Politics

Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger hasn’t faced competition from another Democrat since being elected in 2006. Now that he’s seeking a fifth term, his primary challenger wants to put his record from all those years under the microscope. Robbie Leonard has criticized Shellenberger on a range of topics as he tries to unseat the county’s top prosecutor, from the local homicide rate to the incumbent’s handling of sexual assault and police shooting cases.

Cailey Locklair, President of the Maryland Retailers Association, Shannon Leadbetter, a self-employed saleswoman, and Dawn Pulliam, who works in the defense sector, will vie for the Republican nomination to represent District 7 on the council. The seat will be vacated at the end of the year as Jessica Haire, an Edgewater Republican who currently represents the district, is running for County Executive rather than seeking a second term.

In a memo to top supporters obtained by WBAL NewsRadio, a top advisor to Republican gubernatorial candidate Kelly Schulz accused the Democratic Governors Association of interfering in Republican primaries across the country. Doug Mayer said the Democratic Governors Association is behind push polls designed to boost Shulz’s opponent, Delegate and Trump-endorsed candidate Dan Cox.

Depending on who you ask, it’s either a boneheaded move or a very smart strategy. Under a revised state law that goes into effect July 1, 3 percent of all hotel taxes collected in Annapolis will go to fund the city’s Arts in Public Places Commission. The move was orchestrated by the commission’s chair, Genevieve Torri, working in concert with State Sen. Sarah Elfreth, a Democrat who sponsored the legislation last year.

Some of the most hard-fought elections in Maryland this year will be races for county executive in the state’s largest jurisdictions. Of the seven biggest counties in the state, five have competitive races on tap, in the July 19 primaries and/or the general election, while in the other two, Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski Jr. (D) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) are shoo-ins for second terms.

President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday that will give around-the-clock security protection to the families of Supreme Court justices. The new law, which passed the House this week and the Senate last month, comes eight days after a man carrying a gun, knife and zip ties was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Maryland home after threatening to kill the justice.

One month before the primary election July 19, three Republicans lead the field with the most cash in hand in the race for Anne Arundel County Council seats. Incumbent Nathan Volke, a Pasadena Republican, is on top with $161,000 in campaign funds, while Republicans Dawn Pulliam, a Crofton resident working in the defense sector, and incumbent Amanda Fiedler, of Arnold, have $138,000 and $113,000 respectively, according to campaign finance reports.

Baltimore city residents have little confidence in their public schools or the system’s CEO, Sonja Santelises, according to a new poll of city residents by The Baltimore Banner, and they identify a lack of funding and poor facilities as major problems. About 57% of residents disapprove or strongly disapprove of the job Santelises is doing, and 84% said the failure of students to meet academic standards is a major problem.