Maryland
Moore beats Cox in Md. gubernatorial race
Maryland’s first Black governor to take office in January
Democrat Wes Moore on Tuesday defeated Republican Dan Cox in the Maryland gubernatorial election.
Moore and his running mate, Aruna Miller, were ahead of Cox and his running mate, Gordana Schifanelli, by a 59.51-37.1 percent margin with 2016 of 2074 Election Day precincts reporting results.
Moore, who spoke about his support of LGBTQ rights with the Washington Blade last month, will succeed Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in January. Moore will be Maryland’s first Black governor
“I care deeply about the LGBTQ+ community,” Moore told the Washington Blade. “And we’re always going to fight to ensure that Maryland is a state that is open and welcome to all, regardless of who you are, regardless of who you love.”
“Congratulations to Gov.-Elect Wes Moore on his historic victory as Maryland’s first Black governor,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, in a statement. “His experience as a combat veteran, small business owner, and CEO of one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty organizations has provided him with the skills and knowledge to enact bold change and build a Maryland that leaves no one behind. He’ll be a champion for creating a thriving economy and a world-class public education system while keeping families safe.”
Cox in a statement he released on Wednesday said he called Moore and congratulated him.
My statement today on my call to Gov-elect Wes Moore. Please join me in praying for him and his family and that our state will be free. pic.twitter.com/mv5CJG96AJ
— Dan Cox 🇺🇸 🦅- Delegate & Candidate for Governor (@DanCoxEsq) November 9, 2022
Maryland
Expanded PrEP access among FreeState Justice’s 2026 legislative priorities
Maryland General Assembly opened on Jan. 14
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.
Maryland
Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated
Trump administration move panicked addiction and mental health programs
By ALISSA ZHU | After learning it had abruptly lost $2 million in federal funding, the Pride Center of Maryland moved to lay off a dozen employees, or about a third of its workforce, the Baltimore nonprofit’s leader said Thursday.
The group is one of thousands nationwide that reportedly received letters late Tuesday from the Trump administration. Their mental health and addiction grants had been terminated, effective immediately, the letters said.
By Wednesday night, federal officials moved to reverse the funding cuts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, estimated to total $2 billion, according to national media reports. But the Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO Cleo Manago said as of Thursday morning he had not heard anything from the federal government confirming those reports.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Maryland
Steny Hoyer, the longest-serving House Democrat, to retire from Congress
Md. congressman served for years in party leadership
By ASSOCIATED PRESS and LISA MASCARO | Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the longest-serving Democrat in Congress and once a rival to become House speaker, will announce Thursday he is set to retire at the end of his term.
Hoyer, who served for years in party leadership and helped steer Democrats through some of their most significant legislative victories, is set to deliver a House floor speech about his decision, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.
“Tune in,” Hoyer said on social media. He confirmed his retirement plans in an interview with the Washington Post.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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