Mediaboss Marketing

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Some Maryland Democrats have a soft spot for Larry Hogan, their former two-term Republican governor in a heavily blue state. But they dont want to turn an open Senate seat and possibly control of the chamber over to the GOP this year.

Party voters in Tuesdays primary will decide which candidate they think is in the best position to beat Hogan in November in a state that hasnt elected a Republican senator in more than 40 years. David Trone, who's in his third term as a congressman, and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks are the leading contenders among the 10 candidates.

After leaving an early voting center at a recreational facility in Annapolis, John Fischer said he voted for Trone. It was a tough choice for the 75-year-old retired federal employee. In the end, he went with the candidate he felt had more experience.

I also think that he can probably beat Larry Hogan, who I actually like, except I dont intend to put a Republican majority in the Senate if I can help it," said Fischer, who voted for Hogan for governor in 2014 and 2018.

Lisa Hartman, 65, voted at the same site for Alsobrooks, noting the candidate's long list of high-profile supporters, including Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Steny Hoyer and former Sen. Barbara Mikulski.

She had the backing of almost everyone in the Democratic Party, and David Trone I got so tired of hearing all of his commercials," said Hartman, who also had voted for Hogan for governor.

Trone, who owns a national chain of liquor stores called Total Wine & More, has put more than $61 million of his own money into his primary bid in what could become a record for a self-funded Senate campaign.

Hartman said Trone's ads have been relentless. "I feel somewhat like hes trying to buy an election, she said.

Hartman said she would have considered supporting Hogan in November under other circumstances. But given that Democrats are defending a narrow majority in the Senate and have twice the number of seats on the line this year as Republicans, she thinks the stakes are too high.

I would love to, in the next race, vote for him, but I wont because of that situation," Hartman said, though she added later that she could change her mind.

In this government town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the nation's capital, people tend to understand the political ramifications of the race.

You just hear it all over town, any time you go to a gathering of any type," Hartman said.

Maryland Democrats have had to endure a barrage of negative campaigning. One Trone ad included a local Prince George's official who said, The U.S. Senate is not a place for training wheels.

The attack ads worry prominent Democrats, who say party unity is crucial in an election that normally should go their way, given that Republicans are outnumbered 2-to-1 statewide.

Trone points out that he has won elections in a part of the state with more Republican voters than most of Maryland's other congressional districts.

Voters across Maryland know that Im in the best position to beat Larry Hogan in November," Trone said in a statement Friday. "Throughout this campaign, weve built a broad coalition led by working people who are excited for change.

Alsobrooks is being outspent, but she said in an interview that she will have the support she needs to win in November with an appeal that she thinks will inspire Marylanders.

If the message is to just vote against Larry Hogan, that is not the most persuasive way forward," she said Friday. "What I offer is a real positive message that will bring people together and I believe thats going to be what will help us win in the general election.

She said her campaign was based on growing economic opportunity, investing in education, making communities safer and protecting abortion rights.

Preserving reproductive freedom is an issue that Maryland Democrats hope will help them in November, as it has in other states since the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the constitutional right to abortion. A constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion is on the Maryland ballot in November.

Trone supports abortion rights, too. In fact, broad similarities between the candidates on policy matters may push identity politics to the forefront. Alsobrooks would be Marylands first Black U.S. senator in a state that is 29% Black, the nations largest percentage of any state outside the Deep South.

That matters to Donna Gathright, 69, who cited the historic significance and Alsobrooks' extensive experience as a local official as top reasons for voting early for her in Annapolis.

She was someone who I knew of more than the other people, and being a Black female, I also feel more seen and heard by people who are like me, Gathright said. I felt that she might have the interests of women and minority women more in the forefront.

Maryland long has had women in its congressional delegation. Today, it has none.

Alsobrooks is the chief executive of Maryland's second-largest jurisdiction, and Prince George's is home to the state's highest number of registered Democrats in the Washington suburbs. She has highlighted the donations Trone has made to Republican candidates in the past, including to some who supported abortion bans.

He has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat good Democratic candidates," Alsobrooks said in a televised debate last month.

The money Trone has spent in this campaign has forged connections with some voters.

Ive been listening to his ads for a couple of years now, and Ive just supported a lot of the issues that he has been strong on, said Anne Hamilton, 47, an early voter in Annapolis.

Trone has criticized Alsobrooks for taking big donations from special interests, something he hasnt felt the need to do because of his wealth.

Im the only candidate on this stage that doesnt take money from Exxon, Trone said in the debate. Theyre not helping us in the environment, I dont think. Im the only candidate here that doesnt take money from Pfizer. Pfizer is not helping us bring health costs down.

Trone, who describes himself as a progressive Democrat willing to work with Republicans, has highlighted his endorsement by the state teachers union, which has about 75,000 members and considerable political clout. He is supported by some prominent Prince Georges officials as well as Attorney General Anthony Brown, a former congressman from Alsobrooks' home county.

Some Democratic leaders worry that the fierceness of the campaign could make the race against Hogan harder. Six former Maryland Democratic Party chairs voiced support for Alsobrooks in a joint announcement Wednesday and said Trones negative ads could jeopardize unity among Democrats.

It is simply wrong to accept that a self-funder is the answer to keeping the Maryland Senate seat blue, said a statement signed by Kathleen Matthews, Terry Lierman, Susie Turnbull, Peter Krauser, Ike Leggett and Yvette Lewis. In fact, we need a nominee who can inspire women and voters of all ages and backgrounds.

Original post:
Ex-GOP Gov. Hogan is popular with some Maryland Democrats, but not enough to put him in the Senate - Yahoo! Voices

Tags:

Zellnor Myrie, an Afro-Latino state senator from Brooklyn known for backing progressive causes, announced on Wednesday that he is moving to challenge Mayor Eric Adams in next years Democratic primary in New York City.

Mr. Myries announcement is further indication that Mr. Adamss path to re-election is expected to be more challenging than is typical for Democratic mayors in New York. Mr. Adams, who faces record low poll numbers and a federal investigation into his campaign fund-raising, now must contend with at least two challenges from his own party.

In an interview, Mr. Myrie said that the mayor had shown a failure of competence and that his administration did not have a full grasp of the nuts and bolts of how city government should work. He also criticized the mayors cuts to libraries, parks and schools, arguing that they were driving families out of the city.

For too many New Yorkers that I speak to, theyre tired of the showmanship, he said. What people want to see are results. They want to see their government working relentlessly to make this city affordable, to make this city safe, to make it livable.

Mr. Myrie, 37, who is often called Z, opened an exploratory committee on Wednesday to begin raising money for his campaign.

More:
Zellnor Myrie Emerges as 2nd Democrat to Likely Run Against Mayor Adams - The New York Times

Tags:

OMAHA State Sen. Jen Day is defending her Sarpy County legislative seat against two challengers who believe that their conservative views are more aligned with the voters of District 49.

Day a Democrat who won a close election four years ago against a Republican appointee faces Bob Andersen, 61, a defense contractor and U.S. Air Force veteran, and Caleb Muhs, 40, a former FBI analyst now in the insurance industry. Both are Republicans, and seeking their first public office.

Officially, Nebraska legislative races are nonpartisan, so the top two vote-getters regardless of political affiliation will move on from the primary to the general election.

A mom, wife and former business owner, Day believes residents of the north-central Sarpy County district appreciate her approach, which she describes as starting on middle ground and working one way or another depending on the discussion.

She notes that while the district is heavily Republican, a combined count of voters registered as Democrat and nonpartisan outnumbers them.

Registered independents, theyre tired of the hyperpartisanship and divisiveness that exists in politics, said Day, 42. Ive found that this district consists of a lot of people like me, families with young children just trying to get by.

District 49 includes parts of La Vista, Papillon, Gretna and the Chalco area.

Andersen and Muhs said in separate interviews that theyre ideologically opposite of the incumbent. And as an example, each pointed out the contentious Nebraska bill that would define K-12 school bathrooms and sporting teams as male or female based on students sex at birth.

The measure fell two votes short of advancing this past session. Day voted with the opposition. The sponsoring lawmaker vowed to resurrect the Sports and Spaces Act, and both Andersen and Muhs said theyd be on that team.

Men should not be able to compete in womens sports and steal the opportunities that these women have worked for their whole life, said Andersen. Just because somebody says they want to be identified as something different doesnt mean that the physiology changes it doesnt.

Taking aim at the same issue, Muhs contends that Day is opposed to protecting girls from male athletic competitors and with their own private spaces.

Day called it a waste of government time and resources to discuss things that are not a problem and contends that her challengers want to stir anger and division.

She said the Nebraska School Activities Association already has a gender participation policy in place. Fewer than a dozen students as of earlier this year had applied and been approved under that policy to play on a sporting team of their choice.

Its not the role of government to step in the middle of that, she said.

Days priorities this past session included food security for youths. Bills she introduced included subjects such as memory care facility training, building inspections, the child care subsidy and vehicle tax exemptions for Gold Star families.

Day, who is married with two sons, said her priorities if re-elected include reducing property taxes, legalizing medical marijuana and improving access to maternal health and behavioral health care.

Both Muhs and Andersen say that a greater issue propelling each into the race is a quest for property tax relief.

Muhs is critical of Days suggestion to raise state revenue by legalizing medical marijuana. Day also suggests turning to online gambling as a new revenue source.

I think Nebraska has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, Muhs said.

Muhs described himself as a small government conservative who would shrink government and a believer that strong families are the foundation of a healthy society.

He said that while he is not soft on violent crime, he believes systems should look for ways other than prison to address and help substance abuse addicts. He favors a redesign of certain income-eligible welfare benefits to incent, rather than discourage, the formation of families.

A Grand Island native, Muhs met his wife while studying at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The couple now have five children.

Muhs said his path after college led him to a counterterrorism stint at the FBI and to Fordham University for a law degree. He volunteered at a public defenders office before settling into self-employed consulting work in the insurance industry.

The family returned to Nebraska in 2021.

Andersen was born in Ohio, raised in Michigan and said he has lived in the Omaha area about 33 years. He and his wife have two sons.

Now retired from active military duty, Andersens career in the U.S. Air Force started at age 19 as a Russian linguist. He was in Germany during the Cold War and the Middle East after Sept. 11, 2001.

He said he enjoys Nebraskas conservative environment and says his political leanings began as a kid making phone calls for Richard Nixons campaign.

Anderson said he favors a collaborative approach, and has received endorsements from five Sarpy County commissioners. His campaign literature says he is endorsed by Kirk Penner, the highest-profile conservative member of the State Board of Education.

Today Anderson is a small businessman and defense contractor.

Among top priorities, he said, is capping real estate taxes.

Were forcing retirees out of their houses, were forcing them to leave the state, said Andersen, who said young people also cant afford a house.

Fundraising in the District 49 race so far has reached nearly $300,000, with Day outpacing her opponents.

Among those boosting Days nearly $186,000 fundraising tally is the family of Nebraska Regent Barbara Weitz and Emily Patel, a maternal and fetal medicine doctor.

Andersen, who raised nearly $64,000, was helped by donors including Tom Peed of Sandhills Publishing, Hal Daub and Charles Herbster.

Muhs has raised nearly $46,000, and has among his contributors the Nebraska Realtors Association and Pete Ricketts.

The Nebraska Examiner asked the three candidates about issues facing state government and the Legislature. Here are responses, in their own words:

Q: How would you want the State of Nebraska to address property taxes, if at all, and how would you pay for your approach?

Day: Addressing property taxes requires three important components: 1) reducing the reliance on local property taxes to fund public education in perpetuity, not just temporarily, 2) implementing new revenue generators like medical marijuana and online gaming, and 3) ensuring that we are creating a welcoming environment in Nebraska for businesses and employees so we can slow down and eliminate brain drain.

Andersen: Nebraska has to stop punishing people for owning a home. The most pressing issue I hear at almost every door are the property tax increases caused by dramatically higher valuations. These back-door tax increases are hurting our families and businesses. It forces people out of our state. In Sarpy County last year the average increase was 14%. Some were as high as 40%. This is unfair. My top priority will be finding a way to cap the amount a homeowners tax payments can go up on an annual basis. Capping the increases to a reasonable amount annually would help our families plan year-to-year and our municipalities would have a stable tax base estimate each year. We have to stop punishing homeowners.

Muhs: We need to rein in spending at both the state and local level. We have a spending problem in Nebraska as opposed to a revenue problem. We should simplify the tax code and end a number of loopholes, but we must do this in conjunction with spending reductions.

We should look into slowing down the ability of local taxing entities to raise taxes along with ensuring that elections on bonds occur during the normal election cycle to ensure greater representation and that they are transparent on costs to taxpayers.

Q: What spending would you prioritize in the Legislature and why? What spending do you think the state could cut and why?

Day: Nebraskas Constitution requires a balanced budget, so the spending needs will vary based on economic conditions. That being said, my top priority for spending is education, both K-12 and higher education. A close second would be things like mental health care, child care and roads. In terms of spending cuts, I would look at being more responsible in choosing incoming big projects like the Perkins Canal that are large costs to the state and place the tax burden on local property owners. We have to be sure to right-size funding for projects like these. Additionally, efficiency reviews are an essential way to address redundancy and waste.

Andersen: We need to prioritize our basic needs and look at everything else to make sure programs and projects the state funds are actually accomplishing their intended purposes. I believe if we look at every item we will find a lot of waste and programs that are no longer needed. I applaud Gov. Jim Pillen for eliminating the unfilled positions in state government. We owe it to the taxpayers to examine everything. The top spending items for our state government need to be education, health and human services, public safety, and roads and infrastructure.

Muhs: I would prioritize slowing down spending growth and then reducing the amount that we spend. All areas of state and local government should review their entire budgets to see what can be done better and more efficiently, where waste can be eliminated and honestly ask whether value is being provided to Nebraskans. There may be areas that are underfunded, which I suspect includes the foster care system.

Q: What would you like to see the state do to encourage economic development, growth, workforce development and housing?

Day: First, creating a welcoming environment where businesses and employees want to live is imperative. Second, programs like our Middle Income Workforce Housing and Rural Workforce Housing that provide incentives to increase affordable housing will become more and more important in the future.

Andersen: It all starts with making Nebraska a more affordable place to live, work, raise a family, start a business and retire. Our overall tax system is putting Nebraska at a disadvantage to surrounding and comparable states. We cannot compete under these conditions. We need to look at our entire tax system and look at what other states, like Iowa, are doing.

As far as the workforce, affordable and available housing is a major issue. We need to make it easier for developers to build mid-range housing developments for both workforce and empty nesters looking to downsize. Papillions Affordable Housing Action Plan is a good roadmap for creating more affordable housing. Our communities need to eliminate burdensome regulations which make it more difficult to develop and redevelop neighborhoods to fit the workforce and downsizing models.

Muhs: We need to start by making Nebraska an attractive location with a low, competitive tax burden as well as an efficient but light regulatory framework. We also have an opportunity to pursue an energy policy that provides Nebraskans with reliable, cheap power and gives industry in Nebraska a competitive advantage. We can begin to address housing by ensuring zoning regulations are not overly burdensome and seek to reduce inefficient and wasteful regulatory costs, which are roughly 33% of total construction costs in Nebraska vs 22% nationally.

To address workforce development, we should encourage and incentivize private enterprise to further develop our workforce and attract talented individuals.

Ultimately, a small and limited government that upholds the rule of law, respects the rights of the people, doesnt pick winners and losers and efficiently provides the services needed will create an environment where all Nebraskans can succeed.

Q: What policies would you prioritize at the state level in K-12 and higher education, and why would you emphasize them?

Day: First, a restructuring of how we fund public education would be top priority. Second, assuring students have all the resources they need to get a quality education; mental health care access, qualified instruction, nutritious meals. Students need to be ready to learn, and its our responsibility to make sure they are prepared and taken care of.

Andersen: We must return to the basics of reading, writing, math, science, and civics. There is too much social engineering going on in some of our schools. Let parents be parents and teachers be teachers. We are failing if we do not prepare students with everyday life skills. In District 49 we have really good schools. But it is our responsibility to make sure every student in Nebraska has access to the best educational opportunities available. No option should be taken off the table.

Muhs: I prefer local control over K-12 education, but I do think girls sports and private spaces should be reserved only for girls. We need to get back to focusing on education instead of pushing divisive ideologies for political purposes. I hear this sentiment echoed from many teachers who are frustrated with the politicization of education as well as the amount of administrative work they perform which takes away from teaching children.

Q: What issues are you hearing from voters in your district that need to be addressed?

Day: Property taxes are always at the top of the list! But I also hear a lot about health care access; voters dont want their access restricted by government. The cost of living and the economy are also high priorities; families are struggling with affordability of housing, food, etc.

Andersen: The number one issue by far are higher property tax payments caused by dramatically higher valuations. allowing boys to compete in girls athletic events is both unfair and dangerous. These girls work hard to be successful in their events and I will work to protect their opportunities.

Muhs: I think this mostly covers it at the state level.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

SUBSCRIBE

Originally posted here:
Democrat incumbent and two Republicans vie for Sarpy County District 49 race in NE Legislature Nebraska Examiner - Nebraska Examiner

Tags:

A few hours after Columbia University canceled its main commencement ceremony following weeks of pro-Palestinian student protests, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania was in his office in Harrisburg, taking stock of the ways he sees universities letting students down.

Our colleges, in many cases, are failing young people, he said in an interview this week. Failing to teach information that is necessary to form thoughtful perspectives. They are willing to let certain forms of hate pass by and condemn others more strongly.

Mr. Shapiro the leader of a pre-eminent battleground state, a rising Democrat and a proudly observant Jew has also emerged as one of his partys most visible figures denouncing the rise in documented antisemitism after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

And at a moment of growing Democratic anger and unease over how Israel is conducting its devastating military response, Mr. Shapiro, 50 who has no obligation to talk about foreign policy has not shied away from expressing support for the country while criticizing its right-wing government.

Plunging into a subject that has inflamed and divided many Americans carries risk for an ambitious Democrat from a politically important state. The politics around both the Gaza war and the protest movement are exceptionally fraught within the Democratic Party, and many of its voters and elected officials have become increasingly critical of Israel.

But Mr. Shapiro has been direct.

Asked if he considered himself a Zionist, he said that he did. When Iran attacked Israel last month, he wrote on social media that Pennsylvania stands with Israel.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit andlog intoyour Times account, orsubscribefor all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?Log in.

Want all of The Times?Subscribe.

Link:
Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania Leans Into Fight Over Campus Antisemitism - The New York Times

Tags:

FAYETTEVILLE -- With the No. 3 University of Arkansas' season-long series-opening winning streak in serious jeopardy Friday night after an atypical Hagen Smith outing, the Razorbacks rallied late to topple No. 15 Mississippi State.

The Razorbacks (41-9, 18-7 SEC) needed a three-run eighth inning and pitching heroics from sophomore Gage Wood, who got out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the ninth, to subdue the Bulldogs 7-5.

Arkansas improved to 13-0 in series openers and 32-2 at Baum-Walker Stadium before a packed house of 10,891.

The Razorbacks stayed a game behind Kentucky, which rallied late to win 12-11 at Florida on Friday night, in the overall SEC chase, and bumped their lead in the SEC West to two games over No. 2 Texas A&M, which fell 4-3 at Ole Miss.

"Just a gritty win by our team," said Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn, who picked up career win No. 1,200. "Our pitching has been so good all year. We've talked about this, that this was going to happen and we would have to step up offensively, and I thought we did a really good job tonight offensively."

Arkansas pitchers walked a season-high nine in contrast to only one walk drawn by the Hogs, and two of the walks, a hit batter and a player who reached on an error scored for the Bulldogs.

Mississippi State (32-17, 14-11), which had gained two games in the SEC West standings on the Razorbacks over the past three weeks, rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 4-3 to take a 5-4 advantage in the top of the eighth.

"Just a great ballgame," Mississippi State Coach Chris Lemonis said. "I mean, two really good teams competing their tails off. They made one more pitch or got one more hit than we did, is what that game came down to.

"And you know, I don't fault our kids at all, man. They're competing their tails off and played a really tough game against a good team and so did they."

Catcher Hudson White was the hitting star with a two-run home run in the fourth and a tie-breaking two-run single during the Hogs' eighth-inning rally for a season-best four RBI.

"It was just a few adjustments in my swing, something that I'm kind of battling with all year," White said. "I finally felt like I turned that curve and it feels a lot better."

White's go-ahead hit on a flare to left field came after Wehiwa Aloy's game-tying single with one out against right-hander Tyson Hardin (3-1), who had not given up an earned run in 19 1/3 innings since February.

Aloy had three singles, all up the middle, to join Jared Sprague-Lott, who singled twice, homered and scored three runs, atop the Hogs' 10-hit attack.

Will McEntire (4-0) got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning, but he ran into trouble in the ninth with a two-run lead. He walked Hunter Hines, then gave up a flare single to Amani Larry and an infield single to Aaron Downs on which he could not handle a feed from first baseman Ben McLaughlin to load the bases with no outs.

Wood came on to record a pair of pop-ups and a strikeout to nail down the game for his second save.

"I just told myself that this is the moment that I dreamed about since I committed here and I've been in those positions before," Wood said. "Tonight I pulled through and we got it done."

Trailing 4-3 to start the eighth, Mississippi State took the lead without a hit against Gabe Gaeckle, who had gotten out of a jam by striking out two with two runners on in the seventh.

With one out, Downs reached on a chopper to third base on which McLaughlin was given an error when he stretched but missed a throw from Sprague-Lott. Gaeckle hit pinch hitter Nolan Stevens with an 0-2 pitch then walked Logan Kohler to load the bases. Catcher Johnny Long did not swing and drew an RBI walk on a 3-1 pitch to tie the game.

Leadoff man Bryce Chance's sacrifice fly to center field brought home pinch runner Nolan Stevens with the go-ahead run.

The Bulldogs made Smith work to open the game as he tried to harness his command with Chance working a nine-pitch walk and David Mershon a seven-pitch walk. Smith fell behind Dakota Jordan 3-0 before rallying for a strikeout. He would strike out the side on 30 pitches.

Arkansas broke on top with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning against right-hander Khal Stephen, a rally that was started by Sprague-Lott's one-out single to left-center field. Aloy smoked a ball off Mershon's glove at shortstop to put runners at first and second. McLaughlin's fly ball to center field got Sprague-Lott to third and he hustled home on a wild pitch.

White got behind 0-2, fouled off a couple of pitches then launched a 408-foot home run over the wall in left field to make it 3-0. It was his third home run of the season and second in the past three games.

The Razorbacks' lead didn't last long as Smith's wildness caught up to him in the top of the fifth.

Kohler singled up the middle, then Chance and Jordan drew walks after strikeouts to load the bases for Hines. He had left two runners on in each of his first two at-bats, but he cleared them when he pulled a slider by Smith into the right-field corner. When the ball got hung up under the fence near the foul pole, Jordan was able to score easily from first.

Smith allowed three earned runs for the first time since the season-opener and was not involved in the decision. He worked 5 innings and allowed 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 11 on 94 pitches. Smith now has 335 career strikeouts, 10 behind UA career leader Nick Schmidt.

Sprague-Lott broke the 3-3 tie with a 421-foot home run over the left field wall in the sixth.

Go here to see the original:
Battling back: Razorbacks rally late, take hard-fought win | Arkansas Democrat Gazette - Arkansas Online

Tags: