Covering Maryland politics for @baltimorebanner | forever @capgaznews | Also a gymnast | she/her | Tips: pamela.wood@thebanner.com | Signal: pwoodreporter.22
Articles by Pamela Wood
Two more cabinet heads leaving as Gov. Moore’s second term overhaul continues
Two more cabinet secretaries plan to depart Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s administration as he heads into his second term. Serena McIlwain will leave her post as secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment at the end of the year, while Russell Strickland, secretary of emergency management, will retire in a few weeks, Moore announced Thursday.
Maryland’s Republican Party is broken. Where does it go from here?
Four years ago, Maryland Republicans had a popular two-term governor, Larry Hogan, and had won three of the previous five gubernatorial races. The party had won county executive races in the Baltimore suburbs, including Howard and Anne Arundel counties, in recent cycles. And it had a near lock on power in places such as Frederick County and the Eastern Shore. The party’s rightward shift since has mirrored national Republicans.
Wes Moore joins tradition of presidential hopefuls with a new book
Fresh off his reelection, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced he’s publishing a book — another sign he may be weighing a run for higher office. Titled “Repair: Healing a Divided Nation,” the governor’s book will be published by Henry Holt & Co. in March, according to The Associated Press. The publisher says the book is an “honest assessment” of the country and offers a “path forward that leaves no one behind,” according to the AP report.
Democrats flip Frederick County district, defeating state Sen. Folden
Maryland Democrats declared another election victory Saturday: Democrat Lara Westdorp over Republican state Sen. Bill Folden in Frederick County. As a retired police officer and sheriff’s deputy, Folden brought a conservative law-and-order perspective to the Senate. On the Judicial Proceedings Committee, where thorny issues of criminal justice are debated, he often clashed with more liberal members.
3 cabinet secretaries depart Gov. Moore’s team
Three of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s cabinet secretaries are departing the administration as the governor prepares to enter his second term. Secretary of State Susan Lee, Secretary of Veterans and Military Families Edward Rothstein and Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services Carolyn Scruggs are all leaving their roles effective Friday, Moore’s office announced. Interim secretaries have been named while the governor’s team conducts searches for replacements.
Maryland’s Green Party, Working Class Party lost Tuesday — but scored a victory
Maryland’s third-party candidates for governor didn’t come anywhere close to winning this year’s election. But the Green and Working Class parties won something else: enough votes to make it easier to get their candidates on the next ballot. Going into the election, the Green Party gubernatorial ticket of Andy Ellis and running mate Owen Silverman Andrews understood that they had little chance of winning.
Maryland’s public safety and corrections chief is stepping down
Maryland’s embattled secretary of public safety and corrections is stepping down, according to four officials informed of the move who were not permitted to discuss it publicly. Carolyn Scruggs, who was appointed by Gov. Wes Moore in 2023, informed her staff Wednesday evening that she was departing, two sources said. Scruggs is expected to remain in the Moore administration in a different role, a source said.
From Frederick to the Eastern Shore, blue wave expands Democrats’ reach
The Democratic blue wave that crashed across the nation washed ashore in Maryland, too, with the party expanding its reach and flipping seats from Frederick to Salisbury. Democrats already had a stranglehold on Maryland’s statewide elections and the General Assembly, relying on power bases in Baltimore City and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Howard and Anne Arundel counties have been shifting from purple to blue.
Reelection. Check. Now, Wes Moore 2028 questions grow louder.
Gov. Wes Moore resoundingly convinced voters to give him another four years. Whether he’ll use them all is another question. A Democrat with a rising national profile and political and donor connections from his time as a nonprofit leader and surrogate for fellow Black Democratic candidates for governor, Moore is frequently discussed as a 2028 presidential contender.
What we learned from Wes Moore, Question 3 and Democrats’ big victories
The most contested statewide race was not for an office — but a map. Voters had to decide how they felt about Question 3, the Democrats’ plan to redraw district lines and make it easier for the party to sweep all of the state’s congressional seats. Recent polling showed most voters opposed the measure. But when push came to shove, many seemed to hold their noses and vote in favor of it. The measure passed easily, reflecting a larger triumph for Gov. WesMoore and a dominant day for Democrats.
Gov. Wes Moore looks for a second term in Maryland as his star rises nationally
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is expected to coast to reelection on Tuesday, saying he wants another term to continue his efforts to make the state safer, more consumer-friendly and less dependent on the federal government. Moore, a rising star in the Democratic Party, faces Dan Cox, a former Republican lawmaker who lost by more than 30 points the last election. The only nonpartisan poll released in the race showed Moore ahead by nearly that much this time around.
As he seeks reelection, how has Wes Moore delivered on his promises?
Gov. Wes Moore, widely expected to win a second term on Tuesday, made several promises since taking office four years ago. Like every Maryland governor, he’s in charge of the budget, tens of thousands of state workers and countless programs, from managing fish populations to repaving highways and funding schools. And Moore has his own initiatives and to-do list. Here’s a look at the progress he has, and hasn’t, made so far.
‘Yes on Wes’ but no on Question 3 ads funded by national dark-money group
Ads urging Marylanders to vote for Gov. Wes Moore — but against the congressional redistricting ballot question he wants — are being funded by the Progressive Prosperity Caucus, a controversial nonprofit that Democrats in other states believe is a front for Republicans. The Truth for Maryland Political Action Committee has been airing ads and mailing flyers opposing the redistricting measure, Question 3 on the Maryland ballot.
A Carroll County retiree has spent $20K on radio ads fighting gerrymandering
We all grumble about politics, but most don’t do much about it other than vote or spout off on social media. Not Roger Kaul. The retired engineer from Carroll County put his money where his mouth is — quite literally — and spent more than $20,000 on radio ads opposing a redistricting question on the Maryland ballot this fall. “I’ve never done anything like this before,” Kaul said over coffee at a cafe in Sykesville.
Anti-redistricting PAC targeted in campaign finance complaint
A political action committee running ads opposing changes to congressional redistricting rules has been targeted in an anonymous campaign finance complaint, according to a copy obtained by The Banner. The complaint, filed over the weekend with the Maryland State Board of Elections and Office of the State Prosecutor, argues that the PAC, Truth for Maryland, has not disclosed its donors as required by law.
Sharonda Dillard-Huffman and Artus Huffman are running for office — and recently declared bankruptcy
Sharonda Dillard-Huffman calls her husband, Artus Huffman, her best friend. They’ve raised three children together, navigated the challenges of ill parents, and are now campaigning for political office together — she for Baltimore County Council and he for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates. They’ve also filed for bankruptcy — three times in the last decade.
Secret flights and texts to the governor: Inside the making of the Anduril deal
It began with a text. On a busy Tuesday in Annapolis last December, Gov. Wes Moore got a message from Matt Grimm, co-founder of upstart defense technology company Anduril Industries. Earlier that month, over lunch in California, the governor had met with Grimm and other executives. Now, Anduril was searching for a spot to spend billions on a new manufacturing facility. Might Maryland be interested?
Barack Obama ad urges Marylanders to vote for redistricting ballot question
Democrats are turning to their heaviest hitter to convince Maryland voters to support a redistricting ballot question: President Barack Obama. The 44th president recorded a 30-second TV ad in which he speaks directly to the camera, urging Marylanders to vote yes on Question 3, which he says will stop a “Republican power grab.” Airing in the Baltimore and Washington television markets, as well as on digital platforms, the ad was paid for by Fight Back MD, a Democratic group pushing for Question 3.
Trump is on Marylanders’ minds, if not their ballots, as early voting begins
Maryland’s in-person, early voting began across the state Thursday — and a politician who isn’t on the ballot motivated many to head to the polls. Marylanders are voting whether to reelect Gov. Wes Moore and are picking all eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the entire Maryland General Assembly and weighing in on scores of local races. But that didn’t stop voters from talking about Republican President Donald Trump and national issues.
Moore’s lawyers try to block anti-redistricting ads that mimic his slogan, colors
Wes Moore’s legal team is pushing back against a political action committee using pictures of the Maryland governor, his slogan and his campaign’s colors to advocate against a redistricting ballot question. It has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Truth for Maryland PAC, saying the group’s TV ad and website are “a cynical ploy” to misinform voters. The letter demands the ads and website be taken down by Thursday.
TV ad urges Marylanders to ‘vote yes for Wes’ but against redistricting question
A new ad in Maryland’s redistricting fight borrows Gov. Wes Moore’s slogan and colors to make a case that the governor surely will not approve: Vote against Question 3 on this year’s ballot.
Dan Cox wants to talk about Maryland but can’t escape Trump questions
Ask Republican governor candidate Dan Cox about President Donald Trump and he’ll turn to affordability and Maryland’s cost of living. Ask him about Trump’s effect on prices, including gas and diesel, and he brings up the state’s gas tax. Four years ago, Cox probably wouldn’t have won the Republican nomination for governor without Trump’s help.
America is politically polarized. In Maryland, only a few purple pockets remain.
All 188 seats in Maryland’s General Assembly are up for election this year. But just a handful are competitive in November. Maryland is as politically polarized as the rest of the country, drawing districts to favor one party or the other as efficiently as possible.
Gov. Moore says Trump is doing something right on drug prices
President Donald Trump and Gov. Wes Moore don’t agree on much. But Moore found himself Wednesday in the unusual position of begrudgingly acknowledging that the Trump administration is doing something right when it comes to prescription drug prices. The federal government now negotiates drug prices for Medicare, and Moore wants Maryland to piggyback off that work to cap prices here. “You know, we give credit where credit is due,” the Democratic governor said at a Baltimore news conference.
Pro-redistricting ballot question ads hitting airwaves, phones and mailboxes
Democrats seeking to allow the creation of more partisan congressional districts are launching an ad campaign to win over skeptical voters. Fight Back MD is spending “six figures” on text messages, mailers and a video ad that will air on TV and streaming services to urge voters to approve Question 3, spokesperson Luca Amayo said.
Lawmakers raising money to defeat Republicans who mocked Chinese-born colleague
After two state lawmakers posted a podcast that mocked a Chinese-born colleague’s accent, a group of Asian American and Pacific Islander lawmakers is raising money to campaign for their opponents. They group formed a campaign slate, which allows them to raise and share money among members. Already, the AAPI United in Action Slate has raised more than $60,000.
Most Maryland residents don’t want new data centers, UMBC poll finds
More than three-quarters of Marylanders oppose new data centers being built in the state and their communities, according to a new poll released Thursday. The survey from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Institute of Politics found that just 13% of respondents support new data centers in the state and just 16% support data centers being built near their communities. The survey of 776 likely voters was conducted Sept. 22-27 via landlines, cellphones and text messages.
Majority opposes redistricting amendment in UMBC poll
A majority of Marylanders polled say they oppose Democrats’ plans to make it easier to gerrymander congressional districts, according to statewide poll results released Wednesday. Just 25% of likely voters said they would vote for a constitutional amendment on redistricting that will appear as Question 3 on general election ballots, according to a poll from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Institute of Politics.
UMBC Poll: Moore leads Cox in race for governor by 2-to-1 margin
If Maryland’s election for governor were held today, incumbent Democratic Gov. Wes Moore would pull in more than twice as many votes as Republican challenger Dan Cox, according to a new poll from UMBC. Moore drew 51% support in a poll released Tuesday by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Institute of Politics, compared to 24% for Cox. About 14% of poll respondents were undecided.
Maryland’s Democratic women senators are pooling their money for female candidates
Maryland’s Democratic women senators are pooling their resources to elect more women to the chamber. The sitting senators and women who are running for the Senate are forming a slate, allowing them to share campaign cash for the rest of the cycle. “Maryland voters are lucky to have a number of talented women running for Senate and the incumbents are psyched to offer them a little bit of extra support,” said Sen. Cheryl Kagan, a Montgomery County Democrat who was elected to the Senate in 2014.
How Baltimore has welcomed President Trump during past visits
President Donald Trump plans to visit Sparrows Point on Tuesday, the first time he’s been to the Baltimore area in about 10 months. Trump is set to speak at an event held by Anduril Industries, a defense technology firm that has been scouting a potential production facility at the Tradepoint Atlantic campus. The Republican president has been in the Baltimore region five times in the last decade, and reaction to his visits have ranged from open embrace to outright hostility. Here’s how they went.
Is Gov. Wes Moore delivering on his ‘audacious’ promise to end child poverty?
In his first State of the State address in 2023, Gov. Wes Moore declared: “We can, and we will, end child poverty in the state of Maryland.” The Democrat had led a New York-based anti-poverty nonprofit, the Robin Hood Foundation, for four years before stepping down in 2021 to run for governor. He said his frustration in getting elected officials to add even a single line about poverty to their speeches is part of what pushed him into politics.
Trump administration sues Maryland, counties over law enforcement mask ban
The federal government is suing the state of Maryland over a new law that bans law enforcement officers from wearing masks, one of several attempts in the state to rein in federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit from President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, filed Thursday, also challenges mask bans in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. The feds argue that the laws improperly regulate how federal law enforcement officers carry out their jobs.
Second poll finds more supportive view of Maryland redistricting vote
A new poll shows 40% of likely voters would vote for an amendment to Maryland’s constitution that would make future congressional gerrymandering easier. Another 35% of those surveyed were opposed, and 25% were not sure. The poll, commissioned by Fight Back MD, a coalition that supports the constitutional change, comes days after a group opposing the redistricting measure released a poll showing a lack of support for the amendment. The survey of 600 likely voters was conducted Sept.
Moore proposes AI rules to protect Marylanders, wading into national debate
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced a series of proposals to regulate the artificial intelligence industry in the state Tuesday, joining the national conversation about what government should do about the rapidly improving technology. “With the speed with which AI is moving, Marylanders deserve guardrails that safeguard their rights, privacy, and dignity,” Moore said in a statement Tuesday morning as he headed to New York City to speak about AI at a Clinton Global Initiative conference panel.
Maryland redistricting question faces significant opposition, poll finds
Maryland Democrats’ efforts to make it easier to gerrymander congressional districts have more opposition than support, according to a statewide poll released Tuesday by a group opposing redistricting. The poll found that 41% of Marylanders are opposed to a constitutional amendment on redistricting that will appear as Question 3 on general election ballots. Just 28% of those polled supported the redistricting question, while 31% remain undecided.
Maryland Supreme Court puts redistricting question back on ballot
Maryland‚Äôs highest court ruled Thursday that voters will have their say on changing the state constitution‚Äôs rules on congressional redistricting ‚ÄĒ but the wording must be more clear. The Supreme Court of Maryland issued its ruling just hours after hearing oral arguments for and against the proposed constitutional amendment.
What’s at stake as Maryland’s top court hears redistricting case Thursday
Maryland’s highest court will hear hours of arguments Thursday over whether voters should decide on changing rules for drawing congressional districts. The ruling could mark the end of an angsty year of infighting among Maryland Democrats seeking to seize control of all eight Maryland U.S. House seats. That debate has been set against a backdrop of gerrymandering across the country. Or the ruling could drag out the district-drawing debate for more months.
Maryland redistricting ballot question blocked by second judge
A second judge has ruled against a ballot question altering congressional redistricting rules in Maryland. But the legal battles are far from over. Judge Spyros James Sarbanes on Friday in a Dorchester County case ordered that the question cannot go before voters in November, echoing a ruling earlier this week in a similar case filed in Anne Arundel County. The Anne Arundel case already has been appealed to the Supreme Court of Maryland, with oral arguments set for Thursday.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has spent 1 in 5 days of his term in other states
Gov. Wes Moore has spent at least a portion of one in every five days in other states since he took office in 2023 — and that pace of travel has accelerated as his national profile has grown, according to a Banner analysis. A man on the move, Moore has visited at least 27 states, often for political business in addition to travel directly related to his duties as governor.
Maryland’s tax on digital advertising by tech giants struck down in court
Maryland’s first-in-the-nation tax on advertising by Big Tech companies was struck down by the state’s tax court Friday. The tax, first approved in 2020, is designed to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for public schools by taxing Big Tech for ads that follow Marylanders around as they peruse social media platforms, websites and streaming services.
Preakness Stakes to shift 1 week later in May
For as long as anyone can remember, Baltimore’s Preakness Stakes thoroughbred horse race has been on the third Saturday in May. Not any longer. The Preakness will now be run on the fourth Sunday of May, part of a new vision and TV deal for the historic race that Gov. Wes Moore plans to announce Wednesday. The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, a race for 3-year-old fillies typically run the Friday before Preakness, will move to the Saturday before.
Maryland voters will decide future of redistricting. Here’s what’s next.
Maryland Democratic lawmakers passed a suggested change to the state Constitution Tuesday that would make it easier to gerrymander congressional districts in future sessions. Their action puts the change on November’s ballot, giving voters the final decision on whether to edit the Constitution. For now, lawmakers are putting off the question of whether to redraw congressional lines.
Maryland Democrats approve change that would give more leeway in redistricting
Maryland’s Democratic lawmakers approved a change to the state constitution Tuesday that will give them more flexibility in drawing congressional districts. The constitutional amendment will now go to voters for approval in November’s general election. The final vote, just after 6 p.m., capped a two-day summertime special session that was called as Democratic leaders face continued pressure to help their party gain seats in Congress.
Maryland lawmakers move closer to changing congressional redistricting rules
Maryland lawmakers trudged through a lengthy day Monday, nearing Democrats’ goal of changing the state’s constitution to make it easier to draw congressional districts. The House of Delegates gave preliminary approval to changing the constitution to remove legal roadblocks that thwarted past gerrymandering efforts. That sets up a final vote and then Senate action on Tuesday. If the measure passes the General Assembly, voters will have their say on the November ballot.
Maryland Democrats settle for less after bitter redistricting fight
Gov. Wes Moore’s redistricting push was supposed to oust Maryland’s only Republican in Congress this November and boost House Democrats’ ability to check President Donald Trump’s agenda. Instead, the effort has been mired in months of debate, has deeply divided Democrats, and won’t affect congressional maps until 2028 — if ever.
Who paid the price in Maryland’s redistricting clash?
After a year of wrangling over redistricting, Maryland Democrats have summoned lawmakers to Annapolis to take a criticalstep toward redrawing the state’s congressional districts. Rewriting part of the state constitution — subject to voter approval in November — would giveDemocrats a freer hand in drawing districts in the future, should they choose to do so. But getting to this point meant some leaders had to give up their goals, at least for now.
What to know about Wes Moore taking the helm at the National Governors Association
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore takes over the chairmanship of the National Governors Association on Saturday, a role that allows him not only to advocate for governors but also provides a national perch to further raise his political profile. Here are details on the governor’s new role. A collision course with Trump? The National Governors Association is a bipartisan organization that presses the needs of governors and states, particularly with the federal government.
Moore says Maryland prison killings a ‘tragedy,’ backs corrections head
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday acknowledged that the state’s high rate of prison killings is a problem, but was light on specifics of how to address the problem. “This is a tragedy and tragic issues that we’ve seen within some of our correctional facilities,” Moore, a Democrat, said. The Banner reported this week that Maryland has one of the highest rates of killings in state-run correctional facilities in the nation.
Wes Moore hits campaign trail with a mission: Elect other Black governors
Many see Maryland Gov. Wes Moore building a profile and allies for a future national run as he bounces around the country campaigning for other candidates, raising money and doing media interviews. He’s often mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. But Moore also has a distinct personal mission for some trips, including his latest: electing more Black Democratic governors.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Pamela
Contact Pamela, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack