Doug Gansler, Wes Moore tout latest endorsements in Maryland governor race

Wes Moore speaks after receiving
the endorsement of Maryland House
Speaker Adrienne Jones in
Catonsville Saturday morning

Two Democratic candidates for Maryland governor have announced prominent endorsements in the crowded primary field. Perhaps the most powerful Democrat in the state, Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones, has endorsed Wes Moore in the race. "Wes Moore has the fortitude, lived experience, and motivation to lead us into a new era of equity, opportunity, and achievement for all Marylanders,” Jones said at the Benjamin Banneker Museum in Catonsville on Saturday. “He is the governor Maryland needs to put us on the best path forward.”

“It is an honor to receive the support of Speaker Jones, a stalwart champion for equity and opportunity in Maryland,” Moore said in a statement. “I’ve been proud to work with her on her groundbreaking Black agenda, on the blueprint for Maryland’s future – and I will be so proud to be her partner as we usher in a new era of opportunities.” In a race that many thought Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot would lead through a hefty campaign treasure chest and political influence, Moore has appeared to have the momentum in the final months, racking up endorsements from power players across the state including longtime Congressman Steny Hoyer and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. Franchot, in contrast, has made very little news at all.

(L-R in Baltimore): Rev. Dr. Alvin J. Gwynn,
Maryland Governor candidate Doug Gansler, 
Lt. Governor candidate Candace Hollingsworth

Former Maryland Attorney General and current Montgomery County resident Doug Gansler meanwhile received an endorsement that could boost his turnout in the City of Baltimore, where he has placed much of his effort during his campaign. The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Baltimore has endorsed Gansler and his running mate, former Hyattsville Mayor Candace Hollingsworth, for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Maryland.  “The IMA believes that former Attorney General Doug Gansler and former Mayor Candace Hollingsworth are the best-suited ticket to meet the needs of Black Marylanders across the state,” IMA President Rev. Dr. Alvin J. Gwynn, Sr. said in a statement. “Doug has spent much of his career serving communities of color in Maryland and working to keep the state safe but never at the expense of justice. Candace led revitalization efforts when she served as mayor of Hyattsville. The IMA believes that Doug and Candace are the right team to create not only a safer Baltimore, but a safer Maryland, and we look forward to helping them win this primary in July.”  

“It’s a deep and profound honor for us to receive the IMA’s endorsement,” Gansler said. “Not only because of what IMA represents historically for Baltimore, but also because of the pastors that represent the citizens of Baltimore. We’re excited to work with the pastors of IMA and the communities on the ground to help Baltimore realize its promise as a safe and vibrant city.” The significance and weight of the IMA endorsement is seen in two other politicians who have received it in the past, the late Congressman Elijah Cummings (D), and current Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D).

Maryland governor hopeful Dan Cox meets with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago

Fresh off a major victory in the Ohio U.S. Senate primary, former President Donald Trump is redoubling his efforts to play a similar kingmaker role in the Maryland Republican primary this July. Trump held a private meeting at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last week with his endorsed candidate in the Maryland gubernatorial race, Dan Cox. A Republican state representative in the Maryland House of Delegates, Cox was heartily endorsed by Trump last year. In a statement, Trump urged Maryland Republican voters to turn out for Cox. "I want you to help him," Trump said. "He's going to win big."

The impact of Trump's endorsement in a state like Maryland won't be known until after those voters head to the polls on July 19. While Trump was almost single-handedly responsible for the win of J.D. Vance in the Ohio U.S. Senate primary, the Buckeye state is a solid Republican redoubt in 2022. Trump remains popular among large numbers of Republicans in Maryland, but victory there requires a larger percentage of independent and moderate Democratic votes than in Ohio. Current Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has sailed to victory twice, the second time - in part - due to his trashing of Trump loudly and repeatedly in the national media.

Hogan's attacks have the candidate he has endorsed to succeed him, Kelly Schulz, on the receiving end of Trump's own attacks.  The popular Republican governor is exploring a possible presidential run in 2024, and that no doubt has played a role in Trump's engagement in the Maryland race. As Maryland's commerce secretary, Schulz scored major wins in attracting a Hitachi railcar factory, and two new manufacturing facilities for United Safety Technology and Niagara Bottling, to a state that has seen those industrial jobs evaporate in recent decades.  

Schulz did not wage a similar public campaign against Trump while serving in Hogan's administration, but has earned Trump's ire simply for being Hogan's choice, and for carrying out Hogan's policies during the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns. Cox rose to prominence as a critic of those policies, going so far as to sue Hogan in court.

Schulz' primary political message has been that she is the only candidate who can maintain that Hogan coalition at the polls this November. “If you approve of how we have led Maryland, then Kelly Schulz is your choice for governor,” Hogan declared in his endorsement speech. With two impressive wins in a blue state under Hogan's belt, and high marks from even many Democratic voters, that's a compelling case for sure.

In contrast, Cox has wider goals than the continuation of the Hogan status quo. He has promised to audit the 2020 election, "stop the indoctrination of our kids in schools," end taxpayer funding of abortions, block the federal release of immigrants apprehended at the border into Maryland communities, and double police salaries. That's an agenda diehard Trump supporters in Maryland would strongly support. Establishment Republican operatives looking at a Democratic field that hasn't produced the clear, strong frontrunner many had expected...not so much. Which side of that GOP coin will have the numbers July 19 is anybody's guess at this point.

Cox, for his part, is confident of the positive impact of a Trump endorsement in Maryland. "The most powerful endorsement in America is the one I am blessed to have - President Trump's endorsement," he said in a statement after the Mar-a-Lago meeting. Cox said that Trump called several unnamed Republican leaders on the telephone during their meeting, exhorting them to support the Cox campaign.

Photo released by Dan Cox for Governor campaign

Car stolen from Gaithersburg apartment complex

Gaithersburg City police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle early Saturday morning at an apartment complex in the city. The vehicle was reported stolen from the parking lot of a complex in the 500 block of Summit Hall Road at 12:01 AM, according to crime data.

Germantown man charged with plotting ISIS-inspired terror attack declared mentally competent

Rondell Henry, 31, of Germantown, whom authorities allege was plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack at Maryland's National Harbor, was declared mentally competent by the judge in his trial. The judge based the decision on doctors' reports that showed Henry's mental health had improved since he was charged in the case three years ago. His attorneys had previously indicated they would seek to mount an insanity defense. Henry is accused of planning a truck attack at the popular destination in Prince George's County in 2019, in which he allegedly planned to use a U-haul truck he was said to have stolen in Virginia.

Robbery at knifepoint in Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg police responded to a report of a robbery in the 200 block of N. Frederick Avenue yesterday afternoon. The robbery was reported along the street at 3:49 PM, according to crime data. A knife was used to threaten the victim of the robbery.

Maryland in a "state of lawlessness," gubernatorial candidate Doug Gansler says in crime-focused campaign

Democrat Doug Gansler is the former Attorney General of Maryland and a past State's Attorney in his native Montgomery County. Given that resume, it's not surprising that crime has been a major focus of his campaign as the July 19, 2022 Democratic primary approaches. In a statement released this morning after a police detective was carjacked in Baltimore Tuesday night, Gansler says, "Maryland is in a state of lawlessness when people feel at liberty to carjack, shoot, or assassinate doctors, police officers, and people who are just minding their own business trying to get through their day."

Carjackings, often by armed robbers, have become a frequent occurrence in Montgomery County as well in the pandemic era. Drivers from Bethesda to Silver Spring and Gaithersburg have found themselves in the crosshairs of carjackers over the last two years. Even Potomac hasn't escaped the trend.

Gansler is tacking against the "defund the police" sentiment of some in his party. He sees a police shortage, and is promising to instead put "more and better-paid police officers on our streets." Gansler says he would balance a tougher stance on crime with funding for programs that address the root causes of lawbreaking. "We will...invest in the necessary resources to solve every murder and every carjacking while also fast-tracking funding for community infrastructure projects like youth recreation centers in high-crime areas," Gansler says in today's statement, which also accuses the state of having neglected the City of Baltimore "for too long."

In a crowded Democratic race, Gansler carries the advantage of having been elected to a statewide office before. He has been endorsed by more than 40 current and past attorneys general from across the country, and was named a 2022 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate. Gansler's path to victory would likely have to include a strong turnout in his home base of Montgomery County, Baltimore residents fed up with crime, and a sizable chunk of moderate Democrats in Southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore. He could benefit from being the only candidate in his lane, which is relatively moderate and tough-on-crime, while the other candidates are vigorously competing to be seen as the most-progressive. The question remains, is that a winning lane in the Maryland Democratic Party circa 2022?

Also running for governor are Democrats Rushern Baker, Jon Baron, Peter Franchot, Ralph Jaffe, Ashwani Jain, John King, Wes Moore, Tom Perez, and Jerome M. Segal. Republicans Dan Cox, Robin Ficker, Kelly Schulz and Joe Werner will face off in their own July 19 primary. Libertarian David Lashar and Unaffiliated candidate Kyle Sefcik will take on the winners of the two major party primaries in the November general election.

Photo via Friends of Doug Gansler

Maryland gubernatorial candidates react to Supreme Court leak suggesting Roe v. Wade will be overturned

An unprecedented leak of a purported U.S. Supreme Court draft majority opinion striking down Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey published Monday night by Politico has dominated political discussion in the hours since. Maryland candidates for governor weighed in on the document, which Politico claims it has confirmed was authored by Justice Samuel Alito. Voters in Maryland approved a ballot measure in 1992 that preserved abortion on-demand up until the point of viability if Roe were to be overturned. Democrats in Annapolis widely expanded the number of healthcare professionals who could perform abortions in the General Assembly's 2022 session, over the objections and veto of Maryland's Republican Governor Larry Hogan.

Despite those legal precedents, Democrats running for Hogan's job aggressively responded to the potential SCOTUS decision. Wes Moore called it "deeply disturbing and dangerous," in a statement. "It cannot be overstated how many people will die as a result of this decision," Moore added, promising he would press for an amendment to Maryland's constitution, among other efforts.

"It will be the duty of Maryland's next Democratic governor to unapologetically protect and expand a pregnant person's right to an abortion," John King tweeted. "This assault on women, on a woman’s right to abortion care, is absolutely abhorrent," King wrote.

Candidate and current Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot called on lawmakers to "enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution" in a tweet. "But we must not stop there. It is not enough to preserve the status quo in the face of attacks on reproductive healthcare. So much more must be done to expand the accessibility of abortion care services."

Rushern Baker, former Prince George's County Executive now running for governor, considered the nationwide impacts of the possible Supreme Court decision. In a tweet, he exhorted state lawmakers to "prepare NOW for the many who may soon have to travel here for care."

Jon Baron also called for amending the state constitution. "This ruling, if made official, would cause immeasurable harm to millions around the country. It’s appalling — and a reminder of the imperative of state-level leadership on abortion rights," Baron tweeted.

"Guns have more rights than women in America," former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler tweeted this morning. He promised to be a "brick wall" against any reduction of abortion rights. Like Baker, he forsaw Maryland becoming a destination for women in other states seeking abortions if such a ruling passed.

Ashwani Jain joined Baker and Gansler in seeking to position Maryland as an "abortion sanctuary." He tweeted that "There’s no such thing as 'Pro-Life.' You’re either FOR safe abortions or AGAINST healthcare access."

"I'm disgusted. And infuriated," former Montgomery County Councilmember and U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez tweeted. "This is another step toward the Court forfeiting legitimacy. Make no mistake: people will lose their lives. Abortion and reproductive freedoms are fundamental freedoms—and always will be. We're going to fight like hell."

The only Republican ticket to speak on the leak so far was that of Delegate Dan Cox and his running mate Gordana Schifanelli. " I pray God it’s true," Cox posted on Facebook. "And because of the three SCOTUS seats appointed by President Trump, Roe v. Wade and abortion on demand are no more. May it ever be forgiven our land and may the blood of the innocent be part of the cloud of witnesses that triumphantly proclaim with all Americans 'we are endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights…of Life…!' And may the healing of women who’ve been lied to or overwhelmed by their decision, overflow with grace."

"Leaking draft opinion from the Supreme Court is another example of destructive behavior of the radical left - the fascists and haters of our country," Schifanelli tweeted. 

Republicans Robin Ficker and Kelly Schulz have yet to publicly comment on the potential SCOTUS decision. 

Unaffliated candidate Kyle Sefcik tweeted his support for the "weakening and overturning of Roe v. Wade."