Politics

Eight years ago, a week before Election Day, I published a column on Center Maryland speculating about who might be getting cabinet positions and other prominent roles in the anticipated administration of Anthony Brown, the Democratic nominee for governor (don’t bother looking for it on Center Maryland’s archives — most of the pieces from that era have vanished). The day after that column appeared, I ran into Ken Ulman, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, at the Montgomery Business Hall of Fame annual luncheon, greeting people as they came in. Ulman praised my column and said I had gotten just about everything right, with one or two notable exceptions. I was feeling pretty good about myself. But standing just a few feet from Ulman, also pressing the flesh, was the Republican nominee for governor, Larry Hogan. “I’m going to win,” Hogan told me confidently.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that Prince George’s County, Maryland, will receive a $3.25 million grant from Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. The multi-million dollar grant will fund a pilot program to support local farmers and producers of color, and to implement climate-centric practices in organic farming. “USDA is committed to supporting a diverse range of farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities,” Jennifer Lester Moffitt, under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, said in a release.

Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration won’t be putting forward a ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 — mimicking a decision by California — before he leaves office. Environmental advocates had been hoping the Republican governor’s administration would advance a policy matching California’s before the end of the year. They argue that, by waiting, Maryland could fall behind California, where 35% of new light-duty cars sold must be zero-emission in model year 2026. Maryland must give manufacturers two model years of notice before the rule takes effect. A 2007 state law mandates that Maryland follow California’s vehicle emissions standards, which are stricter than the federal government’s. Several other states have similar arrangements. But the process is in the hands of Hogan’s Department of the Environment.

A district public defender, an administrative law judge and a longtime lawyer with Offit Kurman are the latest to receive judicial appointments from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Hogan announced Monday he appointed Alex M. Allman to the Harford County Circuit Court, Tracey Johns Delp to the Harford County District Court and Allison Sayers to the Howard County District Court. “The appointment of qualified individuals to serve across our state’s justice system is paramount to upholding our responsibilities to the people of Maryland and the rule of law,” Hogan said in a news release.

Jessica and Dirk Haire want to set a few things straight. They’re not moving to North Carolina, as some have speculated. The porn industry did not fund her campaign for Anne Arundel County executive, as one opponent suggested. Jessica doesn’t drive a Range Rover, though she did appear in front of a white luxury SUV for a campaign ad in her failed bid to unseat County Executive Steuart Pittman. And Dirk, who ended his six years as Maryland Republican Party chair on Saturday, now feels free to speak his mind — about the Democrats’ strategy of propping up far-right GOP candidates and the state of his own party.

The Prince George’s County Council’s new progressive majority flexed its muscle in public on Monday, using its first formal voting session of the term to repeal a series of zoning provisions considered favorable to developers and commercial landowners. The actions, which critics said bypassed traditional procedures, occurred during a sometimes tense two-hour session. They were repeatedly condemned by a handful of council members who had approved the measures, several of which were adopted just prior to the November elections, when the veteran lawmakers and their allies tended to hold the gavel.

Nicole Beus Harris, a veteran conservative political and marketing consultant, was selected to chair the state Republican Party as Gordana Schifanelli — who lost a bid to become Maryland’s lieutenant governor last month — alleged the process was rigged against her. Harris, who is married to Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, the state’s only GOP congressman, will succeed Dirk Haire, who didn’t seek reelection.