MARYLAND’s HIGH-STAKES SENATE RACE NEARS THE FINISH LINE: Maryland voters head to the polls Tuesday with an unexpectedly competitive Senate race, three open House seats and a state constitutional amendment protecting abortion on the ballot. Vice President Kamala Harris has a large advantage over former president Donald Trump in the deeply blue state he lost in the two previous presidential elections, but the high-stakes Senate contest between Democrat Angela Alsobrooks and Republican Larry Hogan could shape which party controls the chamber next year. Erin Cox and Katie Shepherd/The Washington Post.
ALSOBROOKS, HOGAN MAKE THEIR FINAL PUSHES FOR VOTES: In 2018, then-Gov. Larry Hogan won reelection by winning in every Maryland jurisdiction except Baltimore City and Montgomery, Prince George’s and Charles counties. Hogan, decrying partisan labels and distancing himself from the state Republican Party, became the first Republican in 70 years to be reelected governor in the heavily Democratic state. That is the formula Hogan, now seeking an open U.S. Senate seat, hopes to repeat in Tuesday’s election. Staff/The Baltimore Sun.
- On Tuesday morning, Alsobrooks and Hogan will each head to their local polling place and cast votes for themselves. Then they’ll wait to see how millions of other Marylanders voted — and whom they selected to fill a rare open Senate seat, which could determine which political party will control the chamber. They have been locked in an intense battle for months over the Senate seat, a race that’s sure to be the costliest in Maryland history. Both candidates spent the final day of the campaign greeting voters and volunteers. Pamela Wood and Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
- Voters in the DMV are heading to the polls to decide the area’s important races for Congress. Maryland has several vital ones, including the race for the Senate between Hogan and Alsobrooks but also for the 6th Congressional district between April McClain Delaney and Neil Parrott. Staff/The Washington Post.
TOP ELECTION OFFICIAL SAYS MAIL-IN VOTING SYSTEM IS SECURE: Maryland’s top election official said voters can be confident in the security of the state’s mail-in voting system, brushing back issues raised over the weekend by state Republican Party officials. The party statement Sunday followed an incident last week when an official with the Carroll County Republican Central Committee tailed the county’s election director, as she picked up ballots from a drop box and drove them back to the county election board offices. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
‘WIN WITH BLACK MEN’ RALLIES SUPPORT FOR BLACK WOMEN CANDIDATES: At a mini-rally outside the State House Monday, a group of elected officials and community leaders had a message for fellow Black men: It’s not too late to make their voices heard. The event by the group Win With Black Men tried to rally support among Black male voters for Black women candidates, specifically Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and for Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Democrat running for U.S. Senate. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
COLUMN: MY PREDICTIONS ON THE ELECTION’s OUTCOME: Here we are. Election Day, at last. Columnists being what they are, I’ve got some predictions. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
SOME ANSWERS TO YOUR LAST MINUTE ELECTION QUESTIONS: For pundits, the political class and journalists, the 2024 election has been going on for at least two years. But folks not wrapped up in politics every day are beginning the week with several last-minute questions. These questions are fundamental and important to voting, and Google search trends show tons of people are looking for answers. Here’s everything you need to know about voting this year. Candy Woodall/The Baltimore Sun.
A TRUMP VICTORY COULD THREATEN MARYLAND’s OFF-SHORE WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY: If Donald Trump is elected back to the presidency on Tuesday, he could become the leading champion for Ocean City’s army of offshore wind opponents, potentially bringing a new industry and big bet by Maryland leaders to a halt before it has even taken root. Last month, Ocean City made good on threats to sue the federal government over a 114 turbine wind farm sited in view of its beaches, and offshore wind industry observers say a Trump presidency could supercharge this kind of litigation. Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.
IF YOU’RE VOTING IN WASHINGTON COUNTY: Marylanders head to the polls Tuesday to make their choices in General Election races for president, U.S. Senate and Congressional races including the 6th District. Locally, voters are also making their choices in the nonpartisan races for Washington County Board of Education and Hagerstown mayor and City Council. Staff/The Hagerstown Herald Mail.
WHEN WILL WE KNOW WHO WON? In 2022, Maryland knew who won its U.S. Senate race by midnight on Election Day. And in the last presidential election, Maryland knew who won its 2020 contest by midnight on Election Day. But the nation waited four days to find out that Joe Biden had prevailed in battleground Pennsylvania and captured the White House. State elections officials, pollsters and analysts are predicting similar scenarios this week. Candy Woodall/The Baltimore Sun.
***HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARYLAND REPORTER. HELP US CELEBRATE: Hard to believe that MarylandReporter.com launched 15 years ago on Nov. 2, 2009, with the help of a foundation worried about the loss of state government reporting. We were the first nonprofit news website in Maryland covering state government and politics. Help us celebrate by making a donation during our annual matching gift campaign. ***
MARYLAND’s FIGHT FOR ABORTION RIGHTS – 30 YEARS AGO: When Marylanders go to the polls Tuesday to decide the future of abortion rights in the state, it won’t be for the first time. More than 30 years ago, when it looked like Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that recognized a right to an abortion, was in danger of being overturned, the General Assembly passed a law codifying the protections of Roe. That law was petitioned to referendum by abortion opponents in 1992, ending a two-year fight that began with a draining and emotional filibuster that brought business to a halt in the 1990 Senate for eight days. John Rydell/Maryland Matters.
DOES CLEANING UP THE BAY ACTUALLY MEAN MORE FISH & CRABS? For decades, Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts have been driven by a simple equation: Cleaner water equals more fish and shellfish. The 1983 Chesapeake Bay Agreement, which launched the state-federal restoration effort, made that clear as it sought to reverse the Bay’s “historical decline in the living resources.” It would do so, the agreement said, by addressing pollution flowing into the Bay. But would achieving those goals actually result in more fish, crabs and oysters? Karl Blankenship of the Bay Journal/MarylandReporter.com.
MARYLANDERS CAMPAIGN IN PENNSYLVANIA: The true-blue state of Maryland doesn’t present much of a contest for Vice President Kamala Harris as she runs for president against Donald Trump. But Maryland Democrats and Republicans alike want to make a difference in the election, so they’re leveraging their location to help out just a few miles north. Robert Stewart of Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com.
A BALTIMORE BALLOT QUESTION TO DETERMINE FATE OF INNER HARBOR: The future of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is on the ballot this year, with voters set to weigh in on whether the once-heralded space should be amended to allow for apartments and commercial use. On one side is a development company, backed by City Hall and former mayors, that has cast the roughly $900 million proposal as an opportunity to revitalize Harborplace. On the other side are advocates for the city park, led by attorney Thiru Vignarajah, a past candidate for mayor and state’s attorney, who oppose what they say would amount to privatizing the Inner Harbor shoreline. Staff/The Baltimore Sun.
HO CO BOE SETTLES STUDENT INJURY LAWSUIT: The Howard County Board of Education settled a civil suit last week with a man who said his son was injured during a gymnastics exercise in a gym class at Guilford Elementary School. Though the case was scheduled to go to trial in February, court documents show the parties reached a full settlement Thursday morning for an undisclosed amount of money. The settlement ended more than a year of litigation. Racquel Bazos/The Baltimore Sun.
REMOVAL OF HARFORD BOE VICE PRESIDENT INVALIDATED: The Harford County Board of Education on Monday night officially pronounced the vote on the removal of Melissa Hahn from her position as board vice president to be “improperly declared,” leading to the vote being eliminated from future board meeting agendas and Hahn maintaining her leadership position. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
