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Trump gains in Maryland: A trend or an aberration? – Maryland Matters

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Trump gains in Maryland: A trend or an aberration? – Maryland Matters


No, Maryland is not about to flip from blue to red.

Vice President Kamala Harris carried the state by more than 20 points, and Democrats held the open U.S. Senate seat and were on the way to retaining their 7-1 advantage in the state’s U.S. House delegation — their top political priorities this year. They also waded into local school board elections for the first time in recent memory and fared pretty well.

But former President Donald Trump did get a higher percentage of the vote in Maryland this year than he did in 2020, just as he did in 48 of 50 states. And he appears to have improved his numbers in all 24 of the state’s jurisdictions.

In 2020, President Biden defeated Trump 65% to 32% in Maryland and carried Baltimore City and nine counties. This year, Harris is ahead 60% to 37% and carried eight jurisdictions — though the margin is expected to widen some after more mail-in ballots are tallied.

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“Maryland is not an island, so those national trends are going to come here,” said Mileah Kromer, a pollster and director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Institute of Politics.

The question is whether any of the political developments that put Trump over the top will have any lasting effect nationally or in Maryland — whether there is anything for state Republicans to build on or for state Democrats to worry about.

Population centers like Baltimore City and Prince George’s and Montgomery counties are going to remain Democratic powerhouses, as they have been for decades. But politics can be a game of inches and micro trends, and Maryland does have some red and purple jurisdictions and swing-y legislative districts that political strategists fret over.

Harris easily beats Trump in Maryland; the rest of the country is still a question mark

“Maryland is bigger than the core solid blue, geographically-centric counties that Maryland Democrats have come to rely on,” said Peter E. Perini Sr., a Hagerstown City Council member and former Washington County Democratic chair.

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There have been no public exit polls on the Maryland vote this week, so it isn’t clear if some of the changes in the national electorate also occurred here. The Maryland State Board of Elections will release vote statistics from congressional districts and legislative districts in a few weeks.

Sometimes a single election can transform an area for a long time.

A prime example is in legislative District 6, centered in blue-collar Dundalk in Baltimore County. Going into the 2014 election, the district had a Democratic state senator and three Democratic delegates. But the delegation flipped to all-Republican in 2014, the same year former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) was elected in a major upset, and there isn’t much talk about Democrats trying to win the district back these days.

That development, in the view of many strategists, presaged Trump’s rise in 2016, and particularly his appeal to working-class voters. The trend accelerated in this year’s White House election, not just with working-class white voters, but with working-class Black and Latino men as well — a shift that some Democratic strategists find particularly concerning.

Paul Ellington, the former executive director of the Maryland Republican Party, said the GOP should learn from and build on that development, nationally and in the state. He said that Trump, in his unconventional way, listened to the concerns of working-class Americans and crafted a message on the economy and other issues that appealed to them.

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“Kind of like how Hogan became ‘every man’ in Maryland and cut into traditional Democratic constituencies, Donald Trump has done that, particularly with what we would call labor, with working men and women,” Ellington said. “For too long, Republicans have carried the water for Chamber of Commerce types, when in fact, Chamber of Commerce types in Maryland probably split their donations between the two parties.”

Throughout the U.S. electorate, economic jitters proved to be a motivating issue, even if national statistics suggested that the economy was strong and getting stronger. That attitude also accrued to Trump’s benefit.

“The economy in front of them is the only economy that matters to voters,” Kromer said. “People care most about their groceries.”

But even if Trump’s political strength this election created some opportunities that Maryland Republicans might be able to take advantage of in discrete areas, the GOP writ large is not going to succeed in this state as a Trump party. The Senate race, with the decidedly anti-Trump Hogan as the Republican nominee, “was the only race that was competitive,” Kromer noted.

Clearly really smart people will do some autopsies and have some real work to do on how the Democratic Party communicates with the people. I do think there’s definitely going to be some soul-searching.

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– Maryland Democratic Party Chair Ken Ulman

Maryland Democratic Party Chair Ken Ulman acknowledged that there will soon be conversations and analysis at the national level about what Democrats did wrong and what they need to do better.

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“Clearly really smart people will do some autopsies and have some real work to do on how the Democratic Party communicates with the people,” he said. “I do think there’s definitely going to be some soul-searching.”

Some of that soul-searching will invariably turn on whether the party has become too “woke” and has moved too far to the left — a topic that will consume party leaders, activists and donors and political pundits for the foreseeable future, especially at the national level. Maryland Democrats will not be immune from that debate.

But Perini said voters in outlying areas of Maryland also want to see signs that their government cares about them, suggesting that recent cuts in state transportation funding, which will kill or stall key highway projects, could hurt Democrats with rural and suburban voters.

“You’ve got to understand how people feel when they take these projects off the books,” Perini said. “And how people feel is how they vote. We just need to give the people the credit for at least what they feel.”

Although April McClain Delaney, the Democratic nominee in the open-seat 6th District congressional race, appears to be headed to a narrow victory, and many party strategists worried about her fate, Perini predicted that her approach will resonate with voters in the ideologically, economically and geographically diverse district.

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“I loved her line, ‘common sense and common ground,’” he said. “From day one, that was her approach to campaigning and I believe that will be her approach to governing. So there is a road map for campaigning in areas that aren’t deep blue.”

‘I think we’re an outlier’

The good news for hand-wringing Democrats is that the 2026 election cycle has already begun, which means scores of political operatives and activists will be getting ready.

“As far as I’m concerned, the 2026 election started [Wednesday],” Perini said. “And if people aren’t strategizing, they’re already a day late.”

Alsobrooks makes history in Senate race, as Hogan cannot repeat his magic

Democrats can also take comfort knowing that the party that doesn’t control the White House often makes significant gains in the midterm elections — even though politics in the Trump era is more volatile and unpredictable than ever.

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Ulman said he feels good about the infrastructure the state Democratic Party built for the 2024 election, and that it will carry over for 2026, when all statewide elected officials, all state legislators and most county officials will be on the ballot. While Democrats were caught by surprise when Hogan decided this spring to run for Senate, his high-profile candidacy forced them to put together a strong operation quickly, when presidential election years are usually sleepier in Maryland.

“Together, our coordinated campaign ran an active campaign in all 24 jurisdictions, and that’s really going to help us in 2026,” Ulman said.

The party leader also said that the issue environment in 2026 could work to Democrats’ benefit, especially if Trump moves to radically make over the federal government, which is a major employer and economic driver in Maryland.

“My gut feeling after doing politics for 30 years is ’26 will be a really good cycle for the Democrats,” Ulman said. “But you have to prepare for the worst. I do think Marylanders are going to have a lot to be frustrated about with our federal government.”

Adam Wood, the executive director of the Maryland Republican Party, did not respond to a message Thursday seeking comment on the 2024 election results and what they may portend for 2026.

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Whatever small inroads Trump may have made in Maryland this year, the state has its own unique set of political trends and storylines.

“I think we’re an outlier,” said state Sen. Cory V. McCray (D-Baltimore City). “We’re standing in a state where we have a Black governor and a Black United States senator. We’re defying what the country is saying.”

But, McCray conceded, pointing to the presidential result, “The voters were saying something.”



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Charlotte police make arrest in Maryland for Uptown murder

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Charlotte police make arrest in Maryland for Uptown murder


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Police arrested a man in Maryland accused of shooting and killing another person in Charlotte.

Jamario Caldwell was killed in a shooting on Tuesday, Oct. 8 near Uptown. Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said they found an empty car nearby with multiple spent shell casings.

[Previous reporting: 1 person killed in shooting reported near Uptown Charlotte]

The investigation took them to Prince George’s County in Maryland. Following an interview with police, 39-year-old Corey Livingston was arrested.

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Once he’s been extradited to Charlotte, he will be charged with murder.



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Oregon football’s 3 keys to victory vs. Maryland in Big Ten matchup

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Oregon football’s 3 keys to victory vs. Maryland in Big Ten matchup


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The Oregon football team will put its consensus No. 1 ranking in the country to the test once again on Saturday against an unranked Maryland team fighting for bowl eligibility.

The Ducks (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) will play the Terrapins (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) at 4 p.m. in Autzen Stadium.

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Here are three keys to a successful outing for Oregon football at home.

Continue to roll with punches amid injuries to key players

Though the Ducks were bolstered by the returns of stars such as tight end Terrance Ferguson and edge Jordan Burch, they lost a few more key players last Saturday in leading receiver Tez Johnson and sixth-year offensive lineman Marcus Harper II.

Though it’s uncertain how long either player will be out, or if Harper, in particular, could appear this week against Maryland, the Ducks have a plan for their absences.

“I’m confident that we’ve shown there’s a lot of guys that can play winning football for us right now,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “Who that’ll be come Saturday, I’ll leave that for us to figure out in-house, but we’ve got a lot of guys that can play winning football for us, and there’s gonna be some guys that step up, like we’ve had all season.”

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In the immediate term, Traeshon Holden had a career day at Michigan while Johnson sat on the sidelines, hauling in six passes for 149 yards, both career highs.

With Harper sidelined late in the game, sophomore Kawika Rogers stepped up to play at right guard on the final drive that sealed the game after playing sparingly this season.

Oregon football must contain Billy Edwards Jr., Maryland passing game

Only one team in the Big Ten has a better statistical passing offense than Oregon: the Terrapins.

Maryland is the only team in the conference that accounts for over 300 passing yards per game, with quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. throwing for 2,314 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.

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The Ducks’ passing defense ranks fifth in the Big Ten, giving up just 172.8 passing yards per game with opposing quarterbacks completing 55.7% of their passes.

“He’s extremely efficient,” Lanning said of Edwards. “He knows where to put the ball and when to put the ball there. I think they’ve done a good job of coaching him up. Where’s the extra hat, and how can I take advantage of advantage throws when those opportunities exist? And he’s been really accurate doing that.”

Ducks must continue to win ground game battle, control pace of game

Lanning has stressed the importance of stopping the run and outrushing opponents on a week-to-week basis throughout the season.

Despite playing a pass-heavy team, Lanning emphasized that point Monday this week.

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“The best defenses in college football, consistently, are always good at stopping the run,” Lanning said. “Teams that win football games are always good at running the ball and stopping the run. So that’s an important trait. But certainly you want to be able to take away a team’s strength.”

The Ducks rank seventh in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (168.11) to Maryland’s 14th (119), but the Terrapins’ run defense is slightly better than the Ducks, ranking sixth in the Big Ten, giving up 105.25 rushing yards per game.

Though Oregon has outrushed most of the opponents it has played this season, Saturday’s game will be a test due to Maryland’s fast and pass-heavy pace of play.

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.

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Election aftermath: Maryland's winners and losers – Maryland Matters

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Election aftermath: Maryland's winners and losers – Maryland Matters


It’s all over but the shouting.

The sheer scale of former President Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election was breathtaking — and will still require a lot of soul-searching and contemplation in a lot of corners of this country.

Here in Maryland, Election Day didn’t produce too many surprises. But still, there were consequential developments, and performances, and political trends, that are worth talking about.

So without further ado, here’s our list of winners and losers. It’s by no means complete. And we apologize in advance for any sins of commission or omission.

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Winner: Angela Alsobrooks

Another history-making political star is born in Maryland, and she’s headed to the U.S. Senate. Even her vanquished opponent, former Gov. Larry Hogan (R), said her election was something to celebrate — as is the fact that there will be two Black women serving together in the Senate for the first time in history.

After a shaky start, the Prince George’s County executive ran a disciplined, focused campaign and prosecuted the case against Hogan — who left office with mind-bending job approval ratings — almost flawlessly. She revealed just enough of herself, as a hardworking, conscientious public servant from humble beginnings, to connect with the voters.

But she won’t be going to Capitol Hill with the mission she envisioned. Instead of serving in a Democratic Senate, with a Democratic president who was a friend and mentor, Alsobrooks will be heading into hostile territory, dominated by Republicans. Her predecessor, outgoing U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D), managed to be productive under GOP majorities. That now becomes Alsobrooks’ challenge.

Winner: Sheila O’Connell

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The veteran Democratic strategist has now guided both of Maryland’s U.S. senators — Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen (D), who is about to become the state’s senior senator — to victory. Not bad…

Winner: Diversity in the state’s congressional delegation

Maryland has had zero women in its congressional delegation for the past eight years, but with Alsobrooks’ victory and Democratic state Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth’s win in the 3rd Congressional District puts two women in the state’s 10-member Capitol Hill contingent. Assuming April McClain Delaney (D) hangs on in the 6th District, that will make three of 10.

The record for women in Maryland’s delegation? Four. From 1987-1993, the state delegation included Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) and Reps. Helen Delich Bentley (R-2nd), Beverly Byron (D-6th) and Connie Morella (R-8th).

With Alsobrooks’ election, the state will also have more Black members of Congress than ever before, as she joins Reps. Glenn Ivey (D-4th) and Kweisi Mfume (D-7th). And her victory comes on the heels of Wes Moore’s election as governor and Anthony Brown’s election as state attorney general in 2022, a reminder that Black politicians are prospering as candidates for statewide office in Maryland.

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Winner: Andy Harris

Maryland’s lone Republican member of Congress is a strong ally of President-elect Donald Trump and should see many of his priorities enacted — or initiatives that he hates blocked — in the next few years. Harris is currently the chair of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, whose ranks will grow in the next Congress. He’s rising in seniority. And the physician will invariably be considered for a high-ranking position in the Trump administration — most likely in the health care realm — if that’s something that interests him.

Loser: Neil Parrott

The third time does not appear to have been the charm for the Republican nominee in the 6th Congressional District, pending the count of the final mail-in ballots. Parrott is a canny guy, with a following, so his political career may not be over. But it seems highly unlikely that the GOP will want to nominate the ex-state lawmaker for this competitive congressional seat a fourth time.

The governors

Push: Larry Hogan

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Sure, he lost his high-profile Senate bid to Alsobrooks. But face it, he never wanted to be in the Senate anyway, as he said repeatedly over the years.

Hogan ran a high-profile race that regularly attracted national media attention, not to mention tens of millions of dollars. He kept Democrats at home and largely off-balance, with the threat that he could flip a long-held Democratic seat, and made Maryland matter this election cycle. And even though he lost in part because Democrats did such a good job of tying him to national Republicans, he managed to largely keep his independent reputation intact — at least with the national media.

Hogan’s goal is always to be part of the political conversation. He’ll always be welcome on the cable chat shows, and invariably, there will be speculation that he might run for governor again in 2026. So … mission accomplished!

Push: Wes Moore

Our energetic governor was a coveted surrogate for the Harris-Walz ticket and other Democrats around the country, engendering good will among fellow officeholders, party donors and activists, and notice from the national pundit class. He’ll undoubtedly be discussed as a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028.

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But man, Trump’s victory and the likelihood of full Republican hegemony on Capitol Hill is a disaster for Moore’s policy priorities and many of Maryland’s federal funding imperatives, at a time when four senior members of Congress from Maryland are moving on. [Loser: Matthew Verghese, Moore’s director of federal relations and senior adviser. Sorry, Matt.] How does the state prepare and compensate?

And we wonder: Are Moore and his team ready for the additional and inevitable national scrutiny and expectations, especially when there are so many governing and funding challenges ahead? How does he balance the work that’s required at home with his presumed national ambitions? Where does he fit in the national conversation about the future of the Democratic Party? Who’s advising him on these matters?

Loser: Martin O’Malley

His term as commissioner of the Social Security Administration ends around the time Trump will reenter the White House in January, and there’s zero chance he’ll be reappointed, which means he’ll be  out of a job then. Adding to the indignity, Baltimore City voters ignored his advice to vote against Question F, a ballot measure that will pave the way for the redevelopment of the Inner Harbor.

The resistance

Push: Jamie Raskin

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Whether or not Democrats retake control of the U.S. House of Representatives, which may be a stretch at this point, Raskin will use his position as the top Democrat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee to serve as a counterweight to Trump and Republican excesses on a variety of fronts. Obviously being chair comes with real power, while being the ranking member at least provides a bully pulpit. We can only begin to imagine how bummed Raskin, who has spent the last several years defending freedom and the Constitution, must be feeling right now. But people will listen — even if they don’t hear.

Push: Anthony Brown

See Raskin, Jamie, above. Especially if Republicans have full control of the federal government, Democratic attorneys general like Brown could become the last line of defense against extreme Trump and Republican policies — a role Brown’s predecessor, Brian Frosh (D), performed well during Trump’s first term.

In a statement Wednesday, Brown acknowledged the challenges ahead and vowed to act against any federal actions that threaten Marylanders’ rights.

“No matter who sits in the White House, my dedication to protecting the rights and well-being of Maryland’s communities remains unwavering,” he said.

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The question is, how many federal judges remain who will be receptive to the Democratic AGs’ arguments?

The rest

Winners: Ambitious Montgomery County politicians

Now that MoCo voters have effectively booted County Executive Marc Elrich (D) by imposing a two-term limit that prevents him from seeking reelection in 2026, umpteen ambitious Montgomery Democrats, most of whom serve on the county council, can begin mobilizing in earnest to try to replace him.

How many will run in the end? How many will share the same political bases and cut into each others’ base of support? Are there any outsiders who could make a viable run in the Democratic primary? How many candidates will agree to use the county’s robust public financing system, minimizing the influence of special interest money?

And could 2026 finally be the year that Montgomery County elects a woman as county executive? They’ve already done it in Anne Arundel, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Prince George’s and Wicomico counties, and in Baltimore City — but not in the jurisdiction that prides itself on being the most forward-looking and progressive in the state.

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Meanwhile, Elrich could have the last laugh: He’s contemplating running for a county council at-large seat again — a position he held for three terms before being elected executive in 2018. We would not bet against him.

Winner: Brandon Scott

Although he never had to sweat the general election, Scott (D) on Tuesday became the first Baltimore mayor to be reelected since Martin O’Malley in 2003. Because he looks like a kid, and sometimes displays a teen’s edgy energy, Scott is often underestimated. He shouldn’t be.

Winner: Zeke Cohen

Another political reformer wins citywide office. Cohen (D) will take over as Baltimore City Council president in December. That’s not a bad thing.

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Winner: Abortion rights

Seventy-four percent of state voters can’t be wrong.

Push: Prince George’s County

County residents, who often complain that they’re overlooked in the DMV, can and will take enormous pride in the election of Angela Alsobrooks as the state’s next U.S. senator. But Alsobrooks’ looming departure for greener political pastures comes at a potential cost to the county. For 14 years, even during crises like the pandemic, the county government had fairly stable and forward-looking leadership, after a major and deflating scandal — first under Rushern Baker (D), then under Alsobrooks (D).

Now the county enters a period of political transition and uncertainty, with even the method for picking Alsobrooks’ temporary successor not altogether clear. And many of the competent professionals who surrounded Alsobrooks in county government are likely to disburse.

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Loser: The Washington Post

The newspaper was roundly criticized, and rightfully so, after failing to endorse a presidential candidate for the first time since the 1970s. So much for “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”

But even people who saw great import in the Post’s White House endorsements conceded that a minuscule number of readers, at most, could be influenced by what the editorial board said about presidential candidates.

Where the Post could be, and has been, influential is with endorsements in local races. And this year, the paper all but abdicated that responsibility. In fact, the only Maryland general election in which the editorial board weighed in was the U.S. Senate race, opting for Alsobrooks over Hogan, though it praised both.

The New York Times this year announced that it would no longer endorse candidates in local races, though it did endorse Kamala Harris for president. Is the Post moving out of the endorsement business altogether? That would be a diminishment of its power and civic duty.

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