CONTROLLED EXPLOSION RAZES KEY BRIDGE LAYING ON DALI: There was a boom, several plumes of smoke and then a splash as millions of pounds of Francis Scott Key Bridge debris fell Monday evening into the Patapsco River. When detonated at 5:01 p.m. Monday, approximately 50 small explosives sliced the steel into chunks, many of which tumbled into the water. Hayes Gardner and Jean Marbella/The Baltimore Sun.
- Here’s video of the explosion. Kevin Richardson and Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun.
- The operation was meant to free the Dali from underneath the wreckage of the bridge, which collapsed after the ship crashed into it on March 26, killing six construction workers who had been fixing potholes. The Dali is now expected to soon be able to head back to sea and finish its course to the Seagirt Terminal in the coming days. Lillian Reed, Penelope Blackwell and Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner.
MARYLAND AG SEEKS OK TO HIRE LAW FIRMS FOR KEY BRIDGE SUITS: The Maryland Office of the Attorney General is seeking authorization to hire five law firms to assist in what is expected to be a lengthy and complicated legal fight following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Madeleine O’Neill/The Baltimore Sun.
- The Board of Public Works will vote Wednesday on the request. Attorney General Anthony Brown hasn’t indicated yet who the state might sue or when, though it’s clear that litigation will be in the works. In late April, Brown said that his office was reviewing potential liability from “anyone from the ship owner; the management company; it may include others who designed, manufactured, and maintained various systems on the ship.” Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
IT’s PRIMARY DAY: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Today is primary day, the final day for Marylanders to vote for their party nominees for statewide and local seats ahead of November’s general election. Maryland voters can head to their assigned polling places to cast their ballots from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Over 2,100 polling places will be open across the state — 181 of which are in Baltimore City. Hannah Gaskill and Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Sun.
- In Anne Arundel County, ballots will be cast statewide for presidential and U.S. Senate races as well as for congressional representatives, Board of Education members, circuit court judges and delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions. Natalie Jones/The Capital Gazette.
- After a week of early voting and opportunities to mail in a ballot, Montgomery County voters will have their final chance to make their voices heard in the primary election Tuesday. Independent voters can participate in the primaries for Montgomery County Board of Education and judges for Montgomery County Circuit Court. Registered Democrats and Republicans can also vote in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives primaries. Ginny Bixby/MoCo 360.
HOGAN SEEKS PATH FOR HIS REPUBLICAN PARTY: Larry Hogan knows that his side of the party — what he calls “the Republican wing of the Republican Party” — lost that battle. He knows that many of his fellow Never Trumpers have lost re-election, decided to retire or changed their tune. And he is running for Senate anyway, gearing up for a fierce battle that will test whether there is any path forward for anti-Trump Republicans seeking federal office in 2024. Jess Bidgood/The New York Times.
IS TRONE THE ONLY DEM WHO CAN BEAT HOGAN? In the first three polls, taken in March and April, Republican Larry Hogan beat Democrats David Trone and Angela Alsobrooks, although in Goucher College’s poll, his leads were within the margin of error. In the last two polls, both taken this month, both Democrats led Hogan by margins exceeding the margin of error. It’s possible that Democratic voters, who account for roughly 60% of Maryland’s general electorate, now realize the partisan consequences of voting for a Republican for Senate. Adam Pagnucco/The Montgomery Perspective.
DUNN, ELFRETH BATTLE FOR THE 3rd CONGRESSIONAL: Contributions to Harry Dunn’s campaign and his “save democracy” battle cry face a stiff test from a crowded field of fellow Democrats squaring off Tuesday in a closely watched Maryland House primary that will signal where concerns about Jan. 6 and its aftermath stand among a list of issues for voters on the left. Dunn’s main competition is Sarah Elfreth, a state senator who has raised $1.5 million for her campaign and received $4.4 million more in help from outside groups, campaign finance reports show. Michael Bender/The New York Times.
- Elfreth, 35, became the youngest woman ever to serve in the Maryland Senate when she began her term in 2019. She quickly established herself as a workhorse legislator known for responding to her Anne Arundel County constituents, passing bills and scaling partisan divides on more contentious issues. A 15-year Capitol Police veteran, Dunn was one of four officers who testified before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. In announcing his candidacy, Dunn said, “It’s no exaggeration to say that we are one election away from the extinction of democracy.” Joe Heim and Katie Shepherd/The Washington Post.
ATLAS GROUP PLANS STIR ANGER, FEAR IN FELLS POINT: Through prolific campaign contributions and aggressive charter amendment efforts – plus the use of Sinclair’s flagship station, Fox45 to boost or bash political candidates – the conservative media mogul David Smith and his politically active nephew Alex Smith, CEO of the Atlas Restaurant Group, wield increasing power in Baltimore and Annapolis. In Fells Point, where Comptroller Brooke Lierman lives with her family, lawyers for the Smith group warn that residents could be sued for their opposition to their most recent proposal. Fern Shen/The Baltimore Brew.
