Political notes: Braveboy wastes no time on hires, Shoemaker makes time for family, more lawsuits
Prince George's County At-Large Councilmember Calvin Hawkins, right, congratulates State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy on her apparent victory in Tuesday's special election for county executive. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)
Less than 24 hours after Aisha Braveboy declared victory in the special election for Prince George's County executive, the Democrat and current county state's attorney is already making moves.
Braveboy announced Wednesday that Maxene Bardwell will serve as chief administrative officer and second-in-command for the county. Bardwell, a Prince George's resident, currently works as an internal audit manager in the Montgomery County Executive's office.
'I consider this offer to be just an example of forward thinking by County Executive-elect Braveboy to make sure that she has best-in-class skill and experience in her administration working for the people of Prince George's County,' Bardwell said in a statement.
Braveboy's will not be official until next week, as election officials are still counting and certifying votes. But in election night returns, the latest posted by county officials, she had just over 89% of the vote over Republican challenger Jonathan White.
But event before Tuesday's election, after surviving a nine-candidate Democratic primary in March, Braveboy had pulled together a preliminary transition team comprised of some top elected officials and business and community leaders.
The team included transition co-chairs include Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) and Bowie State University President Aminta Breaux, Capitol Connections President Michael Arrington and High-Quality Care Nursing CEO Joy Davis. About a dozen people are on an executive committee that includes state Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's), Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George's and Anne Arundel) and Erek Barron, former U.S. Attorney for Maryland.
Braveboy's transition team also notes various committee co-chairs, including At-Large Councilmember Calvin Hawkins (D) to serve on a group dealing with Corrections and Returning Citizens Services, and former county executive County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, co-chair of a committee to assess the county's finances, government structure and operational efficiency. Both Hawkins and Baker ran against Braveboy in the March primary.
State Sen. Ron Watson (D-Prince George's) will co-chair a committee focused on education, employment and workforce development.
If her victory is confirmed, Braveboy would be sworn in on June 19, the Juneteenth holiday.
When Carroll County voters go to elect a state's attorney in 2026, current State's Attorney Haven Shoemaker Jr. will not be an option. Shoemaker, a Republican, announced Monday that he will not seek reelection after serving one term as the county's top prosecutor.
In a statement released by his office, Shoemaker said that serving as state's attorney 'has been the honor of a lifetime,' but added that 'at this point in my life, it's time to let someone else have a try.'
'By the time I leave office, I will have been an attorney for 34 years and will have held political office for 30,' his statement said. 'It is time for me to spend some quality time with my wife, Patty, at long last. She has made tremendous sacrifices as I pursued careers in both the law and politics, and without her support, I would not have accomplished anything.'
Shoemaker was born in Baltimore but moved with his family to North East where he attended high school before earning a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in 1987. After two years in the Army National Guard, he attended Widener University School of Law, graduating with honors in 1992, and opened his own law practice in Hampstead in 1994.
His political career began with election to the Hampstead Town Council 1997, followed by election as major in 2003, a job he held until 2010, when he was elected to the Carroll County Commission. Shoemaker was elected to the House of Delegates in 2014 and served from 2015 to 2023, serving as minority whip in 2022. He was elected to his current position in 2022.
'I still have a year and a half left of my term. I will continue to work diligently for you during this time as I have over the last 30 plus years,' his statement said. 'The people of Carroll County deserve nothing less.'
Has Maryland moved from friend of the court to best friend of the court?
Attorney General Anthony Brown said Wednesday that Maryland has signed on to friend of the court briefs in two separate federal lawsuits in as many days.
Maryland was one of 19 states and the District of Columbia that filed an amicus curiae — friend of the court — brief on Tuesday urging the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold Michigan's ban on 'conversion therapy,' the medically discredited therapy that claims to convert the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ individuals. A federal district court upheld Michigan's law restricting the therapy, but that ruling was appealed by the therapist and the Catholic Charities group in southeastern Michigan that sued to overturn the law.
Maryland banned the use of conversion therapy on minors in 2018, one of 25 states with laws on the books — Arizona and Pennsylvania have prohibitions issued through executive orders — restricting such therapy.
The Michigan brief said all the states 'have strong interests in regulating the practice of health care, including care relating to mental health, within their boundaries to protect public health and safety. Amici States additionally share compelling interests in protecting the health, safety, and well-being of children and youth, and in affirming the dignity and equal worth and treatment of LGBTQI+ minors.'
Maryland, other states, take more legal actions against Trump administration
And Maryland was one 18 states and the District that filed an amicus brief Wednesday urging the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a ruling by a three-judge panel of the court in a Voting Rights Act case brought by a tribe in North Dakota.
The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians sued the state of North Dakota in 2021, claiming that the state's redistricting plan illegally diluted Native American voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. A federal district judge agreed and ordered the state to redraw its districts, and when it did not, the judge imposed the tribe's recommended redistricting plan.
But on appeal, a panel of the circuit court overturned that ruling, finding that Section 2 applies to states and other governments, but does not confer a right on private individuals to bring a legal challenge.
The Turtle Mountain brief argues that not only does Section 2 allow private actions in voting rights cases, but participation by private groups is critical to protecting those rights.
'Private parties are instrumental in identifying voting-related issues, and for decades, private actions have been a welcome and necessary supplement to state efforts to ensure legal compliance,' the brief said, supplementing federal prosecutors and state officials who may not have the resources to pursue voting rights cases. 'Private parties are typically best equipped to identify and pursue violations. They have extensive on-the-ground knowledge and develop the necessary connections with stakeholders and community members to build cases.'
With Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley term-limited after serving two four-year terms, voters may be starting to think about the next mayor, who will be chosen this fall. Residents have a chance to hear the two announced candidates so far at a mayoral debate next week.
The June 10 debate between two Democrats, Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles and former Alderman Jared Littmann, is being hosted by the Caucus of African American Leaders at the Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center.
Carl Snowden, convener of the caucus, wrote in email Monday that topics up for discussion include affordable housing, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs and other matters affecting the city. Another topic could be sanctuary cities: Annapolis was one of 10 municipalities in Maryland identified by the Trump administration last month as sanctuary jurisdictions, along with eight counties and the state itself. The administration has threatened federal funding for the more than 500 jurisdictions it identified nationwide.
Snowden said his group will have a monthly meeting one hour before the debate scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
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'We contend that an informed electorate is the key to an effective democracy,' Snowden said. 'We commend all candidates who are running for public office. They are willing to be scrutinized, chastised, and criticized in their pursuit of serving the public.'
Littman, who served on the city council for five years until his term ended in 2017, declared his candidacy in January 2024. He has also worked as an associate county attorney in Montgomery County and served on the national board of True Value Hardware.
Pindell Charles, a retired prosecutor and member of the council since 2009, seeks to make history as the city's first elected Black mayor. Alderman John Thomas Chambers Jr. (R), who was Black, served on an interim basis for two months in 1981, following the suicide of Mayor Gustav Akerland (R).
Candidates have until July 28 to file for the Nov. 4 election, according to the city's election calendar. The caucus plans to hold a candidate's forum after the deadline for any contested city council races in the city's eight wards. The primary election is scheduled for Sept. 6 and the general election Nov. 4.
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Trump also has lifted longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools , churches and hospitals, and ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials believed to be interfering with his crackdown on illegal immigration. The Department of Justice sued Colorado, Illinois and New York, as well as several cities in those states and New Jersey , alleging their policies violate the U.S. Constitution or federal immigration laws. Just three weeks after Colorado was sued, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a wide-ranging law expanding the state's protections for immigrants. Among other things, it bars jails from delaying the release of inmates for immigration enforcement and allows penalties of up to $50,000 for public schools, colleges, libraries, child care centers and health care facilities that collect information about people's immigration status, with some exceptions. 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Legislation supporting immigrants takes a variety of forms Democratic-led states are pursuing a wide range of means to protect immigrants. A new Oregon law bars landlords from inquiring about the immigration status of tenants or applicants. New laws in Washington declare it unprofessional conduct for bail bond agents to enforce civil immigration warrants, prohibit employers from using immigration status to threaten workers and let employees use paid sick leave to attend immigration proceedings for themselves or family members. Vermont last month repealed a state law that let law enforcement agencies enter into immigration enforcement agreements with federal authorities during state or national emergencies. They now need special permission from the governor to do so. As passed by the House, Maryland legislation also would have barred local governments from reaching immigration enforcement agreements with the federal government. 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