Political Notes: Moore’s staff shakeup and poll numbers, new Bay chief, another CD-3 candidate, giving up the milkshake, and Senate race updates

Gov. Wes Moore (D) is making some tweaks to his senior leadership team, announcing Friday that he is bringing on two new deputy chiefs of staff while a current deputy chief of staff heads into retirement.

Departing is Bud Frank, a 40-year veteran of state government, who had been Moore’s deputy chief of staff for public safety and homeland security. He’ll be replaced, at least temporarily, by Adam Flasch, who currently serves as director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and will become acting deputy chief of staff for public safety on New Year’s Day.

Flasch joined the administration earlier this year after retiring as a brigadier general with more than 34 years of military service in the Maryland Army National Guard and U.S. Army. He served in numerous senior leadership positions during his military career, including overseeing the COVID operations for the FEMA vaccine site in Greenbelt and support to local hospitals.

Moore is also promoting Emmanuel Welsh, who had been his liaison to the Board of Public Works, to a deputy chief of staff position.

Welsh will continue to oversee the Board of Public Works when he takes on his new role on Jan. 1. His portfolio will also include the Department of Commerce; the Department of General Services; the Maryland Cannabis Administration; the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission; the Office of Social Equity; the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals; the State Labor Relations Director; and the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs.

Before joining the Moore administration, Welsh held many key roles for former Comptroller Peter Franchot (D), including chief of staff. With his promotion, he becomes the fifth deputy chief of staff on the second floor of the State House.

“Our administration has benefited in so many ways from Manny’s expertise,” Moore said in a statement. “His expanded leadership role will help ensure that our state places equity front and center in our economic development efforts, procurement reform, labor relations, and cannabis policy.”

Voters still like Hogan — and Moore

He has been out of office for 11 months, but Maryland voters still like former Gov. Larry Hogan (R).

A poll conducted recently for Annapolis lobbying firm Perry White Ross and Jacobson and the public affairs company Blended Strategies found that Hogan is viewed favorably by 69% of voters. That’s the same rarified air he enjoyed for most of his eight-year tenure.

Thirty-four percent of voters said they viewed Hogan very favorably and another 35% said they viewed him somewhat favorably. Seven percent said they didn’t know how to rate Hogan, while 15% viewed him somewhat unfavorably and 9% viewed him very unfavorably.

Hogan’s successor, Moore, did almost as well. He was viewed very favorably by 33% of voters, somewhat favorably by 31%, somewhat unfavorably by 10%, very unfavorably by 12%, while 14% said they didn’t know how to rate Moore.

The poll of 813 likely 2024 general election voters was taken Nov. 9-14 by Victoria Research, a Democratic polling firm in Takoma Park. It had a 3.3-point margin of error.

New leader for Bay program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that an agency veteran, Martha Shimkin, will lead the Chesapeake Bay Program Office in the Mid-Atlantic Region. 

She replaces Kandis Boyd, who departed for a different job at EPA after heading the Chesapeake Bay office for about a year.

“For more than 40 years now there has been a concerted effort to reduce the pollution entering the Bay watershed and Martha’s leadership will be crucial in carrying that effort forward,” said Adam Ortiz, the former Maryland environmental official who heads EPA’s Region 3 office. “This is a critical juncture for the Chesapeake Bay, as we look to the efforts that EPA will take to help states meet their pollution reduction goals.”

Shimkin has served as the deputy director of the Chesapeake Bay Program Office since May 2021. She has also held leadership positions in EPA’s Office of Water, has regulatory experience in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, and is also a seasoned manager from her years in EPA’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program coordinates activities and implements strategies for meeting pollution reduction goals in the Bay watershed. States in the watershed are supposed to meet certain benchmarks by 2025, but federal officials have conceded that many are likely to fall short. The EPA must also develop the next phase of the program beyond 2025.

“Fortunately, I’m not hitting the ground running but rather continuing the sprint,” Shimkin said. “I am fully dedicated to EPA and to this partnership  across 6 states and Washington, D.C. I am looking forward to our continued collaboration across this largest estuary in the United States and home to 19 million people.”

The real Diehl

Annapolis businesswoman Abigail Diehl has joined the crowded Democratic primary to replace U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes (D-3rd), who is retiring at the end of 2024.

“I have chosen to run for Congress because I believe deeply in the people of the 3rd District and want to fight for their best interests,” Diehl said in a statement this week. “This Congress continues to become more and more divided, getting little done for the people that they are supposed to represent. I want to bridge that divide so this country can get beyond the noise that is holding us back.”

Diehl, who calls herself “a bipartisan, moderate Democrat,” is the owner of Diehl’s Produce, a fresh produce market in the Eastport neighborhood of Annapolis. She is also a longtime supporter of the cannabis industry and a founder of Sunny C’s, a hemp derived edibles brand that provides alternative medicine to many Marylanders.

“One of the staples of my campaign is the need for food security and supporting our local farmers who provide it,” Diehl said. “As a small business owner who works daily with these hard-working people, I understand the struggles they face and how difficult it can be to get their crop to market. We need to ensure that those burdens are relieved so our children and families can receive the nourishing food necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Congress needs to be part of the solution to providing accessible, quality, affordable food for all, no matter where you live.”

Diehl becomes the eighth Democrat in the 3rd District race. The field includes five state lawmakers: Del. Mark S. Chang (D-Anne Arundel), Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel), Del. Terri L. Hill (D-Howard), Sen. Clarence K. Lam (D-Howard), and Del. Mike Rogers (D-Anne Arundel).

Skip the shake, pass the Corn

The invitations for dozens of last-minute fundraisers that will take place just before the General Assembly session starts on Jan. 10 are going out. State lawmakers, along with the governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller and attorney general, are banned from raising money during the 90-day session.

But one lawmaker who traditionally holds a money-raising event in early January has decided to forgo a fundraiser — for herself. Instead, she’s urging her donors to support a candidate for Congress in Virginia.

This time of year, Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery) is usually trying to get supporters to drink milkshakes at a January fundraiser at Chick & Ruth’s Delly in downtown Annapolis. But this year, she’s urging her supporters to attend a Jan. 7 fundraiser in Bethesda for Eileen Filler-Corn, a former speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates who is running for a vacant congressional seat in Northern Virginia.

In an email to supporters, Kagan called Filler-Corn “an effective and thoughtful leader.” The event is co-sponsored by state Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery), Somerset Mayor Jeffrey Slavin, and Susie Turnbull, a former Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, among others.

Kagan’s solicitation for Filler-Corn does console supporters who are “really sad not to donate to my campaign prior to January 10” and instructs them how they can do so.

U.S. Senate campaign updates

Rep. David Trone (D-6th) announced more endorsements this week in his run for U.S. Senate, while a former opponent touted the accolades of Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D).

On Monday, Trone’s campaign announced support Monday from local Prince George’s leaders, including three Latino mayors.

“With David Trone, not only will the interest of Colmar Manor be respected, but our children will have a chance to be provided with the best education to thrive, succeed, and eventually lead the next generation,” Colmar Manor Mayor Monica Casañas said in a statement. “That is why I fully endorse Congressman David Trone for the U.S. Senate.”

I’m grateful to receive the support of seven phenomenal local leaders representing Prince George’s County,” Trone said. “They represent families and communities who, too often, are left in the shadows — but are leading the charge to make progress.”

On Wednesday, the Trone campaign announced the endorsement of International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 964, the Baltimore Fire Officers Association.

“When our department faced tragic loss, David Trone was there for us — not just to offer kind words, but to promise action that would prevent more of our brothers and sisters from dying in the line of duty,” IAFF Local 964 President Joshua Fannon said in a statement. “We know that he’ll always be on our team, protecting our right to organize, fighting for expanded benefits for our members and their families, and tackling the challenges that our city faces.”

The union becomes one of several to support Trone, including the Maryland State Education Association, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 26, a union based in Prince George’s that represents members in the Washington, D.C. area. Trone is also endorsed by IBEW Locals 24 and 307.

But two other IBEW unions, Local 70 and Local 1900, back Alsobrooks.

Also on Wednesday, Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D) said in a mass email asking for the support of Alsobrooks.

Jawando, who dropped out of the U.S. Senate race in October, summarized how he and Alsobrooks have similar backgrounds, including that each of their parents worked for a newspaper. In addition, both were sworn in to their current elected offices on Dec. 3, 2018.

“We’ve also both been impacted personally by the effects of gun violence in our communities, and want to not only ban assault weapons, expand background checks, and close loopholes, but hold the firearm industry accountable,” according to the email.

Near the end of the email, Jawando asks readers to split their donations to support Alsobrooks’ campaign and his new organization, the Will of the People PAC, which will support progressive candidates.

“Angela has a tough race ahead of her, so any amount you can spare to ensure we send a true leader to represent us in the U.S. Senate is deeply appreciated,” Jawando wrote.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to correct which IBEW Locals have made endorsements of U.S. Senate candidates. 

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