Anthony Brown Highlights Economy, Gun Control in Gubernatorial Campaign Kickoff

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown cites work to implement health care expansion, gun control reforms.

In a speech highlighting his military and government service, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown announced Friday night he is running for governor of Maryland in the November 2014 election. The speech came at a crowded barbecue hosted by Brown's campaign at Prince George's Community College in Largo, MD.  Backed by large Maryland and American flags, Brown outlined a basic campaign platform, which he said would make securing "economic prosperity for Marylanders" his top priority.  Brown highlighted his work as a state delegate representing Prince George's County and later during his time as lieutenant governor to expand health care coverage, proudly claiming that Maryland "leads the nation in implementation of Obama's health care reform." Brown has …

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Sequestration, Papal Retirement and the Best of Maryland Local Voices

Here are the best of this week's Local Voices posts from Maryland Patch sites.

Here are some of the best Local Voices posts in the past week from around Maryland's Patch sites. Remember, if you have something on your mind, it's quick and easy to join the conversation. Just click "Start a Blog" under the top story on our front page. Sequestration: We Have a Choice: U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin talks about the impact budget cuts mandated by sequestration will have on Maryland. Gratia Benedictus XVI: In Montgomery County, a reader wonders what the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI will be. Benedict stepped down from the papacy on Thursday. Starting School Later Does Not Have to Cost More: A Howard County dad points out other jurisdictions that have later start times for schools. Marks Changes Position On County Cars for …

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Former Laurel-Area State Sen. Giannetti Looking to Reenter Politics

Six years after losing his reelection bid in District 21, attorney John Giannetti is vying for a spot on the Annapolis City Council.

Former Laurel-area state Sen. John Giannetti is looking to reenter politics with a bid for the Annapolis City Council. Giannetti and three other candidates—Tracy McGranaghan, Jared Littmann and Arnold Smith—are competing for the Ward 5 seat, which was left vacant by the resignation of first-term Alderman Mathew Silverman. Because the 2013 election is less than a year away, the Annapolis Democratic Central Committee will pick a successor to fill the post. Giannetti represented District 21—which includes parts of Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County—from 2003 to 2007. After one term, he was defeated in the 2006 Democratic primary by future state Sen. James Rosapepe. Giannetti later switched parties and ran for the seat as a …

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Dan Bongino Eyes 2014 Governor's Race

The 2012 Republican candidate for U.S. Senate is considering a run for governor.

  The Republican who took on Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin and lost this election season is eyeing Maryland's 2014 governor's race as his next political move. Dan Bongino split the conservative vote 28 to 17 percent with independent Rob Sobhani earlier this month. Bongino said he thinks he could fare better in another statewide campaign. "We probably have the largest [Republican] fundraising base in the state," Bongino said. "We kept data on every door we knocked on, on every phone call we made. That's data that's easily reusable in a statewide campaign and certainly something we are thinking about." Bongino admitted to being an unknown when he launched his bid for Maryland's Senate seat in May 2011. Now he's got more than 7,000 donors, 11,…

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Alston: Nothing Prevents Me From Serving 24th

Former state delegate convicted of misconduct in office says modified sentence leaves her "clear and clean" to serve in Annapolis.

Tiffany Alston, the former Prince George's County delegate suspended after being convicted of paying a member of her law firm with funds from the Maryland General Assembly, believes that she is still the representative for District 24. "Just because I don't have the keys to my office doesn't mean that I'm not representing my constituents," said Alston in a brief interview yesterday evening. At last night's meeting of the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee, Alston distributed a letter to committee members which asserted that, because her misdemeanor conviction of misconduct in office was modified to probation before judgement, she is still eligible to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates. "The granting of the [probation…

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Early Voting Surpasses 2010 Election

Most counties in Maryland show a spike in early voting turnout in 2012 while Anne Arundel and Worcester Counties show decreases.

Turnout for early voting this year has already exceeded that of 2010 in 22 of 24 jurisdictions in the state. And while two counties report declines in the overall percentages one Eastern Shore county reports close to a 20 percent turnout. But the exact meaning of the higher turnout is hard to immediately discern, according to one local elections analyst. Residents across the state have the opportunity to cast votes for President, U.S. Senate, eight congressional races and seven statewide ballot questions including congressional redistricting, the Maryland DREAM Act, same-sex marriage and expanded gambling. Source: State Board of Elections In four counties—Caroline, Howard, Kent and Somerset—the early voting turnout over the first six days …

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Lt. Gov. Brown Hopes to Make Historic Step Up to Governor's Mansion

Can he make a leap that no one in his office has made before?

By David Gutman Capital News Service No Maryland lieutenant governor has ever gone on to be elected governor. In 2014, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown will almost certainly try to become the first. If Brown is not yet altogether candid about his plans for a gubernatorial run, it’s easy enough to read between the lines. “We’re raising money in order to position ourselves so that when we decide on what we’re going to run for, we’ll be able to do it,” Brown said. “One of the higher offices I’m exploring is running for governor.” The Maryland constitution is pretty clear about the responsibilities of the lieutenant governor—there are virtually none. Other than taking over if the governor dies, the constitution gives the lieutenant governor, “Only the …

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Blue State Politics: Gaffe Riot

Can a presidential candidate ever talk "off the record?" We want to know what Maryland thinks.

  To hear pundits tell it, the U.S. presidency can fall through a candidate's hands at the slip of a tongue. The latest development in the 2012 presidential race is a video in which GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is seen telling supporters that 47 percent of the American people are dependent on government, see themselves as victims and need to take responsibility for their lives. That was soon followed by the emergence of a 1998 audio tape in which Barack Obama talked about his support of redistribution of wealth. The two tapes seem to sum up key debate points in this election. Or do they? Can single moments caught on tape make or break an election? The New York Times did a fascinating wrapup of famous national election verbal slip…

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Amy Leahy

12:49 pm on Sunday, October 7, 2012

I wouldn't say you are nitpicking, Brian Lomax, as much as you are hiding your head in the sand. Combine Obama's comments about redistributing wealth with the video that has more recently surfaced of a speech he gave before university students and yes, I'd say it's pretty clear where he stands. This is socialism straight up. And, no, we don't all believe in redistributing wealth. Just like I don'…   more ›

Blue State Politics: Are You Better Off?

Politicians on both sides of the aisle are asking constituents whether voters are better off now than they were four years ago. We want to know what Maryland thinks.

  It’s a seemingly simple question being asked across the land by Democrats and Republicans alike: Are you better off than you were four years ago? The answer is likely to have a big impact when people go to the polls in November for national and local elections. It was a question that Ronald Reagan first asked to great effect in his debate with Jimmy Carter in 1980. (Check out the second clip in the accompanying YouTube video.) Then, as now, the economy was struggling and a Democrat was seeking re-election. We want to know what Maryland thinks. Are you better off than you were four years ago? What has changed to make your answer true for you? Let us know in the comments section.

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Frank

5:11 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012

Silly old white bigot lecturing African-Americans on what their interests are supposed to be.   more ›

Maryland: Powerhouse State in Charlotte

Politico blogger Charles Mahtesian lists Maryland as one of the five most influential states at the Democratic National Convention.