Political Notes: Moore elected Chesapeake Executive Council Chair, Rosenberg endorses Dixon for mayor, new Trone ad

Gov. Wes Moore (D) was unanimously picked Thursday as the next chair of the bipartisan Chesapeake Executive Council.

The Chesapeake Executive Council is made up of the governors of the six Chesapeake Bay watershed states, the mayor of the District of Columbia, the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It sets policy direction for the restoration and protection of the Bay in line with the Chesapeake Bay Agreement, which was first signed to coordinate regional efforts 40 years ago.

“The Chesapeake Bay belongs to everyone. It is a place of inspiration, source of economic strength, and a keystone of our environmental health,” Moore said in a statement. “We will grow our coalition and hold each other accountable for improving the health of the Bay. I believe in the power of partnership and if we follow the science, we can achieve our vision of a cleaner, greener, healthier Bay for all.”

The governor’s office said the Moore-Miller administration is “working to shift its Bay cleanup strategy to align with the latest scientific recommendations.”

Among other initiatives, the administration said it working to improve shallow-water habitats to benefit fish and crabs and protect communities from flooding, increasing assistance to farmers to reduce polluted runoff, planting 5 million new trees, and working to finish large-scale oyster restoration projects.

The chair of the council is elected each October to a one-year term.

Former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) served as chair from 2017 to 2020.

Rosenberg endorses Dixon for mayor

Del. Samuel “Sandy” Rosenberg (D-Baltimore City) endorsed Sheila Dixon for mayor Wednesday, switching the support he made for current Mayor Brandon Scott (D) in the 2020 election.

The Dixon campaign said Rosenberg became the first elected official from the city to support her campaign before the May 14 primary election.

“Sheila Dixon has a record of accomplishment, of responsiveness, and it is my pleasure and honor to endorse her and work to help her become the next Mayor of the city,” Rosenberg said in a statement.

Dixon, a former mayor from 2007 to 2010 who resigned as part of a plea agreement in a perjury case, thanked Rosenberg for the endorsement and praised his experience. Dixon announced her third run for mayor last month.

“Sandy and I have worked on many issues in this city and district,” she said. “I stand with him as we work towards making sure that all our communities receive a quality response from city services, and to make sure our city is safe.”

Dixon finished second in the 24-candidate Democratic primary in 2020, behind the eventual mayor.

She also sought office in the 2016 Democratic primary, but lost by about 2,400 votes to former Catherine Pugh. Dixon conducted a write-in campaign that year in the general election, but still lost to Pugh.

A Goucher College poll released last month shows Dixon with a 12-point lead over the incumbent.

The poll conducted in partnership with The Baltimore Banner shows 39% of registered Democrats surveyed said they would vote for Dixon, versus 27% who favored Scott. Another 23% prefer another candidate and 8% were undecided.

More than half of the 711 registered city voters surveyed said they held an unfavorable view of Scott; about 37% said they view him favorably.

Voters were more evenly split on their feelings about Dixon with 47% holding a favorable view of the former mayor while 45% held an unfavorable view.

Trone ad focuses on a ‘Second Chance’

Rep. David Trone (D-6th) released his seventh campaign ad Tuesday, featuring two returning citizens and putting a focus on criminal justice reform in his bid to seek the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

The two men the in 60-second video entitled “Second Chance” use only their first names: “Kenneth,” who served 27 years in prison, and “Marcus,” who served 13 years in prison.

The men talk about Trone’s support for the ban the box policies for states to remove the criminal-record check box from job applications. Maryland is one of 14 states that extended those policies to private employment.

Trone and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) reintroduced the legislation in April formerly called the “Workforce Justice Act.”

Trone has said that his company, national liquor chain Total Wine & More, hired 1,400 people who were formerly incarcerated.

“I think he sees everyone has human beings,” Marcus said in the video. “I think David believes in second chances.”

The video also shows a sign at the Trone Center for Justice & Equality at the American Civil Liberties Union office. Trone and his wife, Judy, have donated millions of dollars to the organization that pushes for policy changes in sentencing and other criminal justice measures.

Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) are the principal Democratic candidates in the race to succeed longtime U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D), who announced this year he doesn’t plan to seek reelection. Several Republicans also plan to seek the seat.

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