WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT VOTING TODAY: Starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, polling places across Maryland open their doors to voters for the state’s 2022 primary Election Day. In some of the state’s deep blue strongholds, like Baltimore, results from Democratic primaries will all but determine the slate of new leaders. In other cases — such as the parties’ tight primaries to nominate candidates for governor — this summer’s results could tee up competitive and consequential November contests between Democratic and Republican opponents. Adam Willis and Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- Polls suggest close races for the Democratic and Republican nominations for governor. Comptroller Peter Franchot, former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez and former nonprofit leader Wes Moore are leading a crowded Democratic field looking to recapture the office from Republicans, while on the GOP side, voters appear evenly divided between former state Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz, endorsed by outgoing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, and Del. Dan Cox, the choice of former President Donald Trump. Caitlyn Freeman, Cassidy Jensen and Scott Dance/The Baltimore Sun.
- State elections officials said they’re ready for just about anything. The state has already supplied about half million mail-in ballots to voters, said Nikki Charlson, deputy administrator of the state board of elections, adding it’s a number “we don’t typically see.” In addition, they had a good turnout in early voting, about 175,000 cast ballots, she added. Joel McCord/WYPR-FM.
WHO ARE THE VULNERABLE STATE LEGISLATORS? Thirty-two lawmakers in the 188-member General Assembly are retiring or running for other offices this year. And several lawmakers who are seeking re-election this year are potentially vulnerable — some in the general election, and even more in the primaries. Here’s a look at a dozen legislators who could be knocked off in their primaries, listed by numerical order of their legislative district. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
QUESTIONS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ASKING: What flavor of Democrat are Maryland voters hankering for and Can Larry Hogan’s popularity rub off on his hand-picked successor? These are just two questions people are asking and journalists are answering. Hannah Gaskill and Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
- And more questions: What will voter turnout look like? How Trump-y are Maryland Republicans, really? Will the developers have their way in county races? Staff/Maryland Matters.
WOMEN FLOCK TO LAW SCHOOLS, THANKS TO ‘TRUMP BUMP:’ Experts believe the highest court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, despite polls showing that a majority of Americans backed the landmark 1973 ruling, will continue a trend of women flocking to law schools. Although the American Bar Association reports there’s been rising numbers of female law students since 2015, in 2016 — the year of Trump’s election — women began making up the majority of students enrolled in law schools in the nation. And Maryland has one of the largest percentages of female law students in the country: 61%, as of 2021. John-John Williams/The Baltimore Banner.
BALTIMORE COUNTY GOES TO POLLS: In the Tuesday election, Baltimore County voters are choosing their primary nominees in races that include state’s attorney, the County Council and county executive. There are five things to watch in these races. Alison Knezevich/The Baltimore Sun.
VOTING IN ANNE ARUNDEL: As Anne Arundel voters head to the polls, in the Republican county executive race, five candidates will face off including Edgewater Council member Jessica Haire, former Annapolis delegate and alderman Herb McMillan, former County Council member John Grasso, corporate recruiter Chris Jahn and engineer Fernando Berra. Democratic incumbent County Executive Steuart Pittman is unopposed. Dana Munro/The Capital Gazette.
PRIMARY DAY IN HARFORD: The 2022 midterm primary election features two Harford County Republicans in a faceoff for the county’s top office. State Sen. Bob Cassilly is running against Billy Boniface, chief adviser to the current county executive, Barry Glassman. In the 2018 midterm elections, Republicans swept all the key positions in the county, so it’s likely that many of the winners of Tuesday’s Republican primaries will win the general election as well. Jason Fontelieu/The Aegis.
MONTGOMERY POLLS OPEN: Voters are allowed to bring as many as two children under age 18. Under state law, the children may accompany the voter as long as they do not disrupt or interfere with normal voting procedures. Christine Zhu/Bethesda Beat.
OPINION: PEREZ AND SCHULZ FOR GOVERNOR: Democrat Tom Perez and Republican Kelly Schulz get the nod in their primaries for governor as do Democrat Katie Curran O’Malley and Republican Jim Shalleck in their races for attorney general. Editorial Board/The Baltimore Sun.
MORE PLAGIARISM COMPLAINTS FOR DELEGATE CANDIDATE: The state House of Delegates candidate accused last week of plagiarizing a Baltimore City politician’s platform appears to have lifted some of her Baltimore Sun voter guide responses from the platform of a third candidate seeking to represent a neighboring district in Annapolis. Jessica Calefati /The Baltimore Banner.
B’MORE STATE’S ATTY HOPEFULS DIFFER IN CRIME FIGHTING APPROACHES: Democrats across Baltimore headed to the polls Tuesday have three choices for the city’s next state’s attorney and each has different strategies to curb the city’s record high homicide rate. Incumbent state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby is running against former federal prosecutor Thiru Vignarajah and defense attorney Ivan Bates who once worked for the city office. Louisa Jones/WYPR-FM.
FACIAL RECOGNITION TECH USED AT PORT OF B’MORE: Facial recognition technology is now being used to verify disembarking passengers’ identity at the Port of Baltimore under a plan announced Monday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in partnership with the Maryland Port Administration and Carnival Cruise Line. Ashley Barrientos /The Baltimore Sun.
JENNIFER PRESTON, WORKED FOR SEN. ROSAPEPE, DIES AT 51: Jennifer Jean Preston, a paralegal who worked for state Sen. James C. Rosapepe in Anne Arundel County before the coronavirus pandemic, home chef and former restaurant worker, died July 10 at her home in the Abell community of North Baltimore. She was 51. Jacques Kelly/The Baltimore Sun.
