CARDIN WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION TO U.S. SENATE: U.S. Sen. Ben L. Cardin will not seek reelection to the U.S. Senate after three terms, ending a career in public service that spanned more than half a century and opening up a potential scramble among politicians to replace him. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- Cardin, 79, made the announcement in a video appearance alongside his wife, Myrna, while reflecting on his long tenure in public office. “Thank you, Marylanders,” he said. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity of my life to represent you in the United States Senate. I’ve given my heart and soul in trying to do my best.” Meagan Flynn/The Washington Post.
- On Monday afternoon, Cardin issued a statement saying “I have run my last election” and stressing the importance of civility in American politics. “I am an optimist but also a realist. I was taught that it’s OK to compromise — don’t ever compromise your principles — but find a path to get things done,” his statement said. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
You can view the Cardins’ announcement below.
KUDOS POUR IN FOR CARDIN: As one of the most prominent political figures in Maryland for over 50 years, U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin’s announcement Monday that he wouldn’t seek reelection set off a wave of well-wishes and thankful messages from multiple generations of politicians. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
- Tributes to Cardin rolled in all day Monday, from an array of political, business and civic leaders from every corner of the state. There isn’t an advocacy group or a segment of the economy that Cardin hasn’t touched in a political career that dates back almost 60 years. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
WHO WILL SEEK CARDIN’s SEAT? With the announcement that U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin will not be running for re-election, quite a few dominoes in Maryland Politics will begin to fall. The most imminent will be Congressman David Trone getting in or getting out of the U.S. Senate race. Brian Griffiths/The Duckpin.
- Besides Trone, other possible contenders for Cardin’s seat include Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks; and Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando. Although none of the three Democrats have announced their intentions, they have begun preparing for the campaign in various ways, such as bringing in strategists or other staff. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
- Mileah Kromer of Goucher College said U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin would have a similar advantage to Trone if he ran, since he’s become a big name for his work on the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection investigation and leading the House Oversight Committee. Ginny Bixby/MoCo360
MOORE’s BLIND TRUST INCLUDES CANNABIS COMPANY HOLDINGS: Gov. Wes Moore has put much of his multi-million dollar portfolio of investments and business interests into a blind trust, fulfilling a campaign promise intended to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- His portfolio includes a large stake in a medical marijuana company set to expand as the state legalizes recreational cannabis this summer. Moore administration officials announced the trust Monday, ahead of the administration’s plan to sign a bill this month that gives the state’s existing medical marijuana purveyors the first crack at licenses for the recreational industry. Erin Cox/The Washington Post.
- Nearly half of Moore’s significant holdings are in Green Thumb Industries, a cannabis company that does business in Maryland, according to documents outlining the trust. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
- Baltimore-based Under Armour makes up Moore’s second largest holding. The 25,146 shares are valued at more than $203,000 and make up slightly more than 8% of the total trust. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
***SUPREME COURT IN CRISIS: The League of Women Voters and the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland Baltimore are hosting a presentation on Supreme Court: Crisis of Legitimacy and the Path to Reform Wednesday, May 3, 1 p.m. Westminster Hall, 519 W. Fayette St. in Baltimore. Speakers are Mark Graber, University of Maryland Regents Professor and Constitutional Scholar; Leslie Proll, Senior Director of Voting Rights, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Jon Sherman, Litigation Director, Fair Elections Center. For more information and to register for the event, click here.***
POLL: MOORE APPROVAL RATING AT 53%: Gov. Wes Moore, who recently completed his first 100 days on the job, has an approval rating of 53%, according to a new Goucher College poll in partnership with the Baltimore Banner. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- You can read the complete poll here. John O’Connor/The Baltimore Banner.
POLL: MARYLANDERS WORRY ABOUT CHILDHOOD POVERTY: Marylanders have mixed views of the direction of the state, with continued concerns about crime, education and the economy, according to the new Goucher College-Baltimore Banner survey. And they’re also concerned about an issue that Gov. Wes Moore has pegged as one of his key priorities: eliminating childhood poverty in the state. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
CAB FIRM CHARGED FOR SCHOOL RIDES THAT MAY NOT HAVE OCCURRED: A Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education report released on Monday found that Baltimore City Public Schools paid as much as $631,000 over three years to a cab company for rides to school that students may never have taken. Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.
NEW SHAKEUP IN MAYOR SCOTT’s EXECUTIVE STAFF: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s spokesman has been removed from his job – nine weeks after he started it – while the mayor’s chief of staff has been put on leave. These actions, The Brew has learned, stem from complaints that Cirilo R. Manego III, director of communications, was performing work at his consulting firm during city working hours, and Chesia T. Cager, his boss and chief of staff, did not take steps to stop it. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.
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Cager joined the Scott administration in November, serving as the mayor’s top adviser and manager of legislative affairs. Manego was named the mayor’s third communications director in three years in mid-February. Neither immediately returned a request for comment. Emily Sullivan/The Baltimore Banner.
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The staffing shake-up is the latest in the Democratic mayor’s office, which has seen high turnover since Scott took office in December 2020. Both the now-vacant posts have been held by new people in the past year. Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Sun.
