Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has endorsed Angela Alsobrooks in the race to replace U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin. Scott praised Alsobrooks for understanding the needs of the city and emphasized the importance of electing a Black woman to the Senate. Other prominent leaders, including Gov. Wes Moore and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, have also endorsed Alsobrooks. She is running against Rep. David Trone for Cardin’s seat. The Baltimore Banner reported
Mayor Brandon Scott has officially endorsed Angela Alsobrooks in the race to replace U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin when he retires. Alsobrooks, who has been serving as Prince George’s County Executive since 2018, is one of the prominent Democrats vying for Cardin’s seat. Scott, who is running in a competitive race himself, expressed his support for Alsobrooks at a press conference in Northwest Baltimore’s Park Heights neighborhood.
Scott emphasized that Alsobrooks understands the needs of Baltimore better than any other candidate in the race. He also highlighted the lack of female representation in Maryland’s congressional delegation and stressed the importance of electing a Black woman to the U.S. Senate. Scott pointed out that once Sen. Laphonza Butler’s term expires, there may be no Black women in the Senate.
Scott’s endorsement adds to the list of prominent leaders who have backed Alsobrooks, including Gov. Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, State Senate President Bill Ferguson, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, and Rep. Steny Hoyer. Alsobrooks is facing Rep. David Trone in the race for Cardin’s seat, and Trone has significantly outspent his opponent.
Meanwhile, in another development, David Trone, one of the Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate race, has launched new ads to promote his campaign. Trone, who is a Congressman and the founder of Total Wine & More, has released ads focusing on education and targeting Spanish-speaking Marylanders. The education ad features teachers endorsing Trone’s commitment to fight for public school funding, while the Spanish-language ad highlights Trone’s background and accomplishments.
In a separate matter, Baltimore’s construction permitting process has been a bureaucratic headache for many. Although the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development has been working on reforming the system, the new software to streamline the process won’t be ready until December 2024. The delay has raised concerns among City Council members, who believe that the city’s permitting work is understaffed. They have received complaints from contractors and residents about the difficulties they face.
Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy defended the department, stating that the permitting problem is primarily due to outdated software and not the lack of staff. However, council members argued that with the amount of development happening in Baltimore, the permitting staff should be doubled. The housing officials revealed that the agency has been inundated with permit requests, processing over 40,000 permits last year without increasing staff or upgrading the system.
On a different note, former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, a Republican-turned-TV-pundit, is set to host his own show on MSNBC. The show, called “The Weekend,” will feature Steele as one of the three hosts. It will air on Saturdays and Sundays from 8-10 a.m. Steele expressed his excitement about the show and promised engaging conversations.
Lastly, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and his wife Dawn Flythe Moore are continuing the tradition of hosting a public holiday open house at the historic governor’s mansion in Annapolis. The open house, scheduled for December 9, will allow visitors to see the festive decorations, enjoy homemade cookies, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the first family’s dog, Tucker. The Moores encourage guests to bring unwrapped toys for children in need..