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Maryland

Trump backed-Cox wins Md. Republican gubernatorial primary

Heather Mizeur to face Andy Harris in 1st Congressional District

Published

4 years ago

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From left, state Del.Dan Cox (R-Frederick County) and Democrat Wes Moore. (Screen capture of Cox via WUSA9; screen capture of Moore via WBAL TV 11 Baltimore)

State Del. Dan Cox (R-Frederick County) on Tuesday defeated former Labor and Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz in the Maryland Republican gubernatorial primary.

Cox, an anti-LGBTQ member of the Maryland House of Delegates who former President Donald Trump has endorsed, defeated Schulz, who Republican Gov. Larry Hogan backed, by a 56.2-40.3 percent margin.

Unofficial election results that include early voting and Election Day ballots indicate Wes Moore, former Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Pérez and Comptroller Peter Franchot are ahead in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. A state law does not allow the Maryland State Board of Elections to begin counting mail-in ballots until 10 a.m. on Thursday.

Congressman Anthony Brown on Tuesday defeated former Maryland first lady Katie Curran O’Malley in the Democratic primary for attorney general by a 59.6-40.4 percent margin. Brown will face former Anne Arundel County Council member Michael Peroutka in the general election.

“A heartfelt thank you to Maryland voters for putting their faith in me,” said Brown in a statement his campaign released early Wednesday. “Our campaign’s message has resonated with voters and tonight’s results prove it. An attorney general can either be a champion for progress or a defender of the status quo. I’m running for attorney general to dismantle barriers because the status quo isn’t working for Marylanders.”

State Del. Brooke Lierman (D-Baltimore City) will face off against Republican Harford County Executive Barry Glassman in the race to succeed Franchot as state comptroller.

Mizeur, Ivey win primaries

Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Tuesday easily won his primary, and is expected to win re-election in November.

Heather Mizeur easily defeated David Harden in the Democratic primary in Maryland’s 1st Congressional District that includes all of the state’s Eastern Shore. Mizeur, who was a member of the House of Delegates from 2007-2015, would be Maryland’s first openly lesbian member of Congress if she defeats Republican Congressman Andy Harris in November.

Former Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey defeated former Congresswoman Donna Edwards by a 51.2-35.2 percent margin in the race to succeed Brown in the 4th Congressional District. Ivey will face off against Republican Jeff Warner in the general election.

Anti-LGBTQ state Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washington County) won the Republican primary in the 6th Congressional District. The Washington County Republican will face off against Democratic Congressman David Trone in November.

“In his time in Annapolis, the main thing Neil Parrott has accomplished is building a reputation for ineffectiveness,” said Trone on Wednesday in an email to supporters. “He’s been named one of the least effective legislators in our state. Rather than getting results for his constituents, he’s focused on advocating for hate-filled policies — like requiring people with HIV to get tattoos, taking away rights from same-sex couples and more.” 

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who represents the 5th Congressional District, easily defeated his primary challenger. Congressmen Jamie Raskin, Kweisi Mfume, John Sarbanes and Dutch Ruppersberger also won their respective Democratic primaries on Tuesday.

“I am honored to have been selected by (Maryland’s 5th Congressional District) to be their nominee for Congress in the general election this November,” tweeted Hoyer on Wednesday. “As congressman I will continue working hard to bring resources and opportunities back to our district.”

Gay, lesbian General Assembly incumbents, candidates ahead

State Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery County), who is the House of Delegates’ first openly gay Afro-Latino member, is currently second among the four Democrats who are running in Legislative District 39. State Del. Lisa Belcastro (D-Baltimore County) is third among the three Democrats running in Legislative District 11B.

State Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) is second among the six Democratic primary candidates in Legislative District 46. State Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Montgomery County) is currently second among four Democrats who are running in Legislative District 19.

State Del. Anne Kaiser (D-Montgomery County) is currently first among the five Democrats who are running in Legislative District 14.

Kris Fair is first among the seven Democratic primary candidates in Legislative District 3, while Joseph Vogel is currently third among the four candidates in his race in Legislative District 17. Ashanti Martinez is fourth among the six Democratic primary candidates in Legislative District 3.

The top three candidates in each race will advance to the general election.

State Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City) on Tuesday was unopposed in Legislative District 43.

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Maryland

4th Circuit dismisses lawsuit against Montgomery County schools’ pronoun policy

Substitute teacher Kimberly Polk challenged regulation in 2024

Published

2 weeks ago

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February 3, 2026

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(Photo by Sergei Gnatuk via Bigstock)

A federal appeals court has ruled Montgomery County Public Schools did not violate a substitute teacher’s constitutional rights when it required her to use students’ preferred pronouns in the classroom.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision it released on Jan. 28 ruled against Kimberly Polk.

The policy states that “all students have the right to be referred to by their identified name and/or pronoun.”

“School staff members should address students by the name and pronoun corresponding to the gender identity that is consistently asserted at school,” it reads. “Students are not required to change their permanent student records as described in the next section (e.g., obtain a court-ordered name and/or new birth certificate) as a prerequisite to being addressed by the name and pronoun that corresponds to their identified name. To the extent possible, and consistent with these guidelines, school personnel will make efforts to maintain the confidentiality of the student’s transgender status.”

The Washington Post reported Polk, who became a substitute teacher in Montgomery County in 2021, in November 2022 requested a “religious accommodation, claiming that the policy went against her ‘sincerely held religious beliefs,’ which are ‘based on her understanding of her Christian religion and the Holy Bible.’”

U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in January 2025 dismissed Polk’s lawsuit that she filed in federal court in Beltsville. Polk appealed the decision to the 4th Circuit.

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Maryland

Dan Cox files for governor, seeking rematch with Moore

Anti-LGBTQ Republican ran in 2022

Published

2 weeks ago

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February 2, 2026

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Dan Cox, the 2022 Republican nominee for governor, has filed to run again this year. (Photo by Kaitlin Newman for the Banner)

By PAMELA WOOD | Dan Cox, a Republican who was resoundingly defeated by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore four years ago, has filed to run for governor again this year.

Cox’s candidacy was posted on the Maryland elections board website Friday; he did not immediately respond to an interview request.

Cox listed Rob Krop as his running mate for lieutenant governor.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

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Maryland

Expanded PrEP access among FreeState Justice’s 2026 legislative priorities

Maryland General Assembly opened on Jan. 14

Published

3 weeks ago

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January 28, 2026

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Maryland State House (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

FreeState Justice this week spoke with the Washington Blade about their priorities during this year’s legislative session in Annapolis that began on Jan. 14.

Ronnie L. Taylor, the group’s community director, on Wednesday said the organization continues to fight against discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS. FreeState Justice is specifically championing a bill in the General Assembly that would expand access to PrEP in Maryland.

Taylor said FreeState Justice is working with state Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George’s County) and state Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Arundel and Howard Counties) on a bill that would expand the “scope of practice for pharmacists in Maryland to distribute PrEP.” The measure does not have a title or a number, but FreeState Justice expects it will have both in the coming weeks.

FreeState Justice has long been involved in the fight to end the criminalization of HIV in the state. 

Governor Wes Moore last year signed House Bill 39, which decriminalized HIV in Maryland.

The bill — the Carlton R. Smith Jr. HIV Modernization Act — is named after Carlton Smith, a long-time LGBTQ activist known as the “mayor” of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood who died in 2024. FreeState Justice said Marylanders prosecuted under Maryland Health-General Code § 18-601.1 have already seen their convictions expunged.

Taylor said FreeState Justice will continue to “oppose anti anti-LGBTQ legislation” in the General Assembly. Their website later this week will publish a bill tracker.

The General Assembly’s legislative session is expected to end on April 13.

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