In a clear rebuke of recent federal health policy, 15 Democratic governors announced Wednesday that they have formed a public health alliance that breaks with guidance from the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

It’s the largest move by states to diverge from recent policy decisions under Kennedy that have alarmed medical and public health experts, from federal funding cuts for health services to changes to vaccine guidance.

In addition to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), governors participating in the Governors Public Health Alliance are from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington, as well as the U.S. territory of Guam.

“This alliance is a commitment to transparency, preparedness, and coordination so that no state faces health threats alone,” Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said in a statement. “By working together, governors can share data, resources, and lessons learned to strengthen our preparedness for the next public health challenge.”

In a statement on social media, Moore said that, “At a time when the federal government is telling the states, ‘you’re on your own,’ I’m proud to join other governors across the nation in the Governors Public Health Alliance.”

The new Governors Public Health Alliance is intended to strengthen collaboration among the states in emergency preparedness and communication, to help them share data and expertise, and to improve response times to health threats. Although the participating governors are all Democrats, they’re billing the coalition as nonpartisan.

The new alliance comes on the heels of previous regional coordination efforts, such as the West Coast Health Alliance between California, Oregon and Washington, and a similar effort among states in the Northeast.

In recent months, at least 17 states have sidestepped federal guidance and promoted broader access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Those moves came in the wake of new COVID-19 vaccine guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, both under the leadership of Kennedy, a well-known vaccine skeptic.

“As extremists try to weaponize the CDC and spread misinformation, we’re stepping up to coordinate across states, protect communities and ensure decisions are driven by data, facts, and the health of the American people,” California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

Meanwhile, major professional societies such as the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have released their own guidance that diverges from federal policy on a number of issues, from vaccines to autism.

The new Governors Public Health Alliance will be supported by the nonprofit Governors Action Alliance, or GovAct, an initiative overseen by a group of former governors that include both Republicans and Democrats.

— Stateline reporter Anna Claire Vollers can be reached at [email protected].

by Anna Claire Vollers, Maryland Matters
October 15, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

A plan to give undocumented immigrants access to Maryland’s state health insurance marketplace next year has been put off until 2028 by state officials, citing recent federal policies affecting immigrants as well as overall uncertainty in health care markets.

The delay was the one of the biggest changes outlined for state lawmakers Thursday by health care and health insurance officials discussing the impact of recent Trump administration policies on Maryland’s health care system.

The joint virtual meeting of the Senate Finance and the House Health and Government Operations committees went over policies that are expected to increase health insurance costs,  create barriers to access plans and reduce federal funding to Maryland, among other effects. The briefing also laid out the ways in which Maryland might respond to those changes.

Michele Eberle, executive director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, said one of the changes she was the “most unhappy about” was a delay in the implementation of the Access to Care Act, in light of recent federal developments.

Currently, undocumented immigrants can purchase health care plans directly from insurers. But they are barred from using the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange to compare plans and find the most appropriate insurance for their households.

The 2024 Access to Care Act would have change that by opening the marketplace to undocumented residents, allowing them access to the marketplace,where they could comparison-shop health plans from different providers. It was to take effect next year if the state could get a waiver from the federal government, which is got while President Joe Biden was still in office.

The law would not have given undocumented residents access to the federal subsidies to make health care affordable for many customers. But, for those who could afford to buy individual plans without a subsidy, it would at least have given them a chance to use the online marketplace as a tool to weigh their options.

But with the Trump administration’s antagonistic approach toward undocumented immigrants, along with significant changes to health care funding, Eberle said the exchange decided to delay opening the marketplace to undocumented residents until 2028.

“We worked really hard under the last [Biden] administration to make sure that it was approved — and we were all set to go,” Eberle said. “We did not anticipate at that time that we would have the Marketplace Integrity Rule or HR 1 that would throw up a whole bunch of new requirements that we would have to put in place in short order.”

The rule and the bill — also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill — overhaul parts of the Affordable Care Act and other federal health regulations, and states like Maryland are having to focus their resources on complying with those changes.

The Marketplace Integrity Rule also revoked a Biden-era decision that classified immigrants covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — for undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children — as “lawfully present” individuals. Being lawfully present would have given DACA recipients access to the federal subsidies that help make health care coverage affordable for many.

Without the classification, DACA recipients lose access to the subsidies, a change that is set to affect about 300 DACA recipients in Maryland currently benefiting from those subsidies.

But federal decisions targeting Maryland’s undocumented and immigrant populations were just part of what Insurance Commissioner Marie Grant called “gloomy but important” health care-related updates under the Trump administration.

Grant noted the significant rise expected next year in insurance premiums — due in part to the anticipated expiration of pandemic-era federal tax credits that bring down costs of individual plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act.

In September, the Maryland Insurance Administration approved an average premium increase of 13.4% across plans next year, less than what insurance companies initially asked for, but still a significant hit in monthly costs for many low- to middle-income families.

Health care advocates fear people will drop their coverage because they can no longer afford their plans if those credits expire. But carriers say the rate increases are needed to offset the number of people they expect will choose to go without health insurance — due to high costs.

The General Assembly approved funding this year that would partially replace the soon-to-expire federal tax credits for the coming year. But those state subsidies are only temporary fixes, analysts say, and even with that assistance plenty of people will still pay more each month for coverage than they did this year.

Congress could vote to extend those tax credits, which is at the heart to the current government shutdown debate. But Grant notes that time is running out to make that decision and have it effect 2026 health care plans.

“We’re expecting those enhanced tax credits to expire by the end of this year, unless Congress takes action to extend them,” she said. “The clock is ticking. It is … likely we’re getting to a point where, unless this extension happened in the next couple of days, it is likely too late to have carriers refile rates for 2026.”

by Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters
October 17, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

 From left, Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-3rd), Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), NTEU President Doreen Greenwald, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th) at podium, Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-2nd), Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) and Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) at the Capitol on Monday. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)

State officials have been doing what they can to connect Maryland residents with food, housing, health care and financial resources ahead of a looming government  shutdown.

What they can’t do is make the White House and Congress come to an agreement that would head off the shutdown that is scheduled to hit at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

“There’s rumors that the Trump administration is going to use the shutdown as an excuse to lay off … people,” said Del. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George’s). “It’s a scary time for them.”

After a meeting between President Donald Trump (R) and congressional leaders at the White House ended without an agreement Monday afternoon, Vice President JD Vance said bluntly, “We’re headed to a shutdown.”

Maryland has already lost the most federal jobs of any state, shedding more than 15,000 federal jobs since Trump took office in January, and the administration has directed agency heads to prepare for large-scale layoffs if a shutdown occurs.

Even without layoffs, a shutdown could threaten a large part of Maryland’s workforce — the state had an estimated 269,000 federal workers in 2023, according to a report from the Maryland Department of Labor.

“Marylanders should not have to bear the consequences of political games that put their paychecks, healthcare and security at risk,” David Turner, the communications director for Gov. Wes Moore (D), said in a statement. “At every step, the governor’s priority is making sure that Marylanders know their state will stand with them.”

He said the state has been working to connect Maryland residents with resources to help cope with a shutdown, including career transition support and increased administration of both unemployment insurance and interest-free loan programs for furloughed workers.

“The potential mass firing of more federal workers and furloughing tens of thousands of contractors in Maryland as the result of shutdown will only further jeopardize both our citizens’ livelihoods and Maryland’s economy,” the statement said.

Lewis said that besides the large number federal employees in Maryland’s workforce, the state is also home to federal contractors or researchers, meaning a government shutdown could have a “ripple effect” on the economy. Nearly 11% of Maryland’s gross domestic product came from the federal government in 2023, according to a report from the Maryland Department of Labor.

Legislation to provide emergency assistance to furloughed workers was passed during a long government shutdown in the first Trump administration, and that fund is still operational, according to Lewis. The fund was also expanded to provide support to federal workers who have been laid off.

“Maryland’s going to stand ready to try to help our citizens where and how we can,” he said.

The Maryland Labor Department has resources like the Federal Shutdown Loan Program for essential workers — those who have to work without pay during a shutdown, but get back pay after it ends —  and unemployment insurance for furloughed workers, according to a statement from Labor Secretary Portia Wu.

The state provides these resources along with support for laid off federal workers, such as other types of unemployment insurance and support in finding a new job, according to the statement. Many Maryland counties have also offered job fairs to help federal workers transition into a new role.

“A federal government shutdown creates immediate financial hardship for our dedicated public servants,” the statement said.

On Capitol Hill Monday, lawmakers came out to support companion bills by Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-3rd) aimed at helping workers through any shutdown. The Help Federal Employees During Shutdons — or Help FEDS — Act would require that states allow essential federal workers, who have to work without pay during a shutdown, to apply for unemployment insurance.

Elfreth said she remains hopeful her Republican colleagues will listen to their “better angels” on helping federal workers.

“I think everybody is up here because we happen to be optimistic in nature. You couldn’t really be a politician in this Congress without being an optimist,” she said.

“Many federal employees live in all 435 congressional districts, and so our colleagues are going to have their own constituents working on Wednesday if we shut down without a paycheck,” Elfreth said. “It’s just about calling forth everybody’s better angels in this moment, at least on this issue.”

The lawmakers were joined by Doreen Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, which she said represents nearly 160,000 federal employees and 38 federal agencies nationwide.

“My hope is that everyone works together to provide the necessary resources to fund the government, deliver services to the American people and avoid a wasteful and costly government shutdown,” she said. “I am grateful for the people standing behind me today that are willing to stand up and support federal employees.”

— Reporter William J. Ford contributed to this story from Washington, D.C.

by Nicole Pilsbury, Maryland Matters
September 30, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

Gov. Wes Moore (D) fist-pumps Wednesday for a crowd of his supporters at the J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/ Maryland Matters)

They came to Crisfield by boat and by car, moving in packs with bused-in entourages, or in quiet solitude.

Pulled by tradition and strict electoral calendar observance, candidates for governor — the announced, the filed and the explorers — arrived at a patch of marina blacktop Wednesday that is home to the J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake. The annual event draws locals for a day of crabs, corn and beer and it draws the political class from far-flung corners of the state who come to crack crabs, kibitz and talk political smack.

That started with Gov. Wes Moore (D), who name-checked a growing list of potential Republican challengers to his 2026 reelection before dismissing them for refusing to speak out against President Donald Trump (R) and his policies.

“We’ve heard nothing from them,” Moore told reporters. “So, to be honest, it kind of doesn’t matter to me who gets in the race, whether it’s Andy Harris or [John] Myrick or [Steve] Hershey or [Larry] Hogan … because they’re all saying the same things when it comes to lifting up the people of Maryland and defending the people of Maryland, which is absolutely nothing.”

Hogan was the only one on Moore’s list who was not in attendance Wednesday. For more than a decade, the two-term former governor was a mainstay at the event, a consummate retail politician. But not this year, despite talk that he might make an appearance in the tent of Annapolis power lobbyist and Tawes booster Bruce Bereano.

But Hogan was still part of the Tawes conversation.

Sen. Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore), who is exploring a run for governor, said he has “had a number of people ask about it and ask me how the exploratory aspect of it is going.”

Sen. Stephen S. Hershey (R-Upper Shore), left, talks with former Del. Carl Anderton, now a state employee, who was on a list of Republicans endorsing Gov. Wes Moore (D).  (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)

“You know, we’re doing well. We’re getting a lot of people interested,” he said, before adding, “I think a lot of people are still waiting to hear what Gov. Hogan wants to do.”

When asked if he was among that group waiting on Hogan, Hershey said: “Yes.”

Hershey entered Somers Cove Marina through a back entrance, and did not bring a campaign with him. Not so Moore,  who arrived at the event by boat, fresh off a tour of Smith Island.

The governor, who announced his re-election bid two weeks ago, was joined by Lt. Gov Aruna Miller, who did not join her running mate on the boat but quietly mixed in with the throng following Moore. That included several dozen not-so-quiet supporters decked out in campaign shirts and signs, chanting in support of Moore.

“This is grassroots,” Moore said of the supporters, some of whom said they were bused to the event from Prince George’s County and Baltimore City.

The crab feast – in its 48th year — is named for J. Millard Tawes, a former governor and state comptroller who hailed from Crisfield. Once a fundraiser for Tawes, the event has since morphed into a fundraiser for the Crisfield Chamber of Commerce.

For decades it has been a popular destination for political leaders — especially in election years — and regular folks. This year’s event is the last before the 2026 primary next June.

Before arriving Wednesday, Moore sought to bolster his bipartisan credibility by releasing a list of Republicans who support him.

“We actually have a series of Republican lawmakers who represented over 200,000 Marylanders and who are coming out and saying that despite the fact that I happen to be a Democrat, and they happen to be a Republican, that they are coming out to support our re-election,” Moore said. “And it is because we have kept to our word to leave no one behind.”

Washington County Commission President John Barr and Rising Sun Mayor Travis Marion are on the list of Republicans endorsing Moore, along with two Allegany County officials, Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton and Lonaconing Mayor Jack Coburn.

Also on the list were former Del. Carl Anderton and former Carroll County Commissioner Ed Rothstein. Moore’s release did not mention that both now have jobs within his administration: Anderton was named director of rural strategy in the Maryland Department of Commerce last year and Rothstein was named secretary of the Department of Veterans and Military Families in July.

“So, in other words, a paid political announcement by employees of Wes Moore,” Hershey said.

Moore dismissed the critique as “ridiculous.”

“I understand that there are people with fledgling campaigns they are trying to get off the ground. It’s not my job to try to lift them up. My job is to support the people of this state,” he said. “So, when I hear ridiculous comments and I’m asked for comment, my comment is I don’t have a comment.”

Anderton said his support rose from Moore’s efforts to assist a regional airport and medical center.

“That was enough for me right there,” Anderton said. “A friend in need is a friend indeed. He’s never denied us. To me, that’s value.”

Moore dissent

As Moore’s crowd chanted — clad in their matching T-shirts, with their matching signs — a few counterprotesters emerged from the tents nearby, including Don Howell, a bearded Eastern Shore resident wearing a “Jesus” T-shirt, with a sticker for Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st) attached.

Don Howell, who supports GOP gubernatorial candidate John Myrick, yells back at a chanting crowd of Moore supporters at the Tawes crab feast. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/ Maryland Matters)

The “We want Moore” chants, he said, were interrupting his time feasting on steamed crabs and talking with friends.

“He’s already taken all my money,” Howell said of the governor. “Now he wants to take my conversations?”

The 68-year-old, who lives in the Eastern Shore’s Mount Vernon, near Princess Anne, said he supports Republican John Myrick in next year’s gubernatorial contest, in part because of Myrick’s “commonsense” approach to pocketbook issues. He pointed to Myrick’s proposals for property tax credits for retirees.

“I’m a senior citizen, and I’m trying to survive on Social Security. My wife still works, but it’s hard,” Howell said. “Our electric bills are going sky high.”

Howell argued that Moore has funneled money to “illegal aliens” and energy affordability programs, wasting a surplus handed down by Hogan. He decried recent increases in government fees, including for car registrations and hunting licenses.

“You’re a thief!” he shouted as the governor passed by. “You’re a criminal! You don’t belong in government, you belong in jail!”

He also yelled “Go back to Prince George’s County” at Moore’s chanting supporters.

Myrick came to Tawes for the chance to take shots at Moore, as he angles for a general election face-off. He brushed off concerns about a potential primary challenge from Hogan.

“I entered this race for a general election race. That man is my opponent,” he said, pointing toward the governor, who was close by. “I really don’t care about what Gov. Hogan does.”

Myrick, a Prince George’s County resident who grew up in Harford County, said he is canvassing around the state, including stops on the Eastern Shore.

John Myrick, a Republican candidate for governor, came to Crisfield as part of a campaign visit to the Eastern Shore. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)

“The people that I’m hearing on the lower Eastern Shore have been forgotten about for a long, long time. The only time the politicians seem to come down here is the Tawes event,” Myrick said.

Even though Moore included Harris on his list of potential opponents, the eight-term congressman from the Eastern Shore said Wednesday at Tawes that he will not be jumping into the fray.

“We do need a governor — not a presidential candidate — to run the state,” Harris said, poking Moore over persistent gossip that he wants to run for president. “But I’m not going to run for governor.”

Harris said he is taking his time when it comes to deciding who to endorse in the governor’s race, in part because Maryland has two former Republican governors who would be eligible to run again: Hogan and Robert Ehrlich. The filing deadline for the race is not until Feb. 24.

“There’s obviously at least one or two very high-profile former governors who don’t need to file early,” Harris said. “So, look, I’m waiting until February to see what happens.”

Harris, a staunch supporter of Trump, backed the president on several issues Wednesday. He said the administration raised “valid concerns” that the effort to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge with federal dollars will follow state law requiring minority-owned business participation.

He also said he stands by Trump’s effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy, though it has meant some 15,100 Marylanders have lost federal jobs since January. Harris pointed to the Moore administration’s voluntary separation offers for state employees in response to the state’s budget crunch.

“I don’t understand why he’s criticizing the president. He’s doing exactly the same thing in the state for state employees,” Harris said.

Harris also attacked the Moore administration for fee increases engineered to address the state’s budget crisis.

“The governor can go around saying he provided some minuscule tax break on income taxes, whereas every Marylander who opens up their car registration renewal understands that the fees are out of control,” Harris said.

---

by Bryan P. Sears and Christine Condon, Maryland Matters
September 25, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

Maryland lawmakers want you to read your utility bill particularly closely this month.

A roughly $40 rebate on electricity bills, approved by the General Assembly in April, finally started heading out to customers in August, with a second round expected in early 2026.

Legislators took $200 million from a state fund for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs to send the refund directly to all residential ratepayers, in hopes of easing the burden of recent rate hikes.

State Democrats touted the refund at a news conference Monday in Randallstown, during which Gov. Wes Moore (D) turned the focus to PJM Interconnection, the operator of the 13-state electric grid that includes Maryland. Moore argued that “outdated processes” at PJM have led to the dramatic bill increases, and renewed his calls for the states to gain a voice on the governing board.

“We demand a seat at the table with PJM, because no longer can they make decisions about us when we’re not at the table in the first place,” Moore said.

In remarks at a PJM summit in Philadelphia on Monday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) was even more direct, floating the possibility that his state, the largest energy generator in the grid, could leave PJM if systematic reforms don’t take place in “months, not years.”

“If PJM refuses to change, we will be forced to go in a different direction, and that will have a significant impact here in this region and across the country,” Shapiro said. “To be clear, that is not a path that I am eager to chart. But I am not willing to stand idly by and let PJM dictate our future.”

Republicans fire back

Maryland Democrats, alongside affordability advocates like the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, have thrown barbs at PJM as bills skyrocket, arguing that the grid has not moved quickly enough to allow new energy projects to come online, as projected power demand jumps thanks to artificial intelligence and data centers.

Republicans, a minority in both the Maryland House and Senate, have taken a different tack, arguing that the state’s efforts to promote renewable energy projects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions have increased energy costs.

“The Democratic majority has placed the blame on energy companies and on PJM, as if they have no culpability in the skyrocketing energy costs that have our communities in a chokehold,” House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany) said in a statement Monday.

The fund that legislators tapped to pay for the electricity bill refund, called the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, is made up largely of proceeds from a carbon dioxide allowance auction and alternative compliance payments from electricity suppliers that do not meet renewable energy requirements. The fund has ballooned in recent years due to an increase in compliance payments.

“Governor Moore isn’t giving out relief — he’s just recycling ratepayer money Maryland families already paid on their utility bills,” said a statement Monday from Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey (R- Upper Shore).

PJM, meanwhile, argues that some reforms are already underway, including a fast-track process for “shovel-ready” energy projects to get through the queue and connect to the grid. The grid operator also set a cap on a key energy auction that increased prices for PJM customers, at the urging of Shapiro, Moore and other governors in the region.

The refund rollout

Some energy customers in Maryland may have already received the credit on their electric bills. Others might still be waiting. It all depends on the utility and the billing cycle, officials say.

The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel said the state’s three Exelon utilities — Baltimore Gas and Electric, Pepco and Delmarva Power and Light — began issuing refunds in August, but the process extended into September. Potomac Edison expected to issue its refunds in September. The Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, on the other hand, got it done in August.

According to its website, BGE issued the payment by placing its residential customers into one of four tiers based on their average monthly energy usage, with the smallest users receiving a credit of $30.50 and the largest users receiving a credit of $66.

Speaking in her district at the Randallstown Community Center, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D- Baltimore County) said she has seen the strain of inflation and higher power bills in her community.

“I see people working harder than ever to make ends meet. I see people tightening their budgets. And yes, I see people struggling with rising energy costs,” Jones said.

The refund was one small part of a sprawling energy package passed by the General Assembly and signed by Moore. The main bill, called the Next Generation Energy Act, also aimed to increase in-state power generation, including by creating a fast-track for certain eligible projects at the Maryland Public Service Commission, and to curtail utility infrastructure spending and multiyear rate increase plans.

“We may not be able to make energy costs fall overnight, but together, by combining relief with reform, we can make Maryland a more resilient and a more affordable state for everyone,” Jones said.

The refund comes as Maryland consumers are just beginning to see higher bills resulting from an energy auction held by PJM in 2024, which cleared at a historically high price.

The People’s Counsel estimated that, if the costs were spread out over 12 months, customers could expect to see an average increase of about $13 per month on their bills. Baltimore Gas and Electric customers were expected to see one of the larger increases, at $16 per month.

But regulators stepped in, requiring the utility to suspend the cost increases in the summer and winter, when bills are higher because customers are using more energy to heat and cool their homes.

As a result though, typical BGE customers will see an estimated monthly bill increase of $30 this fall and spring, according to the Office of People’s Counsel.

by Christine Condon, Maryland Matters
September 22, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

In a Baltimore Sun article headlined “Seven years, $13M in tax dollars: What happened to Cambridge Harbor?” state and local officials acknowledge that the ambitious mixed-use project, which was planned to include an anchor hotel, fishing pier, shops, and residential development, is still “years away from any substantive progress.” They cite pending approvals and uncertain financing as major reasons for the delay. The Sun notes that pier funding has yet to be approved by the state, no hotel developer has been hired, and the city has not signed off on the plans.

According to the Sun’s review of tax filings and other records, Cambridge Waterfront Development Inc. (CWDI) has received $13.158 million in federal, state, and local grants over the past six years. That includes $8.8 million in state grants, $2.4 million in federal funding, $1.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, $204,000 directly from Cambridge, and $205,000 from Dorchester County. The records show that 27 percent went to construction, 24 percent to design, 24 percent to property acquisition, 18 percent to demolition, and 7 percent to operating costs.

CWDI chairwoman Angie Hengst said the group is working with city planning staff on required approvals and hopes to have a contract signed by the end of October.

Editor’s note: The Baltimore Sun may have a paywall for some readers.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) has appealed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial of nearly $34 million in disaster relief to help Western Maryland areas recovering from a devastating flood earlier this year. Maryland’s sole Republican member of Congress said Moore should look to his own budget before appealing to the federal government for help.

Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st) told Maryland Matters that the flooding is “a tragedy,” but said federal aid was not warranted in this instance.

“Federal emergency aid really should be for very, very large disasters that states can’t afford to cover on their own,” Harris, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, said this week. “The governor just raised taxes $1.6 billion. He probably could find $30 million to send out to Western Maryland.”

“Extreme rainfall” from May 12-14 led to flooding that inundated parts of Allegany and Garrett counties. Midland, Lonaconing and Westernport in Allegany County were among the hardest-hit communities, with floodwaters inundating homes, schools and businesses, washing out roads and damaging pipelines.

The affected counties are all rural, majority Republican and economically challenged areas of the state. The 17.2% poverty rate in Allegany County trails only Baltimore City and Somerset County, both at 20.1%, according to 2023 estimates in the Maryland Manual online. Maryland’s overall poverty rate is 11.1%.

President Donald Trump (R) has called FEMA “a disaster” and said states should handle disaster recovery with the federal government reimbursing some of the costs.

The comments made Monday appear to represent a reversal for Harris, who three weeks ago joined the other nine members of the state’s congressional delegation, all Democrats, asking Trump to approve the aid request.

“We appreciate the congressman’s stated support for getting the FEMA funding that Western Maryland deserves,” Maureen Regan, a Moore spokesperson, said in a statement responding to Harris’ latest comments. “FEMA funding will be a critical boost to the nearly $1.5 million in disaster recovery and energy assistance that the state has already provided. We just hope the president will listen to the pleas of Mountain Marylanders to help rebuild their towns.”

Deadline? What’s that?

There are many words to describe the letter from 23 members of Congress to the Executive Council of the Chesapeake Bay Program regarding the latest multiyear proposal to clean up the bay: Thoughtful; bipartisan; forceful; forward-looking; thorough.

Late.

The letter is dated Sept. 11, even though the official public comment period for the “Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement Beyond 2025 Revision Draft” closed on Sept. 1, ending a 90-day comment period. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said “our goal was to get it in” by the deadline, but apparently it takes awhile to get 23 House and Senate members in line.

The letter is generally appreciative of the work the Bay Program has done to prepare the document, but says it needs more specifics, and it needs to be written in plain language that regular folks understand. And it says the plan needs to be both broad-based to cover all the challenges the bay currently faces, but also flexible enough to meet challenges that can’t be predicted yet, as new environmental problems crop up.

The letter is signed by eight senators including Van Hollen, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 15 House members, including six Maryland Democrats: Reps. Kweisi Mfume, Steny Hoyer, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, Johnny Olszewski, and April McClain Delaney. All 23 signers are from states in the bay watershed.

Despite the date, Van Hollen’s not too worried about the work behind the letter going to waste.

“From our perspective, we believe that when you’ve got this many members of Congress on a bipartisan basis weighing in that, you know, we expect these views to be taken into account,” he said.

Leave her alone

That was the thrust of an open letter from Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and 20 other Democratic attorneys general to the U.S. Justice Department recently over its investigation of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D).

The letter accuses the department of “pursuing a pattern of harassment and intimidation” after James won financial fraud lawsuit against President Donald Trump (R), then a private citizen. Trump has appealed the ruling that ordered him to pay about a half-billion dollars against him. That award has since been rejected as excessive by a New York state appellate court, which otherwise upheld the ruling against him.

In February 2025, just weeks after Trump was sworn in to his second term in office, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed a “weaponization working group” to investigate “all departments or agencies exercising civil or criminal enforcement authority of the United States over the last four years.” Specifically it was directed to investigate James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Special Counsel Jack Smith, all of whom investigated Trump, prosecution of Jan. 6 riot defendants and prosecution of people for blocking access to abortion clinics, among other targets.

“Every aspect of the Department’s campaign against AG James makes plain that it is not rooted in any legitimate suspicion of wrongdoing: President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi are both on record having made public threats against AG James,” the Democratic attorneys general wrote.

The letter also criticizes Edward Martin Jr., a Trump loyalist heading the Justice Department’s working group, pointing to a “crude letter” Martin wrote to James’ personal attorney, caling for her to resign, and later showing up at James’ home to pose for press photographs, according to video obtained by CNN.

“Mr. Martin’s antics and actions amount more to those of a showman than to those of a representative of the United States government charged with ensuring that impartiality, integrity, and fairness are the cornerstones of criminal investigation and enforcement,” the attorneys general wrote.

A representative with the department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Other attorneys general who signed the letter are from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

When being called bench-warmer is a good thing

Gov. Wes Moore this week tapped “two remarkable servants of the law” to fill vacancies on two circuit court benches, with James J. Dietrich appointed in Montgomery County and Kristina L. Watkowski in Worcester County.

“Throughout their legal careers, James Dietrich and Kristina Watkowski have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to integrity and justice that will serve the people of Maryland well for years to come,” Moore said in a statement Wednesday announcing the appointments.

Dietrich has spent close to 30 years as a prosecutor, beginning his career in the Howard County State’s Attorney’s office, where he served for 21 years and was part of the circuit court trial team for 10 years, and for the last seven years he has been a prosecutor with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, serving on the major crimes and post-conviction units.

Dietrich teaches coursed on evidence, criminal procedure and trial practice as an adjunct professor at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law, where he received his law degree. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Lemoyne College.

Watkowski began her legal career clerking for Judges Theodore R. Eschenburg Sr. and Thomas C. Groton III in Worcester County Circuit Court, before moving to the Maryland Office of the Public Defender where she eventually became supervising attorney for the Worcester County office. Since 2022, she has worked as an attorney with Booth, Cropper & Marriner since 2022, with a practice primarily focused on civil litigation with a concentration in land use and zoning.

Watkowski earned an associate’s degree from Howard Community College and her bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University, before getting her law degree at Widener University’s Delaware Law School.

by Bryan P. Sears and William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
September 13, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

Minnesota Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, left, and Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth at a tribute to state Rep. Melissa Hortman, killed in a politically motivated shooting in June, at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Boston in August. (Photo courtesy of National Conference of State Legislatures)

BOSTON — In some of his first public comments since being shot in an attempted assassination, Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman urged fellow lawmakers to refocus on the true purpose of public service.

“We can’t let the evil of the night win, and we must redouble our efforts and reclaim the reason we are all public servants,” he said.

That means listening to one another, extending understanding even in disagreement, and finding compromise, “not because it’s easy, but because the people we serve deserve better than constant stalemate built on partisan egos. They deserve solutions.”

Hoffman appeared via video message before thousands of lawmakers and staffers gathered at the National Conference of State Legislatures summit last month in Boston. In June, he and his wife were shot in their Minnesota home just before the politically motivated shooter killed state Rep. Melissa Hortman, the former House speaker, her husband, Mark, and their dog, Gilbert.

The shooting hung over this year’s meeting of the NCSL, a group that labors to maintain a reputation for bipartisan and nonpartisan work. Lawmakers in attendance on the left and the right repeatedly lamented the toxicity of American politics and the growing threat of political violence at local levels of government.

Many lawmakers raised questions about whether public service is still worth it, how state governments can buck the partisanship that defines Washington, D.C., and what measures lawmakers should take to keep members safe.

Most lawmakers said they remained committed to serving, but they said conservatives and liberals must find ways to disagree without demonizing their opposition and do better at monitoring the rhetoric of members of their own parties.

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, said the vitriol of social media and cable news has made it more difficult to talk with people of differing beliefs. Technology has reduced the frequency of many human interactions, he said. Even the rise of video doorbells has made it difficult for candidates and officials to talk with everyday constituents in person, as many refuse to answer.

“So instead of knocking on doors and meeting strangers, you have a tendency to go to party events where you are meeting people who want to come and meet you,” he said. “Well, they come from usually one end of the spectrum. They’re people who are probably paying too much attention to politics and not enough to all the other things in the world.”

Author and media personality Michael Smerconish asked Vos whether the current climate pushes good candidates away and incentivizes “zealots” to run.

“That’s a really good point,” Vos responded. “Part of my job is to recruit candidates, and it is very challenging to get people who are willing to put their personal life on the line and convince their family that there is nothing more fun to do on a Sunday morning than to go to a pancake breakfast.”

He said potential candidates are worried about how their kids will be treated in school and what effect running could have on their careers. But he said state governments can model a more civil political tone and show how government works. Even simple moves like holding bipartisan meetings with staff — rather than holding separate caucus meetings — can help to forge more positive relationships.

“We are places where people can disagree, but we don’t have to be hateful,” he said. “And maybe, just maybe, over time we’ll be able to showcase to the rest of the country that that’s the way that legislatures lead.”

‘Hold people accountable’

Since the June shooting in Minnesota, liberal and conservative states alike are considering measures to bolster protections for candidates and elected officials.

Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman at a 2013 hearing, next to state Sen. John Hoffman . Hoffman survived a June 2025 attack from the same gunman who killed Hortman. (Photo courtesy of Minnesota House Information Services)

Legislation proposed in New Jersey would prohibit the publication of home addresses of lawmakers, adding them to a list of protected officials that includes judges and law enforcement.

ln North Dakota, lawmakers are considering establishing a more formal process for reporting threats, the North Dakota Monitor reported. A North Dakota man was charged in June with sending threatening messages to officials in which he referenced the Minnesota shootings. Legislative staff have already removed the home addresses of lawmakers from the legislative website and are considering providing post office boxes for lawmaker mail and creating new safety training.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are studying a package of bills to boost legislator safety, limit their public exposure and ensure representation if a lawmaker dies while in office, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported.

In Oregon, House Speaker Julie Fahey said lawmakers and staff are thinking more about personal safety. State law doesn’t allow candidates to use campaign funds for security purposes, but the Democratic speaker said the legislature may soon change that.

During an NCSL session about the cost of public service, Fahey referenced protesters’ 2020 armed breach of the state Capitol in Salem and noted that she’d had an angry constituent show up at her home.

She said lawmakers and staffers need to talk more about the cost of their work, which can be isolating, especially for those in leadership positions.

“I think it’s really important that we talk about the threats and we talk about the impact,” she said.

Sitting next to her, West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, a Republican, said it’s not just personal safety that weighs on lawmakers.

It’s just as taxing on spouses and families — who he said are “front and center” in any conversation about running for office nowadays.

When he first assumed his leadership position in 2018, Hanshaw said he saw his job as mostly confined to running the chamber and worrying only about the behavior of members in their official capacity. But his thinking has evolved in this political environment, which he said requires modeling and monitoring of personal behavior and online activity of members of his caucus.

“That was the wrong approach,” he told Stateline. “And I would say that to anyone who’s coming into one of these roles: You need to set the example and you need to hold people accountable.”

‘What is your why?’

Pennsylvania Democratic House Speaker Joanna McClinton said the current political environment is markedly different because officials at all levels of government can be targets.

“And what we must all collectively do is to condemn the violence, to bring the tone of rhetoric down and out of our capitols, and most importantly let folks know that we can always agree to disagree, but we can never, ever allow there to be violence in discourse,” she said in an interview.

While the climate has not deterred her from serving, McClinton said it does provide an opportunity to underscore the solemnity of public service and helps frame a candidate’s purpose for running and deciding whether it’s worthwhile.

“What is your why?” she said she increasingly asks potential candidates. “What is your purpose? What do you plan to achieve, to accomplish? Why is it that you want to do this?”

Tim Storey, the chief executive officer of NCSL, said state legislatures are more bipartisan than many realize. Even in dogged legislative fights, many bills ultimately pass with support from both sides — or even unanimously.

“There’s a relatively small group who just demonize the other side,” he said in an interview. “I think for the most part, they still see each other as humans who are actually in a really unique job, and so only they can understand each other and the sacrifice and the pressure that gets put on by the public exposure.”

He said that was especially true following Hortman’s assassination.

Hundreds gather for a vigil honoring Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, outside of the Minnesota State Capitol Tuesday, June 17, 2025 in St. Paul. (Photo by Nicole Neri for the Minnesota Reformer)

“They felt it across the aisle of both parties,” he said.
Storey said NCSL’s Boston summit was a record-breaker with more than 1,600 state lawmakers and thousands more staffers and lobbyists in attendance.

The event kicked off with two of Minnesota’s top legislative leaders — a Democrat and a Republican — on stage in front of a packed ballroom talking about the assassination.

Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth said Hortman had always treated her as a partner rather than an adversary. With mutual trust and respect, they could “disagree without being disagreeable,” she said.

State Sen. Erin Murphy, the Democratic majority leader, said politicians must turn down the vitriol in their rhetoric.

“I think a lot of America would appreciate that. I know Melissa would,” she told the crowd.

But she said lawmakers must also root out dehumanizing narratives and conspiracy theories that have led to the radicalization of so many individuals.

“We can’t lose faith in each other. We can’t lose faith in America,” she said. “As Melissa taught us, failure is not an option.”

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By:Kevin Hardy–September 11, 20256:19 pm

 Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: [email protected].

Republished by: Maryland Matters 

 Gov. Wes Moore (D) in a 2023 file photo, delivering his first State of State address in the Maryland House of Delegates chamber. (File photo by Danielle E. Gaines/Maryland Matters)

Gov. Wes Moore (D) will make it official Tuesday when he announces his plans to seek reelection in 2026.

The announcement, which was widely expected, will be made in a campaign video in which Moore recounts his historic 2022 campaign, which made him the first Black governor in state history, as well as his efforts on crime, budgeting, taxes and the middle class since being elected.

“But while we stand up for middle-class Marylanders, the president of the United States is bending over backwards for billionaires and big corporations … firing federal workers, gutting Medicaid, raising prices on everything from electricity to groceries,” Moore said in a transcript of the video released to Maryland Matters. “The games of Washington are exhausting, and worse, they’re hurting people. I’m not from that world.”

The announcement comes two days after Moore repeated his insistence that he intends to serve a full term as governor and that he is not running for president in 2028 — a rumor that got fresh legs last week after paparazzi photographed Moore and his wife on a boat at the Italian villa of actor George Clooney, considered by some to be a Democratic kingmaker.

Moore, the incumbent and presumed Democratic primary frontrunner, becomes the second Democrat to announce his intentions for the governor’s mansion.

Ralph Jaffe, a retired teacher, filed for the primary race on July 30. Jaffe has run for governor or U.S. senator in eight previous elections, dating back to 1992. In 2022, he finished last in a 10-candidate Democratic primary field with 2,978 votes, about 0.44% of primary votes cast.

Meanwhile, on the second floor …

Moore on Monday named Lester Davis as his new chief of staff, replacing the departing Fagan Harris.

“Lester is a known problem-solver, and his proven ability to secure improved outcomes for the people he serves will build on the progress our administration has made over the past two and a half years,” Moore said in a statement announcing the appointment. “He brings a commitment to building strong partnerships, uplifting communities, and delivering data-driven results that are in lockstep with the priorities our administration has championed since day one.”

Davis joins the administration fresh off a three-year stint as vice president and chief of staff for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. He also served on transition teams for Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

While in Baltimore, he spent roughly a decade working for Jack Young, first as director of policy and communications for then-City Council President Young and later as deputy chief of staff when Young became mayor after Catherine Pugh resigned while under investigation for fraud related to her “Healthy Holly” books.

Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from Norfolk State University and worked roughly four years as a reporter at various publications including the Palm Beach Post. He will start this fall as part of a planned transition. A Moore spokesperson could not immediately provide Davis’ planned salary.

Harris, Moore’s current chief of staff, announced last month that he would leave by the end of the year to become president and CEO of the Abell Foundation, a Baltimore philanthropic institution.

Moore’s lobby shop staffs up

The governor’s office also added two new deputies in his legislative office.

Tony Bridges moves to the lobbying shop after three years as assistant secretary for equity and engagement at the Maryland Department of Transportation. The former Baltimore City delegate held a number of positions with the Transportation Department, including chief of staff at the Maryland Transit Administration.

Also joining the shop is Hannah Dier, who held a number of positions including, most recently, deputy county administrative officer under Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman. Prior to her stint in Anne Arundel County, Dier served six years as a budget analyst in the Department of Legislative Services. Her last three were as senior policy analyst for the House Appropriations Committee.

Bridges and Dier round out a team of seven deputies under Chief Legislative Officer Jeremy Baker. Baker once advised two House speakers overlapping with the service of Bridges and Dier.

Turns out, Hale is a Republican (now)

Ed Hale, who announced he was leaving the Democratic party to run for governor as a Republican, faced more criticism last week regarding his decision to switch rather than fight Moore for the Democratic Party nomination.

Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey (R-Upper Shore), who announced last week that he was exploring his own run for governor, claimed in an interview that Hale had not yet switched parties.

Baltimore businessman Ed Hale Sr. during a campaign event in Canton. Hale, as promised, changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican last month. (File photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)

 

“He might think he’s a conservative person, he might run businesses, which we do understand, but the fact of the matter is, he’s a Democrat and he’s still a Democrat,” Hershey said in a televised interview Thursday. “I was at the Board of Elections today, Ed Hill has not changed party affiliation yet.”

Turns out, he had.

Hale, a lifelong Democrat, announced Aug. 21 he was switching parties to run for governor as a Republican. A day later, he said during a radio interview he had filed the paperwork to make it official.

After Hershey’s interview, Hale shared with Maryland Matters a photo of an updated voter registration card from Talbot County, where he lives. Dated Aug. 22, it shows Hale registered as a Republican. Maryland Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis Monday confirmed that Hale had switched parties Aug. 22 in Talbot County and was issued an updated voter registration card.

“Why is he making fun of me,” Hale wrote in a text to a reporter. “Seems disingenuous.”

Hershey did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

Hershey has been highly critical of Hale’s party switch, calling the Baltimore businessman a political opportunist and a newly minted Republican of “convenience rather than conviction.” It seems unlikely Hershey is going to drop the issue any time soon: During the Fox 45 interview, he made it clear if he enters the race for governor, Hale’s party switch will be campaign fodder.

“I don’t know what makes him think he can come into our party after years and years and years being a lifelong Democrat and saying at the last minute, I’m going to be a Republican and therefore embrace me,” Hershey said. “Right now, Ed Hale is looking for a party … someone to welcome him. I don’t think that the Republican Party welcomes him, but that will be a campaign issue, and if that’s what we have to talk about, I certainly welcome the opportunity to run against a Democrat in the Republican primary.”

Hale is not yet an official candidate, according to a check of the Maryland State Board of Elections website Monday night.

John Myrick, who previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate, and Carl A. Brunner Jr., a Carroll County firearms instructor, remain the only two filed candidates.

by Bryan P. Sears, Maryland Matters
September 9, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey (R-Upper Shore) has formed an exploratory committee to weigh a 2026 bid for governor, citing the need for “balance” in a state that has gone “so far to the left” under Democratic control.

Hershey said he expects to make a decision sometime before the end of the year on whether he’ll challenge incumbent Gov. Wes Moore (D), who is all but guaranteed to be the Democratic nominee.

Hershey has said people had approached him recently about running, including one supporter who asked, “Is this really necessary?” In an interview with Maryland Matters on Thursday, he said it is necessary to provide real competition to Democrats and give voters a choice.

“Without real competition, Maryland loses balance. Without balance, there’s no incentive for moderation. I think that’s the big thing that we look at when we talk about Democrats crossing over and voting for a Republican governor, ” Hershey said.

“Right now, we have moved so far to the left with Gov. Moore and the composition of the state Senate and the House of Delegates that this pendulum needs to come back,” he told Maryland Matters. “We need to see more of a balance in Maryland. I think that’s one of the big things that I’d be able to offer.”

Hershey said his decision to form an exploratory committee crystalized after Ed Hale Sr. announced he would switch parties and run for governor as a Republican. The lifelong Democrat has never sought public office before, and conceded that his change in party affiliation was a recognition that he could not beat Moore in a Democratic primary.

Baltimore businessman Ed Hale Sr., a lifelong Democrat, plans to run for governor as a Republican. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.)

Hershey criticized Hale as a political opportunist, and Hale responded in a radio interview that he had no idea who Hershey was. While Hale has announced his intention to and has created a state campaign account, he has yet to formally file as a candidate.

Democrats said it doesn’t matter who winds up as the GOP nominee, that person will be in for an unpleasant surprise in the general election.

“Stephen Hershey, Ed Hale Sr. and [former Gov.] Larry Hogan all have one thing in common: They’re out-of-touch Republicans who will lose to Wes Moore next year,” Kevin Donohoe, a spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association, said in a statement. “Maryland Republicans now look like they’re set to have a messy primary filled with lackluster candidates who don’t have the spine to fight Donald Trump’s agenda that is crushing Maryland’s middle class. Good luck!”

Hershey, a senator for about 12 years, said aside from polling, his committee would test the fundraising waters. That would include cash in hand and “commitments from donors” should the exploratory committee turn into a formal campaign.

A late-2025 decision would put Hershey right up against the 2026 legislative session, during which Hershey — like all legislators and constitutional officers, including the governor — is banned from fundraising activities.  But Hershey’s eventual running mate may not have those same restrictions.

Hershey could get around the prohibition by giving up his Senate seat — something he said flatly he would not do.

“One of the biggest concerns that I do have is I very much enjoy and appreciate the honor of representing District 36 as a state senator,” he said. “I am not willing to easily give up the opportunity to continue doing that.

“So as I’m looking at the opportunity, or the pathway to see if I would be able to defeat Gov. Moore in a general election, I am weighing that against the potential, the current and potential continued status of being a minority leader and representing our caucus over the next four years as well,” he said Thursday.

Hershey said he had been approached several times during the legislative session about running, but that the “intensity of the calls and messages and conversations have picked up dramatically since Ed Hale made his announcement.”

“So, yes, there is a part of me that is saying that the Republicans need to be represented in the race against Gov. Moore. I think that there is much concern over Ed Hale switching parties at the last minute and deciding to run as a Republican,” Hershey said. “And I said before, Republicans know the difference between conviction and convenience. So, it played a role — it may have just accelerated my decision to move forward with this.”

Hershey said he plans to spend the next 90 days polling and assessing the viability of a statewide campaign. That includes his ability to raise the money needed to challenge Moore, who has a proven ability to raise large sums of cash and is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party.

Hershey’s announcement comes a day after a radio interview in which he teased the possibility of a run for governor.

Prior to 2002, Republicans had not held the governor’s mansion in nearly four decades.

Since 2002, the minority party — registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 2-1 — has won the governor’s seat in three of the last six elections. That includes Larry Hogan, who became the first Republican since Theodore McKeldin, to win consecutive terms as governor.

But those Republican governors won open seats: Unseating an incumbent Democrat seeking reelection has proven difficult.

“There is still an opportunity for a Republican to win, even though this would be a different path that we have taken in the past,” Hershey said. “We have not won against the incumbent governor before, but we have won after eight years of (two) Democratic governors. In both cases a tax-and-spend governor.

“I think what we’re going to find out in polling is that people — families — are hurting now, after four years of Gov. Moore, as they were after eight years of Gov. O’Malley. That’s where we’re thinking we’re going to see a notable difference in the reelection of Gov. Moore, as opposed to just running against an open seat,” he said.

Hershey’s announcement comes as one other top Republican remains on the fence considering his own future. Hogan continues to be talked about as a potential candidate for his former office and at times has stoked the speculation himself.

Hershey said he spoke to Hogan about his intentions early Thursday afternoon.

“The governor [Hogan] is still looking at the race from the perspective that a lot of people are asking him to do this as well,” Hershey said. “We’re both in agreement that this is … the more appropriate step for me to take in forming an exploratory commission.”

by Bryan P. Sears, Maryland Matters
September 4, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].