HOGAN’S NON-EXISTENT COATTAILS: Larry Hogan, the widely popular first-term governor of Maryland, wasn’t on the ballot on Tuesday, but he still took some political hits. Ovetta Wiggins of the Post reports that Hogan (R) endorsed a handful of Republican congressional candidates, none of whom came close to winning their races in the heavily Democratic state. And he very publicly refused to vote for Donald Trump, his party’s presidential nominee, who lost Maryland by a large margin but stunned the country with an upset victory.
HOGAN’S REDISTRICTING REFORM: The editorial board for the Carroll County Times opines that Marylanders unhappy with their representation in Congress should be paying close attention to what happens next with Gov. Larry Hogan’s Redistricting Reform Commission and any legislation that might be introduced in the coming General Assembly session that begins in January. Hogan has been pushing for a bipartisan independent committee to draw the lines, an approach that we believe is the best and most fair way to create the maps. (Thanks for shout-out to MarylandReporter.com, which had the only report on this little publicized meeting.)
FANTASY SPORTS & FROSH: Daily fantasy sports gaming in the state may owe its murky legal status in Maryland to the state’s top attorney, writes Bryan Sears in an analysis for the Daily Record. Brian E. Frosh, the first-term attorney general, bills himself as a lawyer who calls balls and strikes. His position on the issue of daily fantasy sports gaming, however, might be more akin to an umpire — in the bottom of the ninth with bases loaded and two outs and a full count — asking the players whether the last pitch was in or out of the strike zone.
CONGRATS TO TRUMP: After disavowing Trump, Maryland’s Republican Gov. Hogan on Wednesday congratulated the president-elect on his surprising victory and called for unity. “Now is the time for all of us to come together to find real solutions to the problems we face as a country,” Hogan said in a statement that promised to work with Trump, Erin Cox reports for the Sun.
- Carroll County Republicans rejoiced over the presidential victory of Trump on Wednesday morning, hours after the New York businessman was declared the winner in a tight contest, Heather Norris writes for the Carroll County Times.
HOGAN’S TRUMP PROBLEM: Hogan enters a re-election campaign that could be affected by Trump. Hogan refused to endorse or even vote for the Republican nominee, instead choosing to vote for his own father. Trump’s victory, however, coupled with Republican control of the federal legislative branch, could provide a new opportunity for Democrats who have so far struggled to find an issue on which to challenge Hogan, Bryan Sears writes for the Daily Record.
- Even while Hogan probably won’t be Trump’s choice for a cabinet post, he has the solid support to remain governor. “We’re going to support him,” said state Del. Charles Otto, R-38A, Somerset, a Hogan backer in the governor’s race two years ago who departed from the governor’s viewpoint and voted for Trump, writes Deborah Gates for the Salisbury Daily Times. “He is doing a good job managing the state of Maryland, and his presidential pick shouldn’t enter into it.”
CAUTION IN CONGRESS, AGENCIES: Maryland’s incoming, outgoing and continuing Democratic U.S. senators expressed a cautious willingness to work with President-elect Trump Wednesday amid deep worries about where he will lead the country. Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin met with Sen.-elect Chris Van Hollen at Jimmy’s Restaurant in Fells Point before holding a news conference in the retiring Mikulski’s office two blocks away, writes Michael Dresser in the Sun.
- Jamie Raskin, who was dubbed “the effective progressive” by his campaign, will report to work in January in a Washington that’s squarely in Republican control. Raskin and other state lawmakers said Wednesday that they will work to find common ground with President-elect Trump. “The first place I would start is on infrastructure,” said Raskin. His thoughts were echoed by Rep. John Delaney, a Democrat re-elected Tuesday to his third term representing the 6th District. Delaney currently has a bipartisan infrastructure bill pending in the House with Republican co-sponsors, writes Danielle Gaines in the Frederick News Post.
- What the Trump leadership might look like remains uncertain and worrying for some — particularly in a place like Maryland, home to hundreds of thousands of government employees, massive military bases and large federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration in Silver Spring and the Social Security Administration in Woodlawn, John Fritze of the Sun writes.
- However, PNC economist Makael Teshome said he has long-term economic concerns about Trump’s presidency, but he does not think Maryland will see a loss of government jobs, writes Holden Wilen for the BBJ.
A FEARFUL POPULACE: Many of the nearly 500 immigrant students at Patterson High School had never been through an American presidential election. Some thought the president was like a king with unlimited power. They came to school Wednesday with questions and fears about Trump, writes Liz Bowie in the Sun.
- If you lived in a swamp, and the newly elected president pledged to “drain” your residence, how would you react? A chilly reception that may greet Trump in parts of the Washington region contrasts with the warm relationship that President Obama and his family have enjoyed here, Bill Turque and Katherine Shaver report in the Post.
- When the Obama administration laid out a 15-year plan to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, federal and state officials called it “one of the most comprehensive restorations in decades.” Trump cannot unilaterally dismantle the far-reaching program. It is reinforced by federal law and has already survived a legal challenge. But he campaigned on plans to drastically reduce federal regulations, and leave behind nothing but “tidbits” of the Environmental Protection Agency, writes Scott Dance in the Sun.
- From Muslims to women to undocumented immigrants, several demographics were targeted during Trump’s presidential campaign. Faced with four years of Trump leadership, some Frederick County community leaders who identify with the groups he has criticized expressed shock and concern on Wednesday about his victory. They held on to cautious optimism, though, that Trump will end the divisive rhetoric when he becomes president, Nancy Lavin writes for the Frederick News Post.
ARUNDEL GOES FOR CLINTON: For the first time in 52 years, Anne Arundel County voted for a democrat for president, backing Hillary Clinton over Trump, writes Phil Davis for the Annapolis Capital.
REP. HARRIS’ VICTORY: Republican Congressman Andy Harris got more than twice as many votes as both of his opponents combined in the race for Maryland’s District 1 House of Representatives seat, Josh Bollinger of the Easton Star Democrat reports. As of Wednesday, before absentee and provisional ballots were counted, Harris had 229,135 votes, or close to 68%. Harris’ Democratic challenger, Joe Werner, had 94,776, or 28% of the votes. His Libertarian challenger, Matt Beers, had a total of 14,207 of the votes, polling slightly more than 4%. There were 484 write-in votes.
SITTING JUDGES WIN: Former Prince George’s County Council member Ingrid M. Turner will join the circuit court bench after being elected to fill one of four seats in Tuesday’s election, Heather Cobun reports in the Daily Record. Sitting judges otherwise retained their seats in jurisdictions where they faced Election Day challengers and appellate court judges on the ballot were also approved for continuance in office.
BROWN’S ‘REDEMPTION:’ Democrat Anthony G. Brown dislikes describing his landslide election to Congress on Tuesday as redemption.While he captured a seat in the House of Representatives on a shoestring campaign budget after being defeated in stunning fashion in the race for Maryland governor two years ago, Brown says “redemption” implies he needed to prove himself or atone for a political loss, writes Erin Cox in the Sun.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE & VOTING: Todd Eberly opines in a column for MarylandReporter.com that anger over Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote are misplaced. There is no way to know who would’ve won the popular vote in the absence of an Electoral College. You cannot assume the popular vote total would be what it is today. There is little reason for a minority party voter to vote in a state that will go to the other party – because the Electoral College is winner take all in most states, minority party voters often consider their vote to be wasted.
OUTCOME OF TERM LIMITS IN MO CO: Montgomery County voters’ overwhelming approval Tuesday of term limits for the county executive and County Council is likely to result in at least two possible outcomes, Andrew Metcalf and Doug Tallman report for the Bethesda Beat. For one, council member Marc Elrich said he is likely to run for county executive. And two, council member Nancy Navarro said she is likely to run for a third full term in 2018.
PUGH ANNOUNCES TRANSITION TEAM: Baltimore Mayor-elect Catherine E. Pugh announced a transition team Wednesday that she said would help her refocus the city’s housing policy on community development and the Police Department on fostering mutual respect and collaboration with residents, Luke Broadwater and Yvonne Wenger report for the Sun.
Larry Hogan played the hand he thought was best, and it was a complete failure. Democrats are lining up against him, and he alienated half the Republican voters with his lack of support of the Republican Presidential nominee. The politicians he chose to support lost in landslides, and the candidate he betrayed won in staggering fashion.
This could be the end of Larry in Maryland…