OUTSIDE MONEY SHAPES DOWN BALLOT RACES: Just over a week out from Maryland’s primary elections, a handful Democratic races are being shaped by contributions from influential outside groups — in some cases with little information publicly available about the groups behind the spending, or their motivations. Adam Willis and Taylor DeVille/The Baltimore Banner.
WHERE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES STAND ON KEY ISSUES: Voters in the July 19 Maryland primary election will choose Democratic and Republican nominees for governor, all hoping to succeed term-limited Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in November. Here is where several candidates stand on several key issues. Staff/The Washington Post.
EARLY VOTING LAGGING: At the midpoint, Maryland has seen a decrease in voters taking advantage of early voting so far in 2022, but what that means for overall turnout remains up in the air with hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots yet to be cast. Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Sun.
ELECTION RESULTS DELAY LIKELY: Election results in tight races are likely to come days after Maryland’s July 19 primary as a pandemic-era shift to mail-in voting runs up against the state’s prohibition against counting ballots early, officials warn. Steve Thompson/The Washington Post.
MO CO TOUCH-SCREEN BALLOTS CALLED PROBLEMATIC FOR SOME CANDIDATES: Several Maryland organizations are claiming that Montgomery County’s touch-screen ballots disadvantage candidates in certain primary election races . The full list of candidates running in certain races in the county primaries is displayed across multiple digital pages, the letter says, with inadequate notice that voters must press a small button labeled “more” to view additional candidates on the next page. Daniel Wu/The Washington Post.
OPINION: COX BLOWS OFF FORUM FOR BANNON CHAT: Dan Cox was scheduled to participate in last night’s Baltimore Teacher Network gubernatorial forum in Baltimore but 20 minutes before the event contacted organizers to announce he was not going to be attending. He was doing Steve Bannon’s internet show instead. Cox’s choice to spend his time talking to a non-Maryland internet show hosted by a populist goon instead of talking at a forum with potential voters about education says everything you need to know about Cox’s priorities. Brian Griffiths/The Duckpin.
APPEALS COURT STRIKES PART OF MARYLAND GUN CARRY LAW: A Maryland appeals court has shot down one portion of the state’s wear and carry law following a Supreme Court ruling on a New York case last month. The decision by the Court of Special Appeals related to an appeal of a denial of a wear and carry permit is not precedential, but it is a strong indication of how the courts may view denials based on a failure to meet the state’s “good and substantial reason” requirement. Bryan Sears/The Daily Record.
MO CO BILL WOULD LIMIT FIREARMS IN PUBLIC PLACES: Montgomery County Council President Gabe Albornoz is scheduled Tuesday to introduce legislation that would limit the possession of firearms in “places of public assembly” in the county. The proposed bill only covers two pages, but Montgomery County leaders are hoping the measure, if approved, will serve to curb what has been a growing problem: gun violence. Steve Bohnel/Bethesda Beat.
YOUNG REPUBLICANS DELAY CONVENTION: The Maryland Young Republicans abruptly postponed their 2022 convention in an email sent by the organization. It seemed practically dormant over the last year, promoting four events, each of them held in a bar. Brian Griffiths/The Duckpin.
HAIRE CRITICIZED FOR DEVELOPER DONATIONS: Republican Anne Arundel County executive candidate Jessica Haire is facing criticism for receiving large donations from several groups linked to a developer in Silver Spring. Haire received about $90,000 from businesses listed at the address of Halle Companies, a developer connected to various projects around the county, including a proposed landfill in Odenton. Dana Munro/The Capital Gazette.
DEMOCRATS ATTACK EACH OTHER IN SOCOL-WALDSTREICHER RACE: The state Senate race for District 18 is heating up in the final two weeks, thanks to a flyer from the Maryland Democratic Senate Caucus Committee attacking challenger Max Socol that has been criticized by other Democrats. In the July 19 Democratic primary, Socol is facing incumbent Jeff Waldstreicher of Kensington, who has represented the district since 2019, and served in the House of Delegates from 2007 to 2019. Steve Bohnel/Bethesda Beat.
OFFICIALS SAY BA CO WON’T EXTRADITE TO ABORTION BANNED STATES: Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, some officials in Maryland, largely considered a safe state for abortion rights, are promising to stand by women who come to the state for abortion services. Two top Baltimore County leaders, County Executive Johnny Olszewski and State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, announced Monday that they wouldn’t participate in the extradition of individuals in connection with other states’ abortion bans. Johanna Alonso/The Daily Record.
RASKIN CALLS JAN. 6 EVIDENCE DEVASTATING: Maryland U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin says evidence collected by the Jan. 6 committee during its five weeks of public hearings will prove “devastating” to efforts by former President Donald Trump’s supporters to minimize the seriousness of the Capitol attack. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
SMITHSONIAN SCIENTISTS SEEK TO PRESERVE BAY MARSHES: The Chesapeake Bay’s marshes have been called the lungs of the bay. They provide habitat for fish and waterfowl. The marshes clean polluted bay waters and slow the power of floods and storms. That’s why the scientists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center are studying how to preserve marshes in face of rising sea levels prompted by climate change. Joel McCord/WYPR-FM.
PAUL SCHLITZ, ATTORNEY IN 1968 RIOTS, DIES AT 97: Paul R. Schlitz Sr., a retired attorney and clerk for the U.S. District Court for Maryland who worked to free numerous people arrested during the 1968 riots in Washington, D.C., died of cardiac renal failure June 17 at Stella Maris Hospice. He was 97 and lived in Parkville. Jacques Kelly/The Baltimore Sun.
