Wednesday, May 2, 2012
A suit filed by Democratic Senators Delores Kelley and Jim Brochin says the plan violates the Maryland Constitution and protects the political voice of Baltimore City at the expense of Baltimore County.
UPDATED (1:13 p.m.)—Two Baltimore County state senators have filed suit in the state Court of Appeals seeking to overturn Maryland's recently enacted legislative redistricting plan. Democratic Senators Jim Brochin and Delores Kelley, in a suit filed Tuesday, claim the new districts violate the Maryland Constitution and a 2002 Court of Appeals ruling that governs redistricting. A copy of the lawsuit is attached to this story. The suit is one of four seeking to overturn Gov. Martin O'Malley's redistricting plan. At the heart of the 17-page complaint are allegations that the commission that redrew the state's 47 legislative districts unfairly protected the city's political power in Annapolis, while diluting the county's representation. "For …
Thursday, April 5, 2012
House of Delegates could take up a final vote on an amended bill as early as Friday.
The fate of a bill that creates a partially-elected school board in Baltimore County hangs on one vote that could come as early as Friday. Members of the county House delegation met Thursday afternoon moments after the full Senate approved an amended version of the bill that already passed the full House. The delegation voted 13-6 to concur with Senate amendments that changed the House bill from a fully-elected school board to a board with six elected and five appointed members.
Activists say it's easier to meet the state's standards for referendums than to petition a county law to the ballot.
A group of county activists wants to make it easier to petition county laws to the ballot and, ironically enough, the group's effort begins with a petition. Ann Miller, a Republican activist, is one of a number of volunteers who spent election day collecting signatures on a petition to change the Baltimore County Charter. If successful, the change to the County Charter would mean that voters seeking to challenge a law by referendum in the future would need to collect the signatures of less than 8,700 registered county voters to get an issue on the ballot. Miller and volunteers working with her are learning first-hand the difficulties in petitioning a county law to referendum as they attempt to collect enough signatures to overturn a …
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
State Sen. Nancy Jacobs cruised to an easy victory in the 2nd Congressional District Republican primary over five other candidates.
State Sen. Nancy Jacobs claimed victory over five other candidates Tuesday night in her bid to earn the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District. According to unofficial totals at 1 a.m. from the Maryland Board of Elections, Jacobs had 12,027 votes (59.1 percent), easily holding off her closest competitor Del. Rick Impalaria, who had 4,840 votes (23.8 percent). Other candidates included Larry Smith (2,291 votes), Howard Orton (481), Ray Bly (394) and Vlad Degan (305). Jacobs will now go on to face incumbent Democrat Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger in the November general election. Her win came on the same night that Mitt Romney won the Maryland GOP presidential primary. "It's time to ditch Dutch (Ruppersberger)," Jacobs said…
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Check out the charts below for preliminary results in Tuesday's primary elections.
- ELECTIONS
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Tuesday, April 3
Sen. Ben Cardin easily won the Democratic primary Tuesday for U.S. Senate, far outpacing his closest challenger, state Sen. C. Anthony Muse of Prince George’s County. Cardin, 68, will run for his second term against the winner of the Republican primary—which, as of 10 p.m., was a tight race between candidates Dan Bogino and Richard J. Douglas. Incumbent candidates easily won their Congressional primaries throughout the state. Republican Rep. Andy Harris in District 1 and Democrat C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger in District 2 ran unopposed in their primary races. Republican state Sen. Nancy C. Jacobs of Harford County was winning her party's primary Tuesday and was the likely contender to take on Ruppersberger in November. It is unclear what …
Incumbents Cummings, Harris, Ruppersberger, and Sarbanes also lock up primary wins.
UPDATED (11:15 p.m.)— Mitt Romney has won the Maryland Republican presidential primary, according to multiple news outlets. At 11 p.m., Romney leads Rick Santorum 91,402 (48 percent) to 57,299 (30 percent) with 1,281 of 1,851 precincts reporting. "I voted for Romney, he's the lesser of the evils," said Lisa Watts of Darnestown, MD. Chuck Duvall also of Darnestown, said he voted for Ron Paul, but expected Romney to win the Maryland primary. Both he and his wife, Ruth, said they planned to support Romney against Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama even though he wasn't their primary selection. A Romney win in Maryland was not unexpected. CNN declared Romney the winner at 8 p.m. when polls in Maryland and Washington closed. “Maryland’…
Nearly 70 volunteers are camping out at polling stations throughout Congressional District 2 for the Primary.
Ron Paul supporters are hoping to take advantage of low voter turnout across the county by staking their claim in Congressional District 2. About 70 supporters are focusing canvassing efforts throughout Baltimore County today in an attempt to capture the district they believe could be a turning point. "Having people at the polling locations on a low turnout day —when nobody is excited about these other candidates—could have a big impact for us,” said Patrick Hussey, a Ron Paul campaign county coordinator. Paul is currently trailing in fourth place behind candidates Mitt Romney, Rick Storum and Newt Grinch in the race for delegates, this Washington Post graph shows. Still, that doesn't deter Hussey. “If you look back at 1920, Warren …
Tell us why in the comments section below.
Six GOP candidates think they have what it takes to beat sitting District 2 Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger. Do you agree or disagree? Which Republican are you voting for today? Why? start the conversation in the comments section below after voting in our poll. A few of the candidates offered insight to their positions at a debate in Dundalk in mid-March. Watch the video. Be sure to check your polling location.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Maryland's Republican "moderate middle" will matter on Tuesday.
Will former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s lead in Maryland turn into a win in Tuesday’s GOP presidential primary? Romney has a 17-point advantage over former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in Maryland, according to a poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports on Wednesday. It showed Romney is supported by 45 percent of Maryland Republicans, Santorum by 28 percent, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich by 12 percent and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, 7 percent. Even though officials aren’t predicting a high turnout in Maryland on Tuesday, it is expected to be an important day in the presidential race, when the “moderate middle of the Maryland GOP will be relevant,” according to The Washington Post. “There are more of us in this state than in others, I …
Friday, March 30, 2012
It’s been "slow and steady," according to one election official.
Nearly 60,000 people in Maryland have turned out for early voting, a service the state started offering in 2010. The 59,716 people who voted as of Wednesday represent 1.38 percent of eligible voters. There is still time to cast an early ballot on Thursday. Early voting in the state ended at 8 p.m. yesterday. “I’m using the phrase ‘slow and steady,' " said Montgomery County Board of Elections spokeswoman Marjorie Roher. “There are not lines in most cases at all; normally there’s one or two people at each of the poll places.” Early voting started March 24 and ends at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 29. The Maryland primary is Tuesday, April 3. Early voting in the 2010 gubernatorial primary elections, the first year it was in place, netted 2.44 …
abbistani
12:15 pm on Sunday, May 6, 2012
Well, they would have to amend the state constitution to do it. How likely do you think that would be? more ›