With early voting underway, voters across Maryland and the country have been making their voices heard at the polls ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, a critical time to work toward change that starts in citizens’ communities and trickles to Capitol Hill and the White House.
“This midterm election matters because decisions made in Washington have real consequences for our jobs, families, and financial security,” said Juwan Blocker, a longtime civic activist who previously ran for Prince George’s County Board of Education. “Federal job losses have hit close to home for us, and that uncertainty is part of why my wife, Chakeia, and I created The Meet Up Podcast to have honest conversations about navigating life when things don’t go as planned.”
Throughout the nation, polling has shown President Donald Trump with record-low approval ratings and current polling shows Democrats standing poised to secure a majority of the seats in both chambers of Congress. In Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore (D) is maintaining a strong lead in polling as he, like in November 2022, faces Republican candidate Dan Cox.
Nonetheless, local leaders like Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-District 21) contend the election is bigger than simply if the state votes red or blue.
“This is not about party,” Peña-Melnyk said, speaking at Fort Washington’s St. Mark AME Church in early October. “This is about values. This is about survival for many of us.”
This year’s election, which includes gubernatorial, congressional, county executive and delegate races, portends transformative change with more than 20 new legislators expected in Annapolis for their first session in January and multiple jurisdictions expected to elect their first African American county executive.
Maryland voters have a choice to support or oppose ballot measures that could potentially improve negotiation standards for state workers, allow temporary appointments to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, and expand the rules regarding congressional redistricting.
“A yes on Question 3 is a no to Donald Trump. It means that Donald Trump does not get to control our elections nor our democracy. The people of Maryland get to control that,” said Moore. “By voting yes on Question 3, this is a chance for us to be able to not allow Donald Trump to rig elections and to put more MAGA Republicans inside of Congress.”
Democrats hold veto-proof majorities in both the House and Senate of the Maryland General Assembly, and Josh Hastings, Adrianne Mathis, Stephanie Popescu, and Chuck Cook are some of the Democratic nominees in competitive, rural districts.
“We’ve been overloaded, overcrowded,” said Mathis during an early October debate for a vacant St. Mary’s-based subdistrict. “We need to have more mixed-use housing, but we don’t have infrastructure for it. You can’t keep packing and piling on.”
As early voting continues through Oct. 29 and Nov. 3 quickly approaches, Blocker encourages residents to stay active, informed, and involved.
“From advocating for students at Bowie State to working in government and public affairs, I’ve seen firsthand how decisions made by elected officials impact our everyday lives,” he told The Informer. “Voting is about more than showing up on Election Day. It’s about making your voice heard, holding leaders accountable, and having a say in the future of your community.”
Competitive Races
The gubernatorial rematch between Moore and Cox isn’t particularly close, and most observers project Moore to win reelection. Moore has remained a critic of Trump and prioritized economic development and job recruitment to Maryland.
“People are excited right now because they’re looking for leadership that’s not just going to push back against this corruption from Donald Trump,” said Moore in a WBAL interview, “but push forward for a new direction.”
Cox, a conservative Republican who was at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 and called Vice President Mike Pence (R) a “traitor,” was a strong critic of Maryland’s vaccine policies during the pandemic and opposes Maryland’s reparations commission.
Cox has focused his campaign on energy affordability and restricting data centers.
“Marylanders are looking at electric bills that have tripled,” Cox said in an interview with WUSA9. “Governor Shapiro in Pennsylvania is lowering taxes, spending less, and creating opportunities for business to flourish. Meanwhile, in Maryland, our electric bills are tripling, and our taxes are rising.”
Moore has maintained a strong lead throughout the general election and is projected to receive more than 60% of the total vote.
The most competitive congressional race in Maryland is between Rep. Andy Harris (R- Md.), a Trump-endorsed conservative and member of the House Freedom Caucus, and Democratic nominee Dan Schwartz, a consumer watchdog who has been endorsed by Moore and other state Democratic leaders.
Following an Oct. 13 debate in Cambridge, Harris berated Capital News Service reporter Cat Murphy and accused her of violating Maryland’s two-party recording consent laws, despite the federal lawmaker being otherwise surrounded by cameras and microphones during the public debate. The video of the interaction, posted by The Baltimore Banner, went viral across social media platforms.
Schwartz reported a surge of over 3,400 new donors and nearly $200,000 following Harris’ outburst: enough to buy TV ads in the closing days of the race.
“We really had a definitive win,” Schwartz said in a post-debate interview with the Baltimore Banner, “but we also had this incredible fundraising bump, and this earned media attention, which is priceless.”
In Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, voters lean overwhelmingly Democratic and virtually all of the local, state, and congressional races are effectively already decided excluding the Board of Education races.
Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy (D) faces no official challenger listed on the ballot, but attorney Tonya Sweat is running as a write-in candidate for the seat after she was denied a ballot positioning.
“I’m not here to point fingers. Maybe the intentions were good. But good intentions don’t excuse missteps, and it’s our kids, our seniors, and our working families who end up paying for them,” Sweat posted on Facebook shortly before the early voting period began. “That’s why I’m running. To restore public trust. Fixing this will take time and real work, and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves.”
Jawando, poised to become only the second African American county executive in Montgomery County’s history, is recovering from a recent heart attack while thanking his family for their dedication.
“When democracy is under attack in Washington, Montgomery County feels the shockwaves first,” Jawando posted on X. “That’s why it’s not enough for us to be a safe harbor. We must be the vanguard.”
‘Be the Change‘
As people across the state and nation emphasize the importance of the Nov. 3 midterms, Blocker contends each time someone has an opportunity to vote, it’s important.
“I know what it feels like to think your voice or vote doesn’t matter. I once felt that way myself, until I was elected to the Prince George’s County Board of Education as a student representative. That experience showed me that your voice can make a difference, regardless of your age,” he said. “I once thought my voice didn’t matter. Now I know better, and I want others to know their voices matter, too.”
While politicians are vying to get citizens to vote for them, Blocker said it’s important to encourage people placing a ballot in general.
For the civic activist, voter education and mobilization does not start once people turn 18 and are eligible to place a ballot.
“I started using my voice as a teenager, and I believe every generation deserves to understand that their voice matters long before they ever step into a voting booth,” Blocker said. “You don’t have to love politics to participate. Learn the issues, hold leaders accountable, and make your vote count.”
T.E. Wills, a member of the Prince George’s Republican Central Committee, was excited to plant yard signs and knock on doors in his Glenn Dale neighborhood. He pledges to remain involved to raise voter turnout in future elections.
There, residents are voting for Sen.-elect Tiffany Alston (D) and Delegate-elect LaTasha Ward (D), both of whom are uncontested for their new roles.
“I chose to get involved in politics to make sure the voice of the people is heard,” Wills told The Informer. “I am not in this for myself; I am here for the public, my family, my friends, and the community at large.”
The Prince George’s Republican Central Committee member Wills has endorsed Ashley Kearney for Board of Education in his district and Phelecia Nembhard, who is running in a special election in New Carrollton.
Wills, who ran uncontested in the 24th District, recently received a certificate denoting his election to the Central Committee.
He is strongly looking forward to the 2028 presidential and congressional races, and is even considering a run for Congress in the 4th congressional district.
“Don’t see the change,” Wills told The Informer. “Be the change. Vote.”
