Maryland

Ashanti Martínez poised to represent District 22 in Md. House of Delegates

Howard University alum is Afro-Latino and openly gay

Published

3 years ago

February 13, 2023

Ashanti Martínez (Photo courtesy of Ashanti Martínez)

Ashanti Martínez is set to become the first man of Latino descent to represent District 22 and the first openly gay member of the Maryland House of Delegates to represent Prince George’s County.

Following his unanimous selection from the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee to fill a vacant House seat on Feb. 9, his nomination now goes Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who has 15 days to make the appointment official.

Martínez, 26, is a Howard University alum. He would succeed now-state Sen. Alonzo Washington (D-Prince George’s County), who the committee nominated to finish Maryland Energy Administration Director Paul Pinsky’s term in the House after he joined Moore’s administration.

Martínez, 26, felt honored by the nomination.

“For me, titles and positions are important, but they’re not all it is — it’s about doing the work,” Martínez told the Washington Blade on Monday during a telephone interview. “And so being able to be in a position where I have a larger platform to continue the work that I’ve been doing … it’s an honor of a lifetime.”

Likewise, he believes his selection shows how Prince George’s County is “embracing diverse voices of leadership.”

Martínez, who ran for the House seat twice before and didn’t win, finds the opportunity to serve a “little bit of a delay, but not a denial,” he said.

“Also, I think I give a different lived experience than a lot of the other members,” he added. “I think there’s a lot of great aspects of our county that oftentimes don’t get highlighted because folks don’t live through those experiences. So, encompassing all of the things that I bring to the table, is going make people feel more seen and involved in government.”

Recognizing the period to introduce a bill has passed, Martínez said he will look for other ways to create legislative work on the House floor and co-sponsoring other lawmakers’ measures. Martínez added he will let the public know that his office is open to them.

“I will serve for as long as my community wants to have me,” he said. “I don’t necessarily have a goal about, ‘I want to be in this position, or in this place,’ I just want do the most that I can, for as many people as I can, for as long as I can.”

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Maryland

Democrats hold leads in almost every race of Annapolis municipal election

Jared Littmann ahead in mayor’s race.

Published

4 days ago

November 5, 2025

Baltimore Banner

Preliminary election results from Tuesday show Democrats likely will remain in control of Annapolis City Hall. Jared Littmann thanks his wife, Marlene Niefeld, as he addresses supporters after polls closed Tuesday night. (Photo by Rick Hutzell for the Baltimore Banner)

By CODY BOTELER | The Democratic candidates in the Annapolis election held early leads in the races for mayor and nearly every city council seat, according to unofficial results released on election night.

Jared Littmann, a former alderman and the owner of K&B Ace Hardware, did not go so far as to declare victory in his race to be the next mayor of Annapolis, but said he’s optimistic that the mail-in ballots to be counted later this week will support his lead.

Littmannn said November and December will “fly by” as he plans to meet with the city department heads and chiefs to “pepper them with questions.”

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

Maryland

Moore keeps redistricting push alive in Md. amid national map fights

Senate President Bill Ferguson opposes move.

Published

5 days ago

November 4, 2025

Baltimore Banner

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks at the Human Rights Campaign's National Dinner in D.C. on Sept. 13, 2025. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

By PAMELA WOOD | Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is preserving the possibility of congressional redistricting by creating a commission overseen by a political ally that will issue recommendations for new maps.

“My commitment has been clear from day one — we will explore every avenue possible to make sure Maryland has fair and representative maps,” Moore said in a statement Tuesday outlining the new commission.

The move comes less than a week after Senate President Bill Ferguson, a fellow Democrat, threw cold water on the idea of redrawing the maps to favor their party.

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

Maryland

LGBTQ Marylanders invited to participate in community needs survey

Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs conducting poll through Dec. 1.

Published

5 days ago

November 4, 2025

Shreya Jyotishi

A Baltimore Pride 2025 float. The Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs is conducting a survey to understand the experiences and needs of LGBTQ Maryland residents. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs is conducting a survey to understand the experiences and needs of LGBTQ Maryland residents.

According to the commission, the results of the community needs assessment will shape policies, programs and resources available to the state’s LGBTQ individuals. The commission is organizing the survey in partnership with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore from Oct. 1 to Dec. 1.

Respondents can expect the anonymous questionnaire, which predominately consists of multiple choice questions, to take 15-20 minutes to complete. Participants must be at least 18 years of age and in good physical and mental health, according to the survey’s informed consent statement.

The Maryland General Assembly created the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs in 2021 to evaluate challenges faced by the state’s LGBTQ community, shape inclusive policies, combat discrimination and establish best practices for LGBTQ inclusion. The commission functions within the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives and consists of 15 members appointed by the governor.

Those interested can complete the survey via the Survey Monkey link.