Politics

At what is slated to be Gov. Wes Moore’s last bill-signing ceremony of the year, the Democratic governor will sign sweeping juvenile justice legislation Thursday morning, signaling a win for prosecutors and law enforcement who say crime among Maryland youth is out of control. The legislation will create oversight to ensure the Department of Juvenile Services has clearer communication with police and local prosecutors.

The full picture of Maryland’s voter turnout in Tuesday’s primary election is still blurry, with thousands of mailed-in and provisional ballots left to count and more that could still arrive in time to be included. But one thing is for certain: The number of people who voted in-person on election day, and the volume of people who cast ballots during early voting, declined this primary cycle relative to the last two elections, according to the latest data from the Maryland State Board of Elections.

Large margins in majority-white precincts powered Mayor Brandon Scott to victory over challenger and former Mayor Sheila Dixon on Tuesday, preliminary election data shows. An overcast election day that saw relatively few people go to the polls ended with an election night AP race call some thought could take days of counting votes to settle.

A measure that will expand the use of ignition interlock devices when drivers are convicted of driving drunk is among many laws getting the signature of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in Annapolis. The bill does away with an exemption that allowed drivers to plead down to probation before judgment in drunk driving cases. Safety advocates said that exemption allowed drivers to avoid having the alcohol-detecting devices installed their vehicles.

Mayor Brandon Scott handily won Tuesday night. Now what? For one, Scott is now solidified as the current center of political gravity in Baltimore in a big way. The Democrat’s primary win gives him a chance to become the longest-serving mayor since Kurt Schmoke, who served from 1987 to 1999. Martin O’Malley was elected to two terms, but left his second one early for the governor‘s mansion. In deep-blue Baltimore, Scott will likely soar to victory in November.

The race for Baltimore mayor may have been called for incumbent Mayor Brandon Scott, but challenger Sheila Dixon said Wednesday she’s not giving up. In a statement by her campaign team, the former mayor said she will wait for more mail-in ballots to be counted before making any statements on the race. “In respect to all who voted, I’ll be waiting for the final outcome of the mail-in ballots,” she said.

April McClain Delaney, a former Commerce Department official from Potomac, has won the Democratic primary in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday night. With 211 of 213 precincts counted on Tuesday, plus early voting and some mail-in ballots, McClain Delaney had 13,494 votes.

Zeke Cohen held a commanding lead late Tuesday in the race for Baltimore City Council president, roughly doubling the votes of either of his opponents, incumbent Nick Mosby and Shannon Sneed. “I will be proud and humbled” to lead the council, said Cohen, now a second-term 1st District councilman, at his election party at Darker Than Blue Grille in Mount Vernon.