LEFTOVERS: MOORE OUTSPENT COX, STILL HAS MILLIONS: In Gov.-elect Wes Moore’s blowout victory over Republican Dan Cox earlier this month, the winning candidate spent five times more than his opponent in the final two-and-a-half months of the race and still had millions left over after Election Day, new campaign finance reports show. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
MOBILE SPORTS BETTING STARTS TODAY: Maryland’s mobile sports betting industry will launch Wednesday morning after a years-long delay — just in time for a bonanza of pro and college football games and World Cup soccer action. Erin Cox/The Washington Post.
- Starting Wednesday morning, Maryland residents can place bets on professional, college and some amateur athletic contests as well as e-sports and novelty or side bets using one of seven mobile wagering apps. The licensees are part of an initial wave of 10 applicants approved last week by the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission. Bryan Sears/The Daily Record.
- The launch of mobile sports wagering is certain to trigger an avalanche of marketing and advertising, as sportsbooks compete to be one of the first apps downloaded by individual bettors. Many of the deep-pocketed firms offer large incentives, including wagers cast as “risk-free,” to grow their customer base. Bruce DePuyt/Maryland Matters.
- Gov. Larry Hogan said he was excited to at last get the program up and running and that it would provide revenue for schools. “It’s providing another critical revenue source for Maryland schools,” he added. “It’s anticipated to bring in up to $30 million in revenue next year. And that total is expected to reach $100 million by 2027.” Joel McCord/WYPR-FM.
- What do you need to know to use the mobile apps to place bets? Click here for some answers. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
ARCHDIOCESE WON’T OPPOSE RELEASE OF AG’s ABUSE REPORT: After days of mixed signals, the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore announced Tuesday that it would not oppose the public release of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office’s report showing the extent of sexual abuses committed by clergy over the past eight decades. Lee O. Sanderlin and Jonathan M. Pitts/The Baltimore Sun.
- “We believe that transparency is necessary to rebuild the trust that has been damaged by evil acts of abuse committed by representatives of the Church and by historic failures of Church leadership to respond adequately to those acts,” the statement said. Tim Prudente and Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.
IN THE 1980s, A PRIEST’s ATTRACTION TO TEENS DISMISSED: In the 1980s, Father Brian Cox told an official with Catholic church that he was attracted to teenage boys. The official, according to court papers, brushed him off, telling the Westminster priest not to “worry about it.” It later would be revealed that Cox had molested children. Cox is one of more than 150 Catholic clergy assigned to the Archdiocese of Baltimore who sexually abused children over the decades, according to a report prepared by Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh’s office. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Sun.
SCHIFANELLI SLATE DISQUALIFIED FROM STATE GOP RACE: Gordana Schifanelli and her entire slate has been disqualified from the race for Maryland Republican Party leadership for not submitting their nominating paperwork in a timely manner. Schifanelli was election denier Dan Cox’s running mate for governor on the GOP ticket. Brian Griffiths/The Duckpin.
- In a series of social media posts on Tuesday, she bluntly rejected outgoing Chair Dirk Haire’s claim that the slate filed its paperwork an hour late. She said the only requirement in the party’s bylaws is that nomination paperwork be filed within 30 days of the vote, a condition she insists was met. Bruce DePuyt/Maryland Matters.
EDITORIAL: STENY HOYER, A BELOVED GIANT ON CAPITOL HILL: Amid the many causes for cynicism that colors Americans’ view of Congress, a gold-plated exception is warranted for Rep. Steny H. Hoyer. The No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives — and a beloved, admired giant on Capitol Hill — is stepping away from leadership in this, his fifth decade on the job. As the culture of Capitol Hill transformed around him to something far rougher, Mr. Hoyer continued to be a model lawmaker: serious, pragmatic, conscientious, persistent, civil. Editorial Board/The Washington Post.
DEMS MAKE HEADWAY INTO CONSERVATIVE HARFORD COUNTY: Democrat Jacob Bennett has won the Harford County Council District F seat over Republican incumbent council member Curtis Beulah, meaning that the council will have two Democrats and five Republicans, as opposed to the previous council’s 6-1 Republican majority. Stephanie Hallock, a political science professor at Harford Community College, said that although Harford is one of the state’s more conservative counties, she’s recently noticed thinner margins between Republicans and Democrats during election season. Jason Fontelieu/The Aegis.
- While most of the Maryland General Assembly’s Harford County delegation is staying the same for the next legislative session, one state Senate seat will be held by a Democrat for the first time since 1994. Former Harford Del. Mary-Dulany James won the Senate seat for District 34 over former Baltimore County Del. Christian Miele, a Republican. Jason Fontelieu/The Aegis.
FREDERICK ELECTIONS CHIEF HOPES EARLY COUNTING RETURNS: Frederick County Election Director Barbara Wagner said she hopes that local elections boards will be permitted to count mail-in ballots before Election Day in 2024, when the next election is scheduled. Election winners may be known sooner if elections boards can get that head start. Jack Hogan/The Frederick News Post.
MO CO BEFORE SUPREME COURT OVER CHURCH-LAND ISSUE: Montgomery County validly enforced a zoning requirement that two Burtonsville landowners claim prevented a Christian group from building a church on their land, the county stated Monday in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to deny the owners’ request that it hear their appeal. Steve Lash/The Daily Record.
