Welcome to another week of The Runback. Have you been enjoying The Duckpin? Do you have comments or suggestions? Do you want to write for us? Let me know at theduckpin@gmail.com. And please be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Thanks in advance.
2022 Candidate Information
We have launched a one-stop shop for candidate information for the 2022 Election. Bookmark this page, as it will be updated through the 2022 Election. This includes our first round of candidate surveys, which include LaTasha Ward for Delegate, Robert Poissonnier for Congress, and more.
New From The Duckpin Store
The most important election that you can vote in is a local election. Which is why we have launched an entirely new product line to remind people that "Local Elections Matter." Buy yours at our online store: https://the-duckpin.creator-spring.com/listing/new-local-elections-matter.
Shameless Plugs
In my column this week for The Capital, I implore the Anne Arundel County Public Schools to keep their negotiations with teachers out of parents inbox.
News and Politics
Franchot's Legacy: The biggest thing Peter Franchot has done as Comptroller was to make the office about everything but being the Comptroller.
Lessons from Tuesday: There's a lot of lessons both parties can, but probably won't, learn from Election Day.
Greenville GOP Embraces the Stupid: Sure, Donald Trump has doomed the GOP in races where he has gotten involved. But that sure hasn't stopped the cult of personality continuing.
What Does Dana Schallheim Think She's Doing? Anne Arundel Board of Ed Member was Talking About Teacher Contract Negotiations With an Active Union Member on Facebook.
November 2021 Republican Presidential Power Rankings: The rotating ten spot continues!
GOP Data Center Marches into the Maryland Sunset: State Party Shuts Down the Old System to Make Way for the New.
Maryland Federation of Republican Women Makes History: The Maryland Federation of Republican Women Made History on Saturday by electing Liliana Norkaitis the youngest statewide officer in the history of any National Federation of Republican Women organization.
Culture
Let the Music Play: We cannot allow touchstones of popular culture be erased from history just because the person who created them was "problematic".
The Monday Thought
I have already written about the Lessons Learned from last week’s election. But now it’s time to take a look at some of the people specifically in Maryland who won and lost based on some of the things we learned, and not just what we learned from Virginia.
Winners:
Kelly Schulz: This is about so much more than Glenn Youngkin, however. Annapolis Mayoral Candidate Steven Strawn leaned a little much into the Trumpier aspects of Republican politics. He was not rewarded. That aspect, the Virginia results, and the recent Goucher Poll results show that the Commerce Secretary is well-positioned to win next year.
Annapolis Democrats: Democrats have won a clean sweep of the Mayors office and all eight City Council seats. Barring a major swing in absentee ballots tomorrow, it will be the first time in recent memory that Democrats have earned such a sweep.
Jose Medrano: He won what some people, even in the Republican Party, was an unwinnable race on the Chestertown Town Council. Huge upset victory on a night where Maryland Republicans didn’t have a whole lot to crow about.
Wes Moore: Moore is the most mainstream outsider there is running in the Democratic Primary, and you better believe that fact is going to be noticed by Democratic voters and activists alike after what happened to Terry McAulliffe.
Washington Market TV Viewers: We watched Jeopardy one night on Channel 7. And entire 2 minute, 30 second commercial break was filled with nothing but McAuliffe and Youngkin ads. The second break was the same, but with an anti-Winsome Sears ad thrown in for good measure. I know they’re glad it’s over….until the Maryland primaries start to ramp up, at least.
The “Hogan for Senate” Cottage Industry: I am 100% convinced that Governor Hogan will not run for the U.S. Senate based on knowing the man and his previous statements about running for Senate. That being said, the D.C. people who insist that he should run are continuing to have a field day trying to make fetch happen.
Losers
Tom Perez: As the Democratic base continues to radicalize, being a former Democratic National Chair was never going to be as advantageous for Perez as maybe he would like to be. Now, think about that in the context of McAuliffe losing on Tuesday and you can see what Perez’s seat just got hotter.
Peter Franchot: And entire retinue of career politicians just got wiped out in a statewide election in Virginia. Don’t think that won’t resonate with Democratic primary voters in June. Remember, Franchot was first elected thirty-five years ago, which is probably longer than a lot of the progressive activists running the Maryland Democratic Party these days have been alive.
Steven Hamrick (or is it Hammrick): Hamrick decided he wanted to be mayor. For his troubles, he has been publicly embarrassed and, seemingly, finished third behind a write-in candidate who wasn’t really even running for Mayor at all. And while being at the top of a ticket that had three open spots on it didn’t help, Hamrick’s race for Mayor is pretty much a new nadir for Frederick city Republicans.
Dan Cox: Cox had a it rough. Cox encouraged his volunteers to abandon Maryland for Virginia which helped result in a shutout in Annapolis and Frederick. But what’s worse for Cox is the fact that Glenn Youngkin’s win in Virginia was nothing like the kind of combative, Trumpy type of nonsense campaign that Cox seems intent on running. Tuesday proves that winning is a hell of a lot easier when you run an issue-based campaign instead of whatever it is Cox thinks he’s doing.