Category: Election 2018

Below is a gallery of 19 photos from Gov. Larry Hogan’s second inauguration, most of them...

“You may roll your eyes at this, but as the state tax collector I received more votes for state office than any Marylander in history,” Comptroller Peter Franchot gleefully told a sold-out BWI Business Partnership breakfast Friday morning. “And if you bump into Governor Hogan, could you tell him I happened to get 300,000 more votes than he did.”

It was a weepy celebration in Ellicott City Friday, as Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman’s official portrait was unveiled in the county seat. Not only did it mark a jarring halt to a political career that some had seen going all the way to the State House as governor. It also marked a 32-year low point for the Republican Party in Howard County.

Gov. Larry Hogan picked up a greater proportion of the vote in every county than he did in 2014. Voter turnout increased in every county. The Republican governor got a greater proportion of those new votes and also pulled in non-Republican voters. He got a greater proportion of early votes, too.

An exuberant, exultant, emotional Gov. Larry Hogan, with bear hugs for everyone in sight, effused one of the stellar quotes of the campaign in a 5-minute victory speech Tuesday night.  “Tonight in this deep blue state, in this blue year, with a blue wave, it turns out I can surf and we had a purple surfboard.”

State Sen. Gail Bates is asking for answers about a breach of security at Howard County  Courthouse involving Register of Wills Byron Macfarlane at the end of September. Howard County Sheriff’s Office deputies found a group of 15 to 20 in the courthouse with an access pass from Macfarlane, said Major Donald Knott, chief deputy. At the time the courthouse was closed and Macfarlane was not present.

The Maryland General Assembly gave Attorney General Brian Frosh broad authority to sue the federal government in 2017, and he has used it aggressively. Is it just partisan pursuit of President Trump or were the expansive powers just catching up with what AGs in most states are permitted to do?

Here are a variety of guides for voters to choose their candidates. Registration is over Tuesday, Oct. 16, but voters can also register and vote during early voting, which begins Thursday, Oct. 25. If readers find other useful guides for this year’s election, please forward the URL hyperlink to Len@MarylandReporter.com.

At a brief press conference Friday, a reporter asked Democratic nominee for governor Ben Jealous about polls showing him far behind Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in the race for governor. Jealous shrugged it off, saying he was about in the same position as Hogan was four years ago before his upset victory. That’s not what a comparison of poll results from the two elections shows.