Maryland
Md. gubernatorial candidates face off in July 19 primary
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s term ends in January
The Washington Blade this week details the LGBTQ-specific positions of the candidates who hope to succeed Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.
The primary election will take place on July 19.
DEMOCRATS:
PETER FRANCHOT
State Comptroller Peter Franchot has served in his current position since 2007. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates for more than two decades before ousting his Democratic predecessor in 2006.
Alongside his running mate, former Prince George’s County Council member Monique Anderson-Walker, Franchot has campaigned on promises of enacting a more efficient, transparent and equitable state government that will be prepared to champion multiple progressive causes.
When asked about his approach to issues surrounding LGBTQ rights in Maryland, Franchot told the Blade that providing equitable opportunities for underserved groups like the LGBTQ community was a focus of his bid for the governor’s office.
“I am committed to ensuring that all Marylanders have the resources to thrive and enjoy all the benefits our state has to offer,” Franchot told the Blade. “I was the first candidate to publish an agenda dedicated to addressing injustices and supporting historically marginalized communities.”
Should he succeed, a Franchot administration, he said, would be ready to implement a number of plans his campaign has already drafted.
“I will ensure our curriculums educate students on our modern world and ensure that all of our public schools will be equipped with mental health professionals,” Franchot said. “I will also appoint a Secretary of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This person will be responsible for identifying bias, disparate impacts, or inadequate attention to existing inequity and will issue a public report with action items to hold our government responsible for addressing these challenges. I am committed to ensuring that members of the LGBTQ+ community are part of my administration, and I will also increase funding for grassroots organizations that are filling in the gaps to provide support and care for the LGBTQ+ community.”
DOUG GANSLER
Former Attorney General Doug Gansler served in his statewide role from 2007 to 2015.
Running alongside former Hyattsville Mayor Candace Hollingsworth, Gansler has consistently pointed to his progressive record on issues of social justice and environmental protection.
In fighting for what he sees as social justice for constituents, Gansler has garnered a well-recorded history of using his governmental power to advocate for the LGBTQ community.
Gansler in 2010 affirmed his support for LGBTQ rights by issuing an opinion that Maryland would recognize same-sex marriages performed outside the state that, at the time, did not allow such. In response, some state lawmakers in Annapolis initiated an unsuccessful attempt to impeach him from his position.
“I am and always have been [an advocate] and I don’t waver, and I will always do that going forward as governor,” Gansler said.
As he pursues his party’s nomination for the governorship, Gansler told the Blade that representation of the LGBTQ community in his administration as well as experience in using government pathways to protect them would be key components of addressing LGBTQ issues – components, he says, he is willing and able to pursue.
“I think having folks in government who are representative, I think, is important,” Gansler said. “I think making sure we enforce the laws and don’t let any abridgement of the laws occur and pass more protective laws and make sure that, should hate crimes and hate speech and behavior targeted toward the LGBTQ community get enhanced that we lead.”
RALPH JAFFE
Retired educator Ralph Jaffe has centered his campaign around a promise to root out corruption in Maryland government.
“My real goal – I’m in this to win – but there’s a more important objective and that is I want to create a new standard of behavior for politicians in the future,” Jaffe said.
As part of his campaign alongside running mate Mark Greben, Jaffe has campaigned on a set of five principles: Refusing all campaign contributions, only serving one term in office if elected, serving without pay, being truthful with constituents and having no dealings with or connections to professional lobbyists.
Jaffe has proposed the elimination of the Public Service Commission, the Maryland Department of Education, the Maryland Stadium Authority and the Maryland Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program in favor of fiscal responsibility and more localized control as well as opposing all attempts by the state’s General Assembly to raise residents’ taxes.
Jaffe told the Blade that his involvement in such change, spanning back three decades, was one that he characterized as a movement – one that has taken time to cultivate and has allowed for.
“It takes time. We have made a lot of progress and I’m pleased with the progress we have made,” he said.
When addressing his support for matters of LGBTQ equality, Jaffe told the Blade that he believes members of the community deserve equal respect and status.
“I believe that any person in this country who is a human being in this country should be treated equally, that’s it,” Jaffe said.
TOM PEREZ
Former Democratic National Committee Chair and U.S. and Maryland Labor Secretary Tom Perez has sought to use his profile to establish himself as a top contender in the Democratic primary.
Perez, alongside his running mate, former Baltimore City Council member Shannon Sneed, has branded himself as a “get stuff done” Democrat. Perez, who is leaning on his experience as a civil rights attorney, now seeks to enact, among other things, reforms in areas that include police reform, voting rights, marijuana laws and gender equity.
A spokesperson for the Perez campaign told the Blade that as LGBTQ rights have come under greater uncertainty, Perez is looking forward to doing more to continue being a champion for the community.
“Throughout June we celebrate the amazing achievements of our LGBTQ+ communities and recommit ourselves to protecting the rights of our LGBTQ+ family, friends and neighbors so we can build stronger, more inclusive communities across Maryland – and beyond,” Perez wrote on Twitter on June 1.
WES MOORE
Combat veteran, small business owner and former Robin Hood Foundation CEO Wes Moore has sought to use his campaign to call into focus equity gaps in Maryland in hopes of becoming the Democratic nominee.
Through his campaign, Moore has leaned on his experiences of humble beginnings as well as military and entrepreneurial experience to influence his policy stances on issues affecting veterans and others.
Moore has expressed his support for the LGBTQ community and his intention to address related issues should he be elected to office.
Moore’s plans, should he become the next governor, include collaboration with the Maryland LGBTQ Affairs Commission and the community in future discussion, identifying LGBTQ businesses for the state to more easily contract, supporting and implementing prospective and newly-enacted legislation like the Safe Schools Act and Trans Health Equity Act and denying harmful legislation from being enacted or enforced.
Moore and his running mate, former state Del. Aruna Miller, reaffirmed their support for LGBTQ rights in a policy statement their campaign released.
“The only way to make Maryland truly inclusive and welcoming is to ensure we fiercely support and advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, especially at a time where this community remains under attack,” Moore and Miller said in the statement. “The Moore-Miller administration will always be champions for LGBTQ+ Marylanders, protecting their rights and ensuring they have access to the tools and resources they need at all intersections of life to prosper and thrive.”
ASHWANI JAIN
Former Obama administration official and federal government staffer Ashwani Jain has operated a gubernatorial campaign founded in grassroots principles reminiscent of those that U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and others have implemented.
Refusing campaign contributions from political action committees (PACs) and what the campaign defines as “developers, businesses … or polluters,” Jain has sought to define the campaign using resident-exclusive organizing and detailed policy plans released early in the campaign cycle.
At 32 years old, Jain would be the youngest governor in the nation if he were elected alongside running mate LaTrece Hawkins Lytes.
On LGBTQ issues, Jain issued a policy statement affirming his commitment to fighting anti-LGBTQ discrimination if he were to win.
“To those who feel marginalized for their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, I want to assure you that you are welcome in Maryland — and you make us stronger!” Jain wrote.
Jain’s policy on LGBTQ issues includes proposals including a prohibition on discrimination in housing and jury selection and introducing legislation to protect individuals’ and couples’ access to surrogacy, adoption, foster care, health insurance application. Jain has also called for state non-discrimination laws to be reformed to omit religious exemptions.
“We as a society must ensure we always provide equal access to all state-run services; protect all from any type of discrimination; and provide appropriate training to all state agencies and departments,” Jain wrote.
JON BARON
Jon Baron has previously served as a congressional staffer and an official in the Clinton, Bush and Obama White Houses, drafting programs and policies related to issues that include technology companies and social spending.
Running alongside Maryland Business Roundtable for Education Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs Natalie Williams, Baron has sought to bring his experience in crafting policy and programs on various issues to the role of Maryland governor.
While he did not respond to request for comment regarding policies LGBTQ-related policies he would implement if elected governor, Baron has previously expressed support for the community as part of his campaign platform.
“This month and every month, we celebrate the enormous contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made to our state – and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ rights are protected in Maryland and across the country,” Baron wrote on Twitter on June 1.
JOHN KING
Former U.S. Secretary of Education and current University of Maryland Professor John King has sought to make his plans for and experience in education a cornerstone of his campaign.
With his running mate, Women’s Law Center of Maryland Executive Director Michelle Siri, King has leaned on such educational experience as he has crafted education proposals and plans to implement expanded student debt relief in the state. King has also publicly spoken to his support of the LGBTQ community.
In an op-ed the Blade published last month, King described his plans to support the LGBTQ community in his state should he be elected. These included expanding LGBTQ-related health services, implementing anti-discrimination policies in education and long-term care facilities, introducing further violence prevention and intervention programs aimed at protecting LGBTQ individuals and investment in LGBTQ-owned businesses.
“This Pride Month and beyond, LGBTQ+ Americans need more than empty allyship from politicians, governments, and corporations — they need someone who will stand with them and provide tangible support,” King wrote. “I’m running for governor to be a real defender, ally, and advocate for LGBTQ+ Marylanders, and to make our state a safe place for all Americans to live.”
JEROME SEGAL
Jerome Segal, author and founder of the organization Bread and Roses, has used his candidacy to emphasize what he sees as the importance of understanding national history and the power the governor’s office in Maryland.
Running alongside Galena Town Councilman Justinian Dispenza, Segal has proposed guaranteed paid, basic employment of at least 32 hours per week, intergovernmental personnel sharing programs between Maryland and foreign countries, progressive tax transformation and introducing legislation for a four-day work week. Segal told the Blade that with regards to LGBTQ rights he respects an individual’s right to privacy and is willing to support both statewide and national codification of the right to privacy to protect the community.
“My view is actually that what we should do is amend the Constitution,” he said. “We should put in there a specific right to privacy and expand on it if we want to but just having an explicit right to privacy in the Constitution will mean that right-wing people on the court can’t say that you guys just invented the right to privacy and it’s not in the Constitution because we’ll make it explicit and we’ll put it in the Constitution.”
REPUBLICANS:
KELLY SCHULZ
Former Labor and Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz has received Hogan’s endorsement in the Republican primary and has cemented her status in recent polling as a top contender for the party’s nomination.
Schulz and her running mate Maryland Air National Guard Col. Jeff Woolford, have vowed to advocate for statewide tax cuts and resist any effort made by the state legislature to raise residents’ taxes.
A cornerstone of Schulz’s campaign is her parental bill of rights, aimed at increasing parental involvement in the operations and functioning of Maryland schools.
“We need to be able to make sure that every public school is working regardless of the zip code our children live in,” Schulz said at a debate on education on Monday. “We need to be able to make sure that it’s functioning. That’s why, several months ago, I introduced the parental bill of rights to be able to make sure that parents are empowered in their educational options for their children.”
Schulz has not responded to requests for comment about her campaign’s LGBTQ-specific platform.
DAN COX
Endorsed by former President Donald Trump, state Del. Dan Cox has represented District 4 in the House of Delegates since 2019.
Running alongside Naval Academy Law Professor Gordana Schifanelli, Cox’s policy stances have mirrored much of those championed by the former president and his allies on the national stage. Cox has used his staunchly right-wing policy stances to attempt to separate himself from Schulz.
Cox as recently as last October has sought to amend an education bill to restrict what he has referred to as “classroom indoctrination” regarding gender identity instruction in grades K through 3.
“The intent of protecting our children from classroom indoctrination is something we should all agree on at that age,” Cox said.
ROBIN FICKER
Realtor Robin Ficker has been politically active in recent years through the proposal of multiple ballot initiatives in Maryland. He also practiced law as a defense attorney prior to his disbarment earlier this year.
Alongside running mate LeRoy Yegge, Jr., Ficker’s campaign has rested heavily on the promise of eliminating two cents from the state’s sales tax. The ticket has also proposed the creation of a jobs strike force that would aim to respond to the expansion of large companies and induce them into relocating new operations and employment openings to Maryland.
“We should have those jobs here, but the Maryland Department of Commerce has been asleep,” Ficker said in a debate Monday night. “I’m not going to be asleep as your governor; I’m going to be helping you get jobs.”
Ficker has not publicly commented about LGBTQ issues.
JOE WERNER
Joe Werner practices as a family law attorney in D.C. He has also run for the House of Delegates in previous elections.
With running mate Minh Thanh Luong, Werner has expressed support for charter schools and a number of conservative initiatives, including opposing abortion access after 15 weeks of pregnancy and reducing economic regulation. He has also called for a temporary suspension to gas taxes following sharp increases in global oil and gas prices.
While Werner had previously identified as a Democrat in past elections, he has said he feels his ideological moderation is a positive aspect for Marylanders to consider when evaluating his candidacy.
“I feel I’m more of a Marylander moderate,” Werner said in an interview with the Maryland State Bar Association on Tuesday. “I feel like I represent the people right, I will think about what’s helping the people, not just what’s helping the special interests and that’s why I think I would be the best candidate.”
Werner has not publicly commented about LGBTQ issues and did not respond to a request for comment.
Maryland
‘Girlfriends’ wanted for murder in Silver Spring arrested in Ohio
Montgomery County police charged both with killing mother of one of them
Two women identified as a couple who have been wanted by Montgomery County, Md. police for allegedly killing the mother of one of them in her Silver Spring home on May 22 were arrested on June 10 in Ohio, according to a police statement.
The little-noticed statement released on June 11 says Vanessa Wahanganisa Tjongarero-Henderson, 29, of Clarksburg, Md., and Samantha Raebel, 36, of Phoenix, Ariz., who police earlier described as “girlfriends,” were apprehended by police in Genoa, Ohio after a local resident recognized them from news media coverage of the murder.
In their initial statement on June 4 announcing their investigation of the murder, Montgomery County Department of Police said they had charged the two women with first-degree murder for the death of Hilde Henderson, 67, who was the mother of Vanessa.
“Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified Henderson’s daughter, Vanessa Tjonhgarero-Henderson, and Vanessa’s girlfriend, Raebel, as the suspects,” the police statement said. It said detectives obtained an arrest warrant for the two women for first-degree murder and asked the public for help in locating them.
“A nationwide search was launched for the suspects, with media coverage extending throughout Ohio, Nashville, and Phoenix,” the most recent statement on June 11 announcing the two women’s arrest says. “Major Crimes Division detectives received multiple tips from several states before the two women were ultimately located in Genoa, Ohio,” it says.
It adds that an autopsy determined the cause of Hilde Henderson’s death was blunt-force trauma injuries brought about by a murder. Police have yet to disclose whether they have determined a motive for the murder.
“Tjongarero-Henderson and Raebel are currently being held at the Ottawa County [Ohio] Detention Center awaiting extradition to Maryland,” the statement concludes.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Montgomery County State’s Attorney, which prosecutes criminal cases in the county, told the Washington Blade the extradition was still pending and the two women had yet to be brought back to Maryland for prosecution as of June 29.
CBS News reported on June 16 that shortly after the two women fled almost 500 miles to Genoa, Ohio, they met a local resident at a fast-food restaurant and asked her for help, claiming they were homeless.
“They said they were living in Maryland,” CBS News quoted the resident, Adrienne Behrman, as saying. “They had taken what little money they had and left a toxic living situation, and they were headed to Arizona,” Behrman told CBS.
According to the CBS report, Behrman, who allowed the women to temporarily stay in her home, became suspicious that the stories they were telling her did not add up.
When one of them asked her for cigarettes and offered to reimburse her through the online Cash App payment platform, Behrman learned the woman’s real name—Henderson—through the app. Behrman then did an online search, “and that is when everything unraveled,” CBS reports, saying the search led to multiple press reports that the women were wanted for murder.
After leaving her home with the two women inside she called 911 to report the location of two people wanted for murder, CBS reports, adding that at least six police cars arrived and used a loud speaker to order the women out of the house and arrested them.
“I just hope the family and friends who knew the mother can have some peace,” Behrman told CBS News.
Maryland
Federal officials launch Title IX probe into Md. schools over trans athletes
Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick Counties named in probe
On June 23, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced it is launching a Title IX investigation into three Maryland school districts and the Maryland State Department of Education for failing to enforce sex-based protections guaranteed by federal law.
The districts include Montgomery County Public Schools, Prince George’s County Public Schools, and Frederick County Public Schools.
According to the department, these districts require schools to allow boys to compete in girls’ athletics, to use girls-only locker rooms, restrooms, and overnight accommodations alongside female athletes.
According to Bethesda Today, Montgomery County Public Schools spokesperson Liliana Lopez said “MCPS remains committed to providing safe, welcoming and inclusive learning environments for all students and to complying with applicable federal and Maryland laws and regulations. As the matter is now under review by the Office for Civil Rights, we have no further comment at this time.”
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey states that allowing students access to sex-separated programs and facilities based on gender identity is “deeply troubling.”
“54 years after Title IX was signed into law, the Trump administration remains steadfast to enforce its promise to protect women and girls. We will fully investigate these allegations and take appropriate action to ensure compliance with federal law,” Richey said in a statement.
According to the press release from the Department of Education, the violation falls under a Trump-Vance administration rewrite of Title IX, which aligned the sex-based protections “with biological reality, not ideological fantasy.”
This comes after the NCAA released a statement in February stating that people assigned male at birth cannot participate in women’s sports teams. The NCAA stated, “The policy is clear that there are no waivers available, and students assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team with amended birth certificates or other forms of ID.”
The U.S. Supreme Court is also currently deliberating on a case regarding transgender athletes in youth sports and their ability to play on teams that align with their gender identity, with the decision expected in the coming days.
Maryland
Queer candidates, allies win Md. primary races
Evan Glass lost Montgomery County Executive race
Several LGBTQ candidates secured spots on Maryland’s November ballot following Tuesday’s primary elections, though a handful of history-making campaigns fell short.
Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, who is running for re-election in the 6th Congressional District, won in the Democratic primary with 43.65 percent of the vote. Her main opponent, former Congressman David Trone, lost with 37.33 percent of the vote.
When Trone was last in the U.S. House of Representatives, he was a staunch supporter of LGBTQ rights, backing legislation such as the Equality Act. However, Delaney has also supported LGBTQ rights in her position, with the Human Rights Campaign endorsing her for standing up for the LGBTQ community and for “stands ready to fight against MAGA-led attacks.” Robin Ficker won the Republican primary with 42.61 percent of the vote.
In the 5th Congressional District, voters chose who will replace retiring U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer.
Hoyer was a major advocate for LGBTQ rights during his time in office and opposed the Trump-Vance administration’s transgender military ban. He helped pass the state’s marriage equality law in a referendum in 2012, alongside his daughter, who came out as lesbian in the same year.
Adrian Boafo won the Democratic primary for Hoyer’s seat with 31.97 percent of the vote. Boafo is a former state delegate for Prince George’s County. Boafo had received endorsements from both Hoyer and Gov. Wes Moore. The former state delegate will face Republican Chris Chaffee in November.
Queer candidate Evan Glass lost in the primary election for Montgomery County Executive to Will Jawando, an at-large member of the County Council, and Andrew Friedson, a councilmember for District 1 in Montgomery County.
Jawando is ahead as the final votes are counted.
Moore is running for a second term in office. He won the Democratic primary, alongside Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller with 87.79 percent of the vote. Moore and Miller will face off against Republicans Dan Cox and Rob Krop.
Cox ran against Moore in the 2022 gubernatorial race.
Josie Caballero, a candidate running for the at-large seat on the Montgomery County Council, lost with 9.24 percent of the vote. Caballero would have been the first trans woman elected to office in Maryland if she had won. Former Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich won the primary race with 14.62 percent of the votes.
For House District 4, voters can pick up to three candidates. In the Democratic primary, this included Andrew Duck, Jerry Donald, and Alleria Stanley. If elected in the general election as one of three House of Delegates members, Stanley would become the first trans person elected to the General Assembly.
In the Republican race, all three candidates will advance to the general election.
Gay and lesbian candidates running for re-election to the General Assembly overwhelmingly won their Democratic primary races.
State Del. Joe Vogel, who is running for re-election to Montgomery County’s District 17, was one of three candidates chosen by the Democrats and will be on the ballot in November. He received 28.41 percent of the vote, with Ryan Spiegel receiving 28.45 percent. No Republicans ran in the primary, so none will be on the November ballot.
Christopher Reed, who also ran for the House in District 17, is openly queer but received only 10.93 percent of the vote. All three candidates who will move on to the general election are incumbents in the seat.
Also moving past the primary election is state Del. Ashanti Martinez, who represents House District 22 in Prince George’s County. He is the sole incumbent to run for re-election in the race.
State Del. Gabriel Acevero, who represents House District 39 in Montgomery County, will move on to the general election, along with state Del. Anne Kaiser of District 14 in Montgomery County and state Del. Kris Fair of House District 3 in Frederick County.
State Del. Luke Clippinger of House District 46 in Baltimore City will move on to the general election as well, earning 33.69 percent of the vote. The race for House District 46 includes three Democratic candidates who will advance immediately, as well as one Republican who will advance.
State Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore County) won the Democratic primary unopposed. When she was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2010, Washington became Maryland’s first openly LGBTQ African American elected official. With no Republican opponent, she is expected to keep her seat in November.
Other LGBTQ candidates ran for local and state seats for the first time, with many hoping to make history in state politics.
Matt Menter, who was running in House District 41, will not advance to the general election. In a race with eight candidates, Menter failed to break into the top three. In the past, Menter served on Baltimore City’s LGBTQ Commission.
Spencer Dixon ran as a Democratic candidate House District 32 and will advance to the general election alongside incumbent Mike Rogers and J. Sandy Bartlett. Dixon is an openly gay man and has worked on Democratic political campaigns in Maryland in the past.
Jamar Day ran for an at-large seat on the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, but with 11.44 percent of the vote, he will not advance to the general election. If elected, he would have been the first openly queer member of the board, as he identified as pansexual.
Joe Toolan ran for the Anne Arundel County Council’s District 6 seat in the Democratic primary but fell short with 12.78 percent of the vote. Toolan previously served as the first chair of the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs.
Byron Macfarlane won the Democratic primary for Howard County’s Register of Wills with 61.79 percent of the votes. Macfarlane has held this position since 2010, when he became the first openly gay person elected in Howard County.
Gabrielle Zwi, a nonbinary candidate, ran for an at-large seat on the Democratic Central Committee in Montgomery County. The top eight candidates will advance to the general election in this race, and so far, according to the Maryland Board of Elections, Zwi is among them.
Jamie McGonnigal is running for the Prince George’s County Board of Education for District 3, but the primary for his election was canceled. Therefore, he will be on the ballot for the general election. If elected, he would be the first openly gay man to serve on the board.
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