Politics

A Maryland lawmaker is asking for an investigation of a flawed, multimillion-dollar state purchase of coronavirus test kits from a South Korean company, saying there is a “strong indication our state’s procurement laws and regulations were violated.” Gov. Larry Hogan’s splashy $9 million purchase of 500,000 tests from LabGenomics in April 2020 came early in the pandemic, when tests were hard to come by, and he touted the deal as an example of creative thinking and hard work during an emergency.

At first glance, the picture for women seeking high office in Maryland looks grim: There are no Democratic women running for governor in 2022. The state’s congressional delegation, once dominated by trailblazing Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D), has been all-male since Mikulski and former Rep. Donna Edwards (D) left office at the end of 2016. And women traditionally have been even more under-represented in Maryland’s top executive posts than in Congress.

In October 2019, when Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. informed his state Senate colleagues that he would relinquish the gavel he had held for more than three decades, the discussions about who would replace him moved from respectful whispers to an all-out campaign. If there was a frontrunner, it was probably Sen. Guy Guzzone (D-Howard), chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee. But others were making a play for the Senate presidency as well, including Nancy J. King (D-Montgomery), Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Prince George’s) and Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince George’s).

The back-to-back announcements last week by Baltimore County Executive John A. Olszewski Jr. and U.S. Rep. David J. Trone that they’ll seek re-election in 2022 rather than run for governor clarifies the Democratic primary picture to a degree but also leaves several questions unanswered. In their own races, Trone and Olszewski will be favorites for re-election — even though Trone’s 6th District could look significantly different after redistricting. With his unlimited ability to self-fund, however, he may be able to withstand any political storm.c

States, cities and counties can begin to tap their share of the $350 billion in federal funds intended to spur a national recovery from the economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, White House officials announced Monday. The Biden administration said the much-anticipated money, which was included in the massive relief law enacted earlier this year, can aid governments of all sizes in paying for a wide range of costs related to the pandemic response. The funds will boost the budgets of not just states but thousands of U.S. cities and counties—unlike the first pandemic relief bill passed in 2020, which gave money to only states and larger local governments.

The back-to-back announcements last week by Baltimore County Executive John A. Olszewski Jr. and U.S. Rep. David J. Trone that they’ll seek re-election in 2022 rather than run for governor helps clarify the Democratic primary picture to a degree but also leaves several questions unanswered. In their own races, Trone and Olszewski will be favorites for re-election — even though Trone’s 6th District could look significantly different after redistricting. With his unlimited ability to self-fund, however, he may be able to withstand any political storm.