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Political notes: Elections Board nominee scotched, new delegate sworn in, and a Saturday switcheroo in Anne Arundel

The Great Seal of the State of Maryland on the front of the Maryland State House. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines.

A Republican nominee for the Maryland State Board of Elections was rejected by a key Senate committee. 

The party-line vote Monday followed an effort by Republican senators to save the appointment of Christine McCloud after the Senate Executive Nominations Committee refused to take a vote on her a week ago. 

Christine McCloud, a Howard County resident, was nominated by the Maryland Republican Party to fill a vacancy on the state Board of Elections. The Senate Executive Nominations Committee held her nomination March 27 after questioning her for several minutes about her views on election policies. Photo by Bryan P. Sears.

“When we get to a situation where we have to satisfy — the Republicans have to satisfy the Democrats — to get an appointee that’s supposed to be their spot on the state board of elections, I think we’re treading on pretty unfortunate ground,” said Sen. Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll). 

Ready, in comments on the Senate floor last week, pushed for the committee to vote McCloud and another Republican nominated to a county board of elections.

“To me, it’s inappropriate to not approve someone who is qualified just because you may not agree necessarily with opinions that she stated in the hearing,” Ready said Monday. 

Democrats, who make up the vast majority of the Executive Nominations Committee, were unmoved. 

“I think now more than ever, it’s essential that we have someone that has the personal experience and knowledge and know how to participate on a board that is literally the safeguarding of democracy now,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City). “So that is the reason why I struggled on this and I just cannot bring myself to vote in favor of this nominee, and very much regret that being the case, but I just can’t move forward.” 

The vote on McCloud failed 4-14 along a straight party vote. 

In both cases, concerns about both McCloud and Michelle Ewing, a nominee to the Talbot County Board of Elections, centered around allegations of election denial. 

The committee also raised questions about McCloud’s lack of experience in elections, which was limited to working as a volunteer at a local polling place for a Republican candidate. 

In an April 2 letter, McCloud rebutted claims that she was an election denier but said “healthy scrutiny is necessary.” 

“I know that my resume doesn’t have a long list of election-related appointments and I don’t have a law degree but what I do have is a passion for keeping our election honest, fair, and accurate and can be an advocate to help anyone who has concerns or questions have full confidence as well,” McCloud wrote. 

Senate Executive Nominations Chair Sen. Pamela Beidle (D-Anne Arundel) said she looked up McCloud’s voting history after receiving the letter. She told the committee McCloud voted in one primary and four general elections since 2010. 

“I just have a concern for your party that you’re appointing someone who has so little interest in voting,” said Beidle. 

The committee did not take a vote on Ewing, who said in an interview that she decided not to attend last week’s hearing after being told by a senator that the committee would not recommend her for confirmation. 

Ready on Monday night described Ewing as having withdrawn her nomination. Ewing, in a text exchange with a reporter Monday, said she had not withdrawn her nomination. 

Seeking a return to the board 

They say you have to go away to come back. Such may be the case for Belkis Leong-Hong. 

The Senate Executive Nominations Committee recommended Leong-Hong for confirmation to serve on the University of Maryland Medical System board. If confirmed it would be her second time on board. 

Previously, Leong-Hong served from 2010-2019. A law passed in the wake of the legislative review of self-dealing on board contracts and a sweetheart deal for disgraced former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) over the “Healthy Holly” children’s book series required all the board members to be replaced. 

The scandal that toppled the board was referred to only once by Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Howard and Anne Arundel) when he noted that the board “underwent challenges” four years ago. 

“I would also say that as a result of the inquiries back in 2019, I believe that the board has also made significant changes in the governance structure to ensure that there is accountability as well as transparency and those are going to be reflected in their policies and their practices,” Leong-Hong said. “I am very confident this is a very different board than the one that I served on before.” 

Sen. Jill Carter (D-Baltimore City) said the level of scrutiny for former board members seeking to return should be higher. 

“I think there should be an inquiry into what they knew what their perception is and what happened before and what, if anything, they think should change, but I also think that’s the minimum,” said Carter, who raised questions about the board that led to changes. 

New delegate sworn in

Sarah Wolek, picked by Montgomery County Democrats last month to fill a District 16 vacancy in the House of Delegates, was sworn into office Monday, with one week remaining in the 2023 General Assembly session.

“I’m really excited to serve District 16 and the state of Maryland and very, very honored and humbled to have the opportunity to do so,” Wolek said from the rostrum to a small crowd gathered in the House chamber.

House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) said Wolek is assigned, for the time being, to the Appropriations Committee. By Monday afternoon, Wolek was on the House floor as delegates churned through dozens of final votes on legislation.

As Wolek was sworn in, the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee continued on its seemingly endless quest to fill vacancies in the county’s delegation to Annapolis. The committee will hold a special meeting on April 18 at 6:30 p.m. to pick a replacement for former Del. Kirill Reznik, who retired from the House last month to join the Gov. Wes Moore (D) administration as the new assistant secretary for inter-departmental data integration at the Department of Human Services.

Saturday switcheroo

Have these two men ever been seen together?

The note Saturday from Chris Trumbauer, Anne Arundel County’s budget officer, to his fellow top officials in county government, had a serious, other-worldly tone — but appropriate, perhaps, for a year when the other-worldly “Everything Everywhere All At Once” won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The county government’s Information Technology office, Trumbauer’s missive began, had “picked up something concerning” about one of their colleagues.

Trumbauer suggested that Pete Baron, a top adviser to County Executive Steuart Pittman (D), was leading a double life.

“I wanted to update everyone that OIT has incorporated new AI technology into their cybersecurity protections,” Trumbauer wrote. “As part of a routine scan this morning, the AI picked up something concerning that I wanted to bring to your attention. Using 4k pixelation comparison algorithms, the AI discovered that our own Pete Baron has also been living a double life as a Delegate from Baltimore County.”

Trumbauer proceeded to direct his colleagues to “photographic evidence” that Baron bore a striking resemblance to Del. Nick Allen (D-Baltimore County). To buttress his point, the photograph accompanying Baron’s biography on the Anne Arundel County government staff webpage was actually of Allen when Trumbauer’s message went out. Allen’s Twitter page briefly featured Baron’s photograph on Saturday, instead of his own.

Pete Baron, a top aide to Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pitman (D), unwittingly masqueraded as Del. Nick Allen (D-Baltimore County) for a short time on April Fool’s Day.

That’s Del. Nick Allen (D-Baltimore County) posing as Pete Baron on the Anne Arundel County government webpage on Saturday.

 

“Christine,” Trumbauer wrote to Christine Anderson, the Anne Arundel County chief administrative officer, “I assume you will take the appropriate administrative actions to address this situation.”

Within a few hours, the photos were switched and once again accurate, but Annapolis insiders are still laughing. Allen was in on the April Fool’s Day joke. Baron, who worked for the late House Speaker Michael Busch (D) and for unions and the Maryland Hospital Association before joining Pittman’s staff, was not.

“I’m always down for a good prank, especially on April Fool’s,” Allen said. “With the last days of the legislative session so long and tense, it’s always good to have a little levity.”

Allen also said he’s never met Baron and looks forward to grabbing lunch with him sometime soon.

But Baron pointed out Monday that he and Allen have still never been seen together at the same time…

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Political notes: Elections Board nominee scotched, new delegate sworn in, and a Saturday switcheroo in Anne Arundel