Latest news with #MarylandDemocraticParty
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Maryland Dems energized by new party leader. GOP says Dems have tough job ahead
BALTIMORE - In the midst of the toughest year that the current slate of Democratic leaders in Maryland has seen so far - from their passing of tax increases and budget cuts during the session, to the recent infighting over policies like studying reparations - the statewide party will swap out its top leader in the coming weeks, setting up a new face to guide Democrats into next year's consequential elections. Ken Ulman, a close ally of Gov. Wes Moore who is less than two years into his role as Maryland Democratic Party chair, will exit his role in mid-June. Both Moore and Ulman said Democrats should tap Steuart Pittman to replace him, likely ensuring Pittman's appointment and giving the Anne Arundel County executive a key role in supporting Moore's reelection campaign, along with a wide range of other state candidates. On the ballot in 2026 will be every statewide elected official - Moore, Attorney General Anthony Brown and Comptroller Brooke Lierman - as well as all 188 members of the Maryland General Assembly and the entire eight-member U.S. House delegation. After expanding their robust margins in the General Assembly and regaining full control of the State House for the first time in eight years in 2022, Democrats will hope to do as well or better, particularly as the party nationally will be looking for President Donald Trump to inspire voters to move against his increasingly unpopular policies. Maryland Republicans, on the other hand, say Democrats' own actions in the state have been unpopular enough to cause voters to look the other way. Maryland Democrats will "have their work cut out for them to defend Gov. Moore and the Annapolis Democrats' tax-and-spend policies," said Maryland Republican Party Chairwoman Nicole Beus Harris. Harris said she doesn't think the Trump presidency changes much with Maryland's voting patterns since the state didn't vote for Trump last year. "I think that Annapolis is going to be where people are voting from next year," she said. Pittman said in an interview that Trump's actions give the Democratic Party a "huge opportunity to grow." "So many people are being hurt by what the federal government - what the Republican Party at the national level - is doing. And so that's our job … to bring more people into the party." Pittman added that "people who voted for Trump voted for a lot of reasons. And most of them didn't know that they were electing somebody who was going to threaten the economic well-being of the state." He will continue to serve as county executive through the end of his term in December 2026. The party chairmanship is an unpaid position. 'The people have the power' Pittman said his experience running for county executive in 2018 and 2022, and as a community organizer prior to that, will make him an effective party chair. "My training was building neighborhood organizations from scratch, and that's always been the way that I've governed and the way that I've thought about politics and government," he said. "The people have the power. They just need to be mobilized to show it." Pittman has directed national campaigns for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and also worked for the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The state party position will be "very important" as Moore's 2026 reelection campaign ramps up, said Roger Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimore College of Public Affairs. If former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan decides to run, "he's probably the one Republican that would be a strong challenger to Governor Moore," Hartley added. Do state parties matter? State parties play a major role in fundraising, and also with coordinating and representing party organizations across the state, Hartley said. At the same time, state parties may not be "as important as they used to be in the '50s, '60s and '70s," he said. "The governor's campaign will have a lot of interaction with Steuart Pittman, but … [the governor's] reelection campaign, his fundraiser, his organization is going to be more important than the statewide party organization," Hartley said. Doug Mayer, a Republican strategist who formerly served as Hogan's communications director, said he thinks state parties - both Republican and Democrat - "are largely useless" and "largely irrelevant relics of another century." He added that politics is "driven by the top of the ticket." "That's the biggest deal. What the party can do is raise money and not screw things up," he said. "When you're the Democratic Party in the state of Maryland, the position is largely ceremonial." Harris, the Republican Party chair, said state parties can "definitely have influence on elections." "Politics isn't just what's going on in Annapolis or D.C. It is very much what is going on even more locally," she said. Ulman "left big shoes to fill" Ulman didn't respond to a request for comment from The Baltimore Sun. He said in an MD Dems email that serving as chair of the Democratic Party "has been one of the great professional honors of my life." Ulman highlighted Democratic victories under his leadership, including U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks' defeat of Hogan last year, and Democrats maintaining a 7-1 advantage in the congressional delegation. Alsobrooks said she's thankful to Ulman for partnering on her campaign. "Chair Ken Ulman's leadership across our state has helped Maryland Democrats grow and thrive," Alsobrooks said in an emailed statement to The Sun. "Together, we celebrated a resounding victory last fall. He has left big shoes to fill." She added, "But I know County Executive Steuart Pittman will fill those shoes with grit, determination, and a focus on mission. His work as a community organizer is such an incredible asset to our Party." Henry Snurr, the outgoing president of the Young Democrats of Maryland, said that Ulman always made sure that younger party members had a voice and was "instrumental" in ensuring that Maryland met its youth target for Democratic National Committee chairs in 2024. "Ken has been an amazing chair for young people," Snurr said. Support for Pittman to lead the party Snurr, who also sits on the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee, praised Pittman as a good potential candidate to lead the party moving forward. Anne Arundel County is one of Maryland's battleground counties. Snurr said having Pittman lead the party could be instrumental for counties like Anne Arundel at the ballot box. "I think County Executive Pittman is a great pick, because, not only does he know how to get progressive things done, but he knows how to fight aggressive campaigns," and tha'ts what the party needs right now, he said. Charlene Dukes, first vice chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, told The Sun she wasn't interested in being chair of the party and said she believes Pittman is "a person with whom I can partner with as closely as I did with Ken Ulman." "I believe that my skill sets and experiences will allow me to continue some work that we've begun there," she said. "I don't want to walk away from that and not pay attention at the really local level with regard to some of the things that we know we have to be ready for as we face elections in 2026." Central committee members from each county will cast votes for the next party chair on June 21 in Prince George's County. ---------- Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland Dems energized by new party leader. GOP says Dems have tough job ahead
BALTIMORE — In the midst of the toughest year that the current slate of Democratic leaders in Maryland has seen so far — from their passing of tax increases and budget cuts during the session, to the recent infighting over policies like studying reparations — the statewide party will swap out its top leader in the coming weeks, setting up a new face to guide Democrats into next year's consequential elections. Ken Ulman, a close ally of Gov. Wes Moore who is less than two years into his role as Maryland Democratic Party chair, will exit his role in mid-June. Both Moore and Ulman said Democrats should tap Steuart Pittman to replace him, likely ensuring Pittman's appointment and giving the Anne Arundel County executive a key role in supporting Moore's reelection campaign, along with a wide range of other state candidates. On the ballot in 2026 will be every statewide elected official — Moore, Attorney General Anthony Brown and Comptroller Brooke Lierman — as well as all 188 members of the Maryland General Assembly and the entire eight-member U.S. House delegation. After expanding their robust margins in the General Assembly and regaining full control of the State House for the first time in eight years in 2022, Democrats will hope to do as well or better, particularly as the party nationally will be looking for President Donald Trump to inspire voters to move against his increasingly unpopular policies. Maryland Republicans, on the other hand, say Democrats' own actions in the state have been unpopular enough to cause voters to look the other way. Maryland Democrats will 'have their work cut out for them to defend Gov. Moore and the Annapolis Democrats' tax-and-spend policies,' said Maryland Republican Party Chairwoman Nicole Beus Harris. Harris said she doesn't think the Trump presidency changes much with Maryland's voting patterns since the state didn't vote for Trump last year. 'I think that Annapolis is going to be where people are voting from next year,' she said. Pittman said in an interview that Trump's actions give the Democratic Party a 'huge opportunity to grow.' 'So many people are being hurt by what the federal government — what the Republican Party at the national level — is doing. And so that's our job … to bring more people into the party.' Pittman added that 'people who voted for Trump voted for a lot of reasons. And most of them didn't know that they were electing somebody who was going to threaten the economic well-being of the state.' He will continue to serve as county executive through the end of his term in December 2026. The party chairmanship is an unpaid position. Pittman said his experience running for county executive in 2018 and 2022, and as a community organizer prior to that, will make him an effective party chair. 'My training was building neighborhood organizations from scratch, and that's always been the way that I've governed and the way that I've thought about politics and government,' he said. 'The people have the power. They just need to be mobilized to show it.' Pittman has directed national campaigns for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and also worked for the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The state party position will be 'very important' as Moore's 2026 reelection campaign ramps up, said Roger Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimore College of Public Affairs. If former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan decides to run, 'he's probably the one Republican that would be a strong challenger to Governor Moore,' Hartley added. State parties play a major role in fundraising, and also with coordinating and representing party organizations across the state, Hartley said. At the same time, state parties may not be 'as important as they used to be in the '50s, '60s and '70s,' he said. 'The governor's campaign will have a lot of interaction with Steuart Pittman, but … [the governor's] reelection campaign, his fundraiser, his organization is going to be more important than the statewide party organization,' Hartley said. Doug Mayer, a Republican strategist who formerly served as Hogan's communications director, said he thinks state parties — both Republican and Democrat — 'are largely useless' and 'largely irrelevant relics of another century.' He added that politics is 'driven by the top of the ticket.' 'That's the biggest deal. What the party can do is raise money and not screw things up,' he said. 'When you're the Democratic Party in the state of Maryland, the position is largely ceremonial.' Harris, the Republican Party chair, said state parties can 'definitely have influence on elections.' 'Politics isn't just what's going on in Annapolis or D.C. It is very much what is going on even more locally,' she said. Ulman didn't respond to a request for comment from The Baltimore Sun. He said in an MD Dems email that serving as chair of the Democratic Party 'has been one of the great professional honors of my life.' Ulman highlighted Democratic victories under his leadership, including U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks' defeat of Hogan last year, and Democrats maintaining a 7-1 advantage in the congressional delegation. Alsobrooks said she's thankful to Ulman for partnering on her campaign. 'Chair Ken Ulman's leadership across our state has helped Maryland Democrats grow and thrive,' Alsobrooks said in an emailed statement to The Sun. 'Together, we celebrated a resounding victory last fall. He has left big shoes to fill.' She added, 'But I know County Executive Steuart Pittman will fill those shoes with grit, determination, and a focus on mission. His work as a community organizer is such an incredible asset to our Party.' Henry Snurr, the outgoing president of the Young Democrats of Maryland, said that Ulman always made sure that younger party members had a voice and was 'instrumental' in ensuring that Maryland met its youth target for Democratic National Committee chairs in 2024. 'Ken has been an amazing chair for young people,' Snurr said. Snurr, who also sits on the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee, praised Pittman as a good potential candidate to lead the party moving forward. Anne Arundel County is one of Maryland's battleground counties. Snurr said having Pittman lead the party could be instrumental for counties like Anne Arundel at the ballot box. 'I think County Executive Pittman is a great pick, because, not only does he know how to get progressive things done, but he knows how to fight aggressive campaigns,' and tha'ts what the party needs right now, he said. Charlene Dukes, first vice chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, told The Sun she wasn't interested in being chair of the party and said she believes Pittman is 'a person with whom I can partner with as closely as I did with Ken Ulman.' 'I believe that my skill sets and experiences will allow me to continue some work that we've begun there,' she said. 'I don't want to walk away from that and not pay attention at the really local level with regard to some of the things that we know we have to be ready for as we face elections in 2026.' Central committee members from each county will cast votes for the next party chair on June 21 in Prince George's County. ----------
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ulman to step down in June as Maryland Democratic Party chair
Maryland Democratic Party Chair Ken Ulman. (Photo by Emily Condon/Capital News Service) Maryland Democratic Party Chair Ken Ulman, a longtime player on the state political scene, announced Wednesday night that he plans to resign effective June 13. Gov. Wes Moore (D) intends to nominate Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman (D) to replace Ulman when the state Democratic Central Committee next meets at its regularly scheduled meeting late next month — shortly after the state party holds its annual fundraising gala June 12 in Baltimore County. The party's first vice chair, Charlene Dukes, does not intend to seek the top job but will remain in her current post. Ulman, a former Howard County executive, has told top Democrats that he wants to return full time to his development consulting company, Margrave Strategies, which is involved in several high-profile economic development projects across the state. He has served as state party chair since November 2023 Ulman announced his intention to resign in a Zoom call Wednesday evening with county chairs, before sharing it during a meeting with the state party's trustees — an advisory group of top donors. 'I am grateful to Ken for his willingness to lead us through an intense and demanding election,' Moore said in a statement. If Pittman is elected state chair — and he is unlikely to be the only candidate for the position next month — he too would split his time between his full-time gig as county executive and the state party post. Moore called Pittman 'the right leader for this moment.' Pittman is termed out of office in December 2026 and has been pondering his next political move. Heading the state party would enable him to stay in the political arena — though he has also been mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed veteran U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th) whenever Hoyer decides to end his 60-year political career. 'With an all-out assault on our state and our values underway from Washington, D.C., I know Steuart Pittman will put his experience and his moral clarity to work to defend our state, fight back against the Trump administration, and ensure Democrats win elections,' Moore's statement said Ulman and Pittman did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The state party in the 2026 election cycle will be preoccupied with reelecting Moore – who could face a tough race, especially if former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) runs again – and other statewide elected officials, who should be on firmer political ground. Party leaders are also determined to field a strong challenger against the state's lone Republican member of Congress, Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st); Jake Day, the secretary at Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development, is actively exploring a bid. Ulman's looming departure from the Maryland Democratic Party ends a short-lived reentry into the state political fray. Ulman, 51, was considered a rising political star after four years on the Howard County Council and eight years as county executive. He was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014, losing in an upset to a Republican ticket headed by Hogan Ulman launched his development firm shortly after that election and, before becoming state chair, worked on the fringes of politics, using his contacts to firm up development projects. As state chair, Ulman helped now-U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D) win her first term in 2024, kept the Democrats' 7-1 advantage in the state's congressional delegation, helped defeat several conservative school board candidates throughout the state, and raised more than $5.5 million for the state party. Pittman was a political novice when he ran for Anne Arundel executive in 2018, when better-known Democrats chose to skip the race. He ousted Republican incumbent Steve Schuh in an upset. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A former community organizer in Chicago, where he met a young Barack Obama, and in Des Moines, Iowa, he has proven to be an unconventional politician but has also been an effective messenger on policy and big-picture political matters. The state party is having its annual gala on June 12 at Martin's West, a catering hall that regularly hosts political events. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), who, like Moore, is a potential presidential candidate in 2028, is the featured speaker. Hoyer's annual bull roast is scheduled for the next night in Mitchellville. Attendees may be looking for clues as to whether the congressman, who turns 86 the next day, will decide to seek a 23rd full term in 2026.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats want ‘shadowy' anti-Moore group investigated
Gov. Wes Moore (D) in a file photo from January. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) The Maryland Democratic Party is calling on state elections officials to open an investigation into an online effort targeting Gov. Wes Moore. has used its website and social media presence on Facebook and X to needle the governor over the state budget, taxes and other issues. The Democratic Party, in a 14-page complaint to the Maryland State Board of Elections, questioned whether the effort violates state election laws. 'Specifically, No Moore — a shadowy effort disguising itself as 'issue advocacy' with the clear intent to oppose Governor Moore's re-election — disseminated campaign material with an incomplete authority line and likely did so without registering with the State Board of Elections,' Maryland Democratic Party Executive Director Karen Darkes, wrote in the complaint. The identities of the organizers remain unknown and the subject of much speculation around the State House. An email sent Friday to an address listed on the organization's social media accounts elicited an unsigned email response a short time later. 'We are fully compliant with Maryland law and will register with the appropriate agency when we reach the required thresholds,' said the five-paragraph reply, the rest of which was the sort of barbed political snark the site generally employs. Allen Norfleet, director of candidacy and campaign finance for the state board of elections, confirmed receipt of the Democrats' complaint on Feb. 26. 'Our office has begun working on the investigation,' Norfleet said in an email. On Friday, Robbie Leonard, a Baltimore County attorney and Democratic National Committee member, posted an article about the elections board complaint. 'Ya better lawyer up,' Leonard wrote. Operators of the account on X responded with a screenshot of the First Amendment. Social media posts connected to the site are published several times a day. One such post on Friday chided Moore for a lack of fiscal responsibility as he seeks to hire 'another photographer for his office' while 'Maryland's budget deficit is soaring. 'Nothing screams 'FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY' like making sure you get his good side,' the post continues. The group describes itself as 'a grassroots uprising to fight back against the failed tax-and-spend policies of the Moore Administration.' The complaint from the Democratic party was first reported by The Baltimore Sun. Darkes, in her complaint on behalf of the party, says the No Moore effort crosses lines including advocating for Moore's defeat at the ballot box. Darkes argues that a number posts include comment threads in which the NoMoore account operators call for the governor to be limited to one term. Others include graphics that include Moore's image inside a circle with a line through it, indicating he should be defeated in 2026. Because of that, Darkes argues that the operators of the website must comply with a number of provisions of state elections law. First, the Democratic Party argues that the advocacy on the site and its social media accounts contains ''magic words'' — specific words calling for an action that then trigger campaign regulations. As such, Darkes said the operators of the website must post an authority line on their website that shows who owns and operates the site and social media accounts. 'Whoever is behind No Moore may claim their activities are 'issue advocacy' not regulated under campaign finance law,' Darkes wrote. 'Howevrer, the section of their slogan 'No Moore' — especially when they state their true intent to keep the governor to one term (to oppose re-election) makes that argument hollow.' A year ago, the Office of the State Prosecutor announced a $2,000 fine against John King for Governor after the Democratic candidate sent campaign emails without authority lines. King's campaign was fined for its use of an 'honestmddems' email account that disseminated materials against Moore in the 2022 primary, but did not contain authority lines. Darkes further argues that the anti-Moore group likely crossed spending thresholds that require it to register with state elections officials and report spending as an independent expenditure group.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland Democrats file elections complaint against ‘shadowy' campaign targeting Gov. Wes Moore
BALTIMORE — Maryland Democrats have asked the State Board of Elections to sanction what they are calling a 'shadowy' and illegal campaign against Gov. Wes Moore ahead of his reelection bid next year. The campaign, which has identified itself only as 'No Moore' since its launch in early February, has targeted the Democratic governor over his handling of the state's $3 billion-and-growing state budget deficit. Daily posts that evoke Moore and sometimes refer to his election prospects are likely a violation of state campaign finance law because the group behind those messages has not registered with the state as a campaign entity, the Maryland Democratic Party argued in a complaint filed Feb. 26. 'Whoever is behind No Moore may claim that their activities are 'issue advocacy' not regulated under campaign finance law,' the complaint reads. 'However, the selection of their slogan 'No Moore' — especially when they state their true intent to keep the governor to one term (to oppose re-election) makes that argument hollow.' The complaint does not identify any individuals, though the party's chairman previously said the website 'raises the question' of whether former Gov. Larry Hogan 'and his allies' are running 'No Moore.' The group's website and social media posts have echoed some of the language in Hogan's own public comments about the budget deficit. Other top Maryland Republicans have similarly targeted Moore since he proposed a budget that would reform the state's tax code and cut state spending by $2 billion, though many of those Republicans have said they are not associated with 'No Moore.' Described only as a 'grassroots uprising' on its website, 'No Moore' is not registered as a political action committee, business or charity. Its website discloses that it is 'paid for by though Democrats argue that 'falls far short of what is required' under a state law mandating disclosures on campaign messages. In addition to the belief that 'no such organization exists' called the disclosure is missing its address and whether its work is authorized by a candidate or ballot issue committee, according to the complaint. Proper disclosures and registration with the state would trigger the group to file independent expenditure reports, requiring it to describe its organizers, spending and donors. Registration should have occurred under the law within 48 hours of when 'No Moore' spent more than $5,000, which the Democratic Party claims it 'very likely' exceeded. The complaint does not call for specific penalties but instead asks for the elections board to investigate and impose civil penalties if violations occurred. If the violations were 'knowing and willful,' the party requested the issue be referred to the state prosecutor. Anonymous targeting of Moore has led to a civil citation from the state prosecutor in the past. In the 2022 Democratic primary, Moore filed a complaint about a dossier sent to members of the state's teachers' union before their endorsement vote. The 'document of lies,' as Moore called it, claimed he encouraged a false perception of his upbringing in Baltimore in his 2010 bestseller, 'The Other Wes Moore.' Two years later, State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III said in April 2024 that it had issued a $2,000 fine to John King's campaign for sending the document and not disclosing its source. It was not immediately clear how long the latest complaint would take to investigate. Karen Dukes, the Democratic Party's executive director, said in a statement, 'Marylanders deserve to know who's behind this shadowy group that's spreading falsehoods about Gov. Moore and his plans to cut taxes for a majority of Marylanders, grow our economy, and invest in our people.' 'It's one thing to lie to Marylanders; it's another to skirt the law and do it behind anonymous social media accounts,' Dukes said. -----------
