police, prosecutors and judges, improved police training to generate better relations between law enforcement and the communities that they serve, the implementation of community prosecution in Baltimore, and money for 10,000 additional streetlights in high crime areas-a plan which was recently implemented in Atlanta.

“Right now, you have a situation in Baltimore where criminals think that it is ok to assassinate a police officer while they are sitting in their car. They carjack police officers. It has gotten so bad it is hard to believe…Criminals attacks people in back alleys. They are not going to attack people in bright lighted streets.”

Gansler, like Schulz, also took issue with Mosby’s decision not to prosecute certain low-level offenses.

“The job of a prosecutor is to prosecute. The job of the legislature is to make laws. When she (Mosby) decided to run for office she made a commitment to the people of the city to prosecute the laws that are on the books. You prosecute low-level crimes differently than you prosecute the more violent criminals, but you still prosecute them.”

Gansler stressed that preventing mass shootings at schools involves both having SROs on campus as well as capable mental health professionals to address the needs of students.

“We need to have an SRO at every school. The misinformation about SROs that some people try to propagate is upsetting because there is not any parent in the world that would rather have their kid not safe rather than safe in school…SROs know who is supposed to be on campus and who is not supposed to be on campus…We have a very robust mental health plan. And part of that is having a licensed mental health officer available for every 250 students. The shooters tend to be young people with mental health issues.”

Comptroller Peter Franchot-Democrat:  

Comptroller Peter Franchot (MarylandReporter file photo)

“We have a number of hotspots as far as crime around the state,” Franchot said, noting that “violent carjackings” are on the rise in both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. “My recommendation will be that as governor I announce to everybody that I have zero tolerance for repeat violent offenders. And I am going to mobilize the elite law enforcement agencies of the state.”

Franchot said he would have law enforcement personnel conduct routine “sweeps” throughout areas of the state that are known to be hotspots for violent crime in order to ensure that suspects who have “open warrants” are taken off the street and detained.

“We are going to do that month after month after month until the trajectory of crime in those hotspots declines. I fully intend to announce publicly and often zero tolerance for crime. We cannot have a prosperous economy in Maryland if we do not have public safety.”

Franchot emphasized that in addition to having “zero tolerance” for violent crime, he also has “zero tolerance for police misconduct.” Franchot suggested that a return to “community policing” bolstered by “well trained” officers would go a long way toward restoring trust between communities of color and law enforcement.

Franchot declined to comment on Mosby’s decision not to prosecute certain low-level offenses.

“I am not going to point fingers at anyone. I am not into the: ‘let’s blame people for something that is happening or not happening.’ I think everybody is aware that the situation in Baltimore and other hotspots throughout the state need to be addressed.”

Franchot said the best ways to prevent mass shootings are to “establish” civil liability for gun manufacturers and to incentivize gun buybacks.

“The plaintiffs’ bar has managed to get corporations to do the right thing. What is the right thing here? It is not to flood the country and the state of Maryland with high capacity AR-15s and other weapons that are used in war…They are completely inappropriate for any kind of sporting or self-defense. They are simply designed to just kill a lot of people.”

Franchot said he supports having SROs in schools but that that in-and-of-itself is not sufficient to deter mass shooters.

“They need to be properly trained. And they need to be backed up. When someone walks in with a machine gun or an assault weapon, it is difficult for one SRO to defend that school…We need to make sure that people do not have access to weapons that are designed strictly to kill people.”

The post Schulz, Franchot, Gansler tackle violent crime, and how to prevent mass shootings appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball paid four county employees more than $101,000 to do consulting work for his re-election campaign with more than 50 percent of that money going to his sister-in-law in a position that some say violated the county law.

Jamila Ratliff (Ball’s sister-in-law) was until recently responsible for handling Public Information Act (PIA) requests related to the county executive’s office. She is now the chair of Ball’s re-election campaign. Ratliff served as his executive liaison from Dec. 2019 to Feb. 2022. The reason for her departure is not known.

Former Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman, a Republican whom Ball narrowly defeated in 2018 and who is this year challenging the incumbent’s re-election, said he does not see anything wrong in-and-of-itself with Ball hiring his sister-in-law for a position in his administration, but that having her handle PIA requests while at the same time drawing a consulting fee, is probably an inherent conflict of interest.

“The Howard County ethics law (Title 22, subtitle 2) says that if you are a county employee you cannot accept employment outside of the county if that employment would create a conflict of interest or even an appearance of a conflict of interest. There is no question that there is an appearance. And I think that it is an actual conflict of interest.”

Who got paid?

Ratliff, Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer Jones, social media manager Safa Hira, and Scheduler and Executive Assistant Vanessa Halpin each drew consulting fees, according to campaign finance records. Jones, Hira, and Halpin are still believed to be employed by the county.

According to campaign records, the four employees were paid in total $101,284.67:

• Ratliff was paid $54,584.28 from Jan. 10, 2019 to Jan. 12, 2022
• Jones was paid $12,750 from Jan. 10, 2019 to Jan. 12, 2022
• Hira was paid $27,450.39 from Jan. 10, 2019 to Jan. 12, 2022
• Halpin was paid $6,500 from Jan. 14, 2021 to Jan. 12, 2022

Hira is a member of the Howard County Democratic Central Committee, as is Jones and Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Partnership, Maureen Evans Arthur.

Arthur’s name does not appear on the list of campaign consultants provided to this news organization. She did not respond to a request for comment. Neither Ratliff and Jones responded to requests for comment. Attempts to reach Hira and Halpin through both the county’s public information administrator, Mark Miller, and the campaign were unsuccessful..

Ball’s decision to pay Jones, Hira and Halpin  to work on his campaign is not illegal but it has raised ethical questions among his critics. However the county executive has strongly defended the hirings as a common practice.

“Some people will always say something. I think it is actually a quite common practice for elected officials to have people who work with campaign work and doing their job serving the county. It is actually not that uncommon,” Ball said during an interview that he cut short.

Kittleman, who is currently a commissioner on the Maryland Worker’s Compensation Commission, strongly disagreed.

Former Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman announced Sunday he will run for executive again in a campaign video. Screen shot

“I am frankly surprised that the current county executive does not see that there is something wrong with that…It is hard for me to believe that the current county executive thinks that that is a normal practice. It is certainly not normal in Howard County. Maybe it is normal in some other jurisdictions…It should be disturbing to all of the residents of Howard County that our county executive is paying people in his office for doing county functions while also at the same time paying people that much money.”

Scott Peterson, who is a spokesperson for Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, and previously worked for Ball as his spokesman, said while Elrich “has not paid any Montgomery County government employee for campaign work,” he nevertheless “does acknowledge” that the practice is not uncommon. However, Peterson said that Elrich was speaking in a general sense and did not have specific cases in mind to support that the practice is common.

How common is the practice of paying employees to work on a campaign?

A review of six county executive’s campaign and Baltimore City finance records from 2020 through the beginning of this year showed that three counties and Baltimore City had paid employees but not to the extent of Ball paying that $101,000 tab.

Former Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, a Democrat who served from 2007-15, also paid two county employees about $26,000 for work on his 2010 re-election campaign. However, the employees took a leave of absence from the county while working for the campaign. Ball’s employees did not take a leave of absence.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman paid about $5,000 to reimburse two county employees for campaign expenditures in 2020. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski paid one county employee $11,000 between 2020-22. Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks paid two county employees $1,000 between 2021-22. And Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott paid one city employee about $14,000 between 2021-22. The four leaders are all Democrats.

Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner, a Democrat, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman, a Republican, and Cecil County Executive Danielle Hornberger, also a Republican, did not employ the practice, according to the records reviewed..

Attempts were made to contact all of the county executives in the state.

Only Nine of Maryland’s 23 counties are led by county executives. The remaining 14 counties are led either by boards of commissioners or by county councils alone.

The amount of money Ball paid appears to be a major difference when comparing the counties and the city. The total sum paid by the three county executives and Mayor Scott comes to about $48,000, which is less than half of what Ball paid.

So is it a big deal?

“The difference is that Calvin Ball is engaged in a pervasive practice of operating his campaign out of the office of county executive,” former GOP delegate and former state transportation secretary Bob Flanagan said.

Michael Harris, a spokesperson for Howard County Council Chair Opel Jones, did not respond to a request for comment.

Jennifer Allgair, executive director for the State Ethics Commission, declined to comment on the practice of using county employees for campaign consulting, saying the matter is a county issue.

Repeated attempts to get a comment from the Howard County Ethics Commission proved unsuccessful. The five commission members are appointed by the county executive and confirmed by the county council.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball speaks at an event in Ellicoott City on Jan. 6, 2020. (MarylandReporter photo by Bryan Renbaum)

Ball, who has a Master of Arts degree in Legal & Ethical Studies from the University of Baltimore, said he believes the four women worked for the campaign during “off-hours” on “campaign issues.” Ball did not provide specifics. Asked if he could provide documents related to the consulting work, Ball said the documents could “probably” be furnished “if needed.”

Repeated requests from the campaign for documents related to the specific nature of the consulting work were unanswered.

The campaign finance records obtained by this news organization in reference to Ball’s campaign list the bulk of the payments as general “consulting fees.”

Other payments were made in relation to special campaign events. Some of the events involved raffles and the use of fair booths. Payments also were made for online advertising and graphic design work. Specific dates are listed for the work performed but the specific hours worked are not documented.

Ball told this reporter to send additional questions to his staff to arrange a follow-up interview. Requests for follow-up interview with Ball and the documents were first sent to the county’s public information administrator Mark Miller. Miller then referred the requests to the campaign. The campaign has not responded to the requests for more information.

Flanagan knows a thing or two about information requests. He experienced numerous denials in a lawsuit for public records related to communications between Ball and a zoning lobbyist. The suit was filed in August 2021 in the Circuit Court for Howard County.

“The county has admitted to allegations in my complaint. They admit that they violated the Public Information Act requests and they admit they violated the Open Meetings Act…The other admission that they make is that Ball supervised his sister-in-law. If you go into the employee manual under nepotism, it says that the county will not hire somebody who is going to be supervised by a relative.”

Howard County did in fact admit they broke the law. “Defendant admits that it inadvertently violated the Public Information Act and Open Meetings Act,” Howard County said in its March 18 pleading.

Flanagan said he recently deposed Ball’s chief of staff, Sameer Sidh.

In that deposition, Sidh said he, not Ball, was responsible for supervising Ratliff, according to Flanagan.

When Sidh was reached for comment, he said, “Given that your question concerns pending litigation involving the County, I have no comment at this time.”

Flanagan said he ultimately received about 99% of the documents he requested from the county in the litigation.

“The coverup was far graver than what was concealed.”

This article was produced in partnership with the Baltimore Post-Examiner LLC.

The post Critics charge Ball violated ethic’s law by hiring his sister-in-law as his Public Information officer while she worked as his campaign consultant appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

@BryanRenbaum

This year saw COVID-19 restrictions being lifted at the state level and later being reimposed in several local jurisdictions in response to rising hospitalization and positivity rates.

It saw the enactment of landmark police reform legislation, the adoption of a new congressional redistricting map, and the election of a new state treasurer.

So, what is in store for Maryland in 2022? And will that year be as eventful as was 2021?

Below is a snapshot of 5 possible stories that could dominate the state’s headlines in 2022:

1. Will pandemic lockdowns return to the state? 

Gov. Larry Hogan recently said that this is unlikely to happen and the state has taken an active role in encouraging Marylanders to get vaccinated to try to reduce rising hospitalization and positivity rates.

But even if the state does not order a lockdown, local jurisdictions are free to make that choice.

Baltimore County declared a state of emergency earlier this week and joined several other jurisdictions in reinstating an indoor mask mandate.

So what may happen in the next few months is anyone’s guess.

2. Whom will the state elect as its next governor? 

Gov. Larry Hogan is term-limited and cannot run again.

On the Republican side, state Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz appears to have a lock on the nomination as she does not appear to have any serious primary challengers.

On the Democratic side, things are more complicated as nine candidates are vying for the nomination. The race includes seasoned political figures such as former DNC chair Tom Perez, Comptroller Peter Franchot, and former state attorney general Doug Gansler.

It also includes long-shot candidates such as former Robin Hood Foundation CEO Wes Moore and former Obama administration official Ashwani Jain.

But more than party dynamics are at stake in the contest.

If Schulz wins, she will be the state’s first female governor.

Alternatively, if the winner is either Perez, Moore, Jain, former U.S. Education Secretary John King Jr., or former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker-Maryland will have elected a person of color as governor for the first time in the state’s history.

3. Will Hogan run for U.S. Senate? 

Though the governor has said that this position is not of major interest to him, a recent CNN report suggested that Hogan has not totally rebuffed concerted efforts by national Republicans to get him to run against incumbent Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen.

Van Hollen was elected by a wide margin in 2016 and is up for re-election in 2022.

Maryland has not had a Republican U.S. senator since Mac Mathias in the 1980s.

Hogan has not ruled out running for president in 2024, so his next move is anyone’s guess.

4. Whom will the state elect as its next comptroller?

After more than 14 years as the state’s chief tax collector, Franchot has decided to give someone else a chance to hold that office and is instead running for governor.

Del. Brooke Lierman, Baltimore City, appears to have a significant advantage over fellow Democrat and Bowie Mayor Tim Adams in terms of both fundraising and high-profile endorsements.

Meanwhile, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman is hoping to become the state’s first Republican comptroller in more than a century. He faces an uphill battle.

5. Whom will the state elect as its next attorney general? 

Democrat Brian Frosh has held the position since 2015 and has decided not to run for a third-term.

Former Lt. Gov. and now-Rep. Anthony Brown, and former first lady and retired Baltimore judge Catherine Curran O’Malley are both running for attorney general. Both candidates are Democrats.

Both candidates have secured high-profile endorsements. The race is still in its early stages.

Brown served eight years as lieutenant governor to his primary opponent’s husband, then-Gov. Martin O’Malley.

Former Montgomery County Board of Elections chair Jim Shalleck is the only Republican who is a declared candidate for attorney general. Shalleck is a former prosecutor.

The post Top 5 stories that could dominate Maryland’s political headlines in 2022 appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

@BryanRenbaum

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said Wednesday that he is very concerned about the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in both the jurisdiction that he leads and throughout Maryland.

His remarks come the very day that the state’s COVID-19 related hospitalizations exceeded 2,000 patients and its positivity rate exceeded 19%.

Montgomery County currently has slightly more than 300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and a positivity rate of about 15%

That Maryland’s largest jurisdiction has slightly better metrics that than of the state itself is likely due to the fact that it leads the state in vaccinations, with more than 95% of residents partially vaccinated and 83% fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

“Covid cases are surging. We are ending 2021 with the surging Covid cases at a level we have not seen since the beginning of the pandemic,” Elrich said at a virtual news conference.

“Our current case rate is 649.5 cases per 100,000 residents. This is eight times the case rate we were at at the start of the month. The Omicron variant is currently making up about 58% of our cases throughout the mid-Atlantic states,” he added.

The county executive said he is surprised by the recent spike in cases.

“This is a place where you do not expect to be, especially after the implementation of vaccines.”

Elrich said the recent spike hits “close to home,” as two members of his family recently tested positive for COVID-19 despite having received both the vaccine and a booster shot. Elrich said the two cases are both mild and the two individuals are quickly recovering.

Elrich joined the Maryland Hospital Association and fellow Democrats in calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency in response to the recent surge in cases and hospitalizations.

“This action would greatly help our hospitals in dealing with the surge.”

While Hogan has not declared a state of emergency, he provided an update on ongoing emergency actions on Wednesday morning.

“As we have been projecting, our statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations have now reached record levels and surpassed 2,000—a surge driven primarily by unvaccinated patients. It cannot be stressed enough that getting vaccinated and getting boosted are your strongest possible defenses against this virus and its variants,” Hogan said in a statement.

“With hospitalizations and deaths our primary focus, we have already taken a number of emergency actions in preparation for this surge. Earlier this month, we established a surge operations center to optimize bed capacity and fully utilize the alternate care sites we have kept in place. We have worked closely with our licensing boards to augment the healthcare workforce, and we have committed an additional $100 million for hospitals and nursing homes to address urgent staffing needs. Under a state health directive, hospitals are required to implement pandemic plans to suspend elective surgeries and manage their patient census. Whatever resources hospital systems have requested, we are providing,” the governor added.

Hogan said that he has mobilized the Maryland National Guard to step-up capacity at testing sites and that state officials are working hard to try to obtain more at-home rapid test kits.

And the governor reiterated that Marylanders should not panic.

“Again, this is not March of 2020. It’s important to use common sense and take precautions, but we have the tools, resources, and strategies in place to protect ourselves. We are closely monitoring this surge, and will continue to provide updates as additional actions are taken.”

The post Elrich: ‘COVID cases are surging’ at levels comparable to early in the pandemic appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.