Maryland
Some more congressional fundraising nuggets from the 6th and 2nd districts – Maryland Matters
April McClain Delaney, one of 13 Democrats seeking the open 6th District congressional seat, buttressed a solid fundraising quarter with $550,000 of her own money, bringing the total her campaign collected in the first three months of the year to $839,302.
That’s just one of the nuggets that come from congressional candidates’ recent campaign finance reports, which were filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday. The documents cover fundraising and spending activities between Jan. 1 and March 31.
Delaney, a former top official at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the wife of former Rep. John Delaney (D), who held the seat from 2013 to 2019, remains the top fundraiser — and spender — in the Democratic primary, helping to boost her profile in the sprawling district, which takes in part of Montgomery County and most of Western Maryland.
Two other Democrats, Del. Joe Vogel of Montgomery County and Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez, continue to also raise money at a steady clip, with six-figure hauls of their own over the past three months. Another Democrat, attorney Peter Choharis, reported raising more than $103,000 since January, but that take included $25,000 from his own pocket.
In the Republican primary in the 6th District, which is expected to be Maryland’s most competitive district in the general election, two candidates took in more than six figures to start 2024, Navy veteran Tom Royals and former Del. Neil C. Parrott, the two-time GOP nominee. Another perceived frontrunner in the Republican scrum, former Del. Dan Cox, who was the 2022 GOP nominee for governor, was far behind on the fundraising front.
When Delaney joined the race for Congress, she was expected to dip into her personal fortune to help fund her campaign, but she purposely decided not to for her first fundraising report, in a bid to show her political strength. But that strategy has changed as the May 14 primary draws nearer.
Including the $550,000 of her own that she put in, Delaney’s take for the campaign overall is $1,375,859. She has spent $593,717.44 and finished March with $782,141.56 in the bank.
Delaney’s noteworthy donations this quarter included $10,000 from PAC to the Future, a political action committee controlled by former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), another $4,000 from Pelosi’s campaign committee, $3,300 from Tom Steyer, the billionaire climate activist, $2,000 from U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), and $2,500 from the National Auto Dealers. AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobby, served as a conduit for $24,600 in contributions, according to Delaney’s campaign report.
Earlier this month, Delaney began airing her second ad of the campaign, focusing on technology and kids’ health.
“I worked in the Biden administration to expand broadband, and I helped build a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting kids online,” she says in the ad. “In Congress, I’ll work to reign in Big Tech, improve online security, and expand mental health services.”
Vogel, who has shown surprising strength during this campaign, used Delaney’s self-funding as an attack line this week.
“Potomac mega millionaire April McClain Delaney has finally shown her true colors,” he said. “McClain Delaney thinks she can buy her way to victory, but the voters in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District see right through her tactics, and know when candidates have deep connections rooted in the district and when they don’t.”
Vogel’s own report showed he raised $231,034.41 between Jan. 1 and March 31, and has collected $610,790.32 overall. This quarter’s take included $37,750 in PAC contributions. He finished March with $234,611 on hand, after spending $191,628.95 in the previous three months.
Martinez’s fundraising has also defied expectations. She raised $196,965.95 over the past three months for a total of $522,618.62 since she joined the race. She was sitting on $257,938.44 on March 31 after spending $45,489.93 in the previous three months.
Other than Choharis, who banked $96,002.13 on March 31, most of the other Democratic contenders have lagged behind on the fundraising front, which only goes to show that local and state politicians, however talented they may be, often have trouble scaling up to fund campaigns at the federal level. Here are a few examples:
- Former Obama administration official Ashwani Jain raised $48,729 in the beginning of the year and finished March with $68,982.67 on hand
- Del. Lesley J. Lopez (D-Montgomery) raised $44,545.96 and banked $28,126.04
- Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles raised $22,809 and finished March with $17,625.66 in the bank
Among Republicans in the 6th District, Royals led the way on fundraising, bringing in $172,827.51 in the first three months of the year and raising $465,762.52 overall. He finished March with $97,088.50 on hand after spending $171,127.21 over the prior three months.
“With so much on the line, we cannot afford to nominate candidates with a proven track record of losing,” said Royals’ campaign manager, Brendan Duffy. “That is why hardworking families across Maryland’s 6th District are increasingly rallying around former combat aviator Tom Royals.”
Parrott had the biggest campaign war chest at the end of March, with $125,495.54 in the bank after raising $141,918.52 between Jan. 1 and March 31. He has pulled in $293,467.78 so far this election cycle.
Mariela Roca, an Air Force veteran and medical logistics specialist, was next in fundraising for the quarter, pulling in $55,540.43. But she only had $20,253.84 in the bank at the end of March.
Chris Hyser, a retired police officer, finished the reporting period with $105,158.32 in the bank after raising $50,622.46 in the first quarter of 2024.
Cox, the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee with ties to former President Donald Trump, only raised $39,461.59 in the first quarter and has collected $110,466.54 overall. He finished March with $42,699.09 on hand.
Cox, in an email solicitation to supporters on Tuesday evening that was partially written in red, wrote, “We are still $15k short of where we need to be for the final push on media, mail and digital.”
Meanwhile, former Del. Brenda J. Thiam (R-Washington) raised $20,789.63 and finished March with $13,453.09 in the bank.
2nd District
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. (D), who is considered the top contender to replace retiring Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D), also led on the fundraising front, by a wide margin.
He reported raising $729,435.48 in his first few months as a candidate, and had $499,396.62 on hand on March 31 after spending $230,038.86. Olszewski’s take included $41,046 from PACs.
“Having the backing of so many individuals from across the district shows the momentum behind our campaign and the grassroots strength of this movement,” the candidate said.
The Democratic primary in the 2nd District includes Del. Harry Bhandari of Baltimore County, who reported raising $135,515.22 and finished March with $67,674.55 in the bank.
The leading Republican candidate is radio host and MAGA provocateur Kimberly Klacik, who raised an astonishing $8 million when she ran unsuccessfully for Congress in the 7th District in 2020. Her fundraising has gotten off to a considerably slower start so far. She reported raising $29,826.55, including $800 from her own pocket, and ended March with $8,687.55 in the bank.
The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
Related
Maryland
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
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