Prince George's County

Glenn Ivey Leads Donna Edwards in High Stakes Race for Congress

William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

In one of Maryland’s most competitive races, Glenn Ivey maintains a lead to secure the Democratic nomination for the 4th Congressional District.

According to unofficial results as of 7:07 a.m. Wednesday, July 20, Ivey received more than 24,800 votes with 229 out of 237 precincts reporting in the district that occupies about half of Prince George’s County and a slither of Montgomery County.

“It was a tough choice but I went with Glenn Ivey,” Phyllis Wright said after she voted Tuesday, July 19 at Concord Elementary School in District Heights. She also praised his work as Prince George’s County state’s attorney when elected in 2002.

If Ivey remains in first place, he will run against one of three Republican candidates in the November general election. However, state law restricts mail-in ballots from being counted until Thursday, July 21. The deadline to certify results statewide will be July 29.

In second place stands former Rep. Donna Edwards, who held the seat from 2008 until January 2017, with nearly 17,032 votes. The other seven Democrats in the race in order of votes received stood as follows: former Del. Angela Angel (2,896 votes); Kim A. Shelton (907 votes); Tammy Allison (887 votes); Gregory Holmes (643 votes); James Levi Curtis, Jr. (457 votes); Robert McGhee (402 votes); and Matthew Fogg (400 votes).

Three Republicans on the ballot include Jeff Warner with 1,635 votes, George McDermott with 729 and Eric Loeb who received 362 votes.

The seat became open after Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Maryland) chose to run for attorney general.

Through the redistricting process this year, the district now houses the University of Maryland in College Park, Hyattsville and Greenbelt. Portions of Anne Arundel County are now in the neighboring 5th Congressional District overseen by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland).

Edwards and Ivey received most of the attention with television campaign ads that attacked their opponent’s credibility from two pro-Israel groups.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as AIPAC, provided more than half of Ivey’s $1.2 million campaign which included an ad that alleges Edwards’ lack of constituent services during her time in Congress.

J Street, a more liberal group that denounced the AIPAC ads, released an ad last week on behalf of Edwards that alleges Ivey’s support of AIPAC also back some Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election.

Diane Young of Fort Washington praised Ivey’s work as state’s attorney but chose Edwards because she didn’t approve of the “negative ads that really had no meaning, especially against a Black woman.”

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5 Former Rep. Donna Edwards, right, chats with Diane Young before she casts her vote for Edwards on July 19 at the Breath of Life Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Fort Washington. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer) 5 Former Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey, right, chats with a couple of voters as they wait to go inside to vote July 19 at the Judith P. Hoyer Early Childhood Center in Cheverly. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

Maryland to Receive $95M for Broadband Access

William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

Maryland will receive $95 million from the federal government for broadband access for more than 16,000 households and businesses DISTRICT24 in rural, urban and other underserved communities. The money comes from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan’s “Capital Projects Fund” administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Maryland, along with Kansas, Maine and Minnesota will receive nearly $357 million to support more than 83,000 households and businesses.

In June, the treasury department announced in June that Louisiana, New Hampshire, Virginia and

West Virginia will receive more than $500M to increase internet access to over 200,000 homes and businesses. ARETHANationwide, about 42 million people remain without internet access. “The pandemic literally brought that home in a way that we’ve never seen before where your ability to work from home and to learn from home was critical for economic, or academic . . . opportunity,” Gene Sperling, the White House’s American Rescue Plan coordinator, said in a Zoom press briefing July 14. “Having that national teaching moment, these members responded.” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), one of the three senators who attended the briefing, said jurisdictions including Prince George’s County and Baltimore City, both of which represent majority-Black communities, will benefit from high-speed internet service for children to do homework, merchants to conduct business and other economic needs. The Maryland Office of Broadband will assess how internet service providers would provide broadband access. Van Hollen said no timetable has been established on when families and businesses would receive service. To provide some savings, he said eligible households will receive up to a $30 discount per month to receive internet access.

“The goal is to make sure everybody in every part of our state is not just connected but connected in an affordable way,” he said noting that the money will be in addition to the $127.6 million Gov. Larry Hogan announced July 8, which also count as federal dollars.

Approximately 13 counties or service providers in the identified jurisdictions will receive money to construct broadband networks to support more than 15,000 households that include access already made available in parts of Harford County.

During this recent school year in Prince George’s, the library sys-

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“Voters understand that my story has been their story. I do not come from a place of privilege,” said Moore, a Rhodes Scholar. “My mother didn’t get her first job that gave her benefits until I was 14 years old. When people understand our story, they understand our life’s work and the work to which I’ve devoted my life. It’s their story. That’s why I take this work very personally.” Voters like Blessing Bangura of Bowie said Moore brings a unique perspective and “an it factor.”

“I have two boys, [ages] 19 and 15. Young Black males need a role model and someone they can relate to,” said Bangura, who works as a disabilities service provider in D.C. “Wes Moore is not only African American but he has the potential to help give back to our community.”

According to unofficial results as of 7:57 a.m. Wednesday, July 20, Moore garnered 137,118 votes. In second place sits former Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez with 102,278 votes. State Comptroller Peter Franchot trails in third place with 73,301 votes. The figures are based on 2,035 out of 2,074 precincts reporting.

State law restricts mail-in ballots to be counted until Thursday, July 21, so the deadline to certify results statewide will be July 29.

The majority Democratic Maryland General Assembly passed legislation this year to allow the counting of ballots before Tuesday’s primary but Republican Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed the measure amidst “election security” that can create abuse from mail-in voting versus voting in person.

Out of the 3.7 million eligible voters in Maryland, only 172,364, or 4.5%, chose to vote in person during early voting. In comparison, almost 222,480 people voted early four years ago.

As of Monday, election officials received 213,019 ballots placed in drop boxes or sent by mail. Voters had until 8 p.m. to vote in person or place ballots in a drop box. All ballots mailed must be postmarked by Tuesday.

“Every eligible person who has the right to vote and properly cast a vote should be counted,” Perez said to reporters during an election watch party at Tommy Joe’s bar and restaurant in Bethesda. “Part of the reason we have to wait longer [to count votes is] thanks to Larry Hogan. That is not good government. That’s the most polite term I can think of to describe that.”

Here’s how the remaining Democrats fare on the ballot so far: • Former County Executive Rushern L. Baker III: 15,514 votes. • Former U.S. Education secretary John King, Jr.: 12,983 votes. • Former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler: 12,912 votes. • Former Barack Obama administration official Ashwani Jain: 7,862 votes. • Former nonprofit executive Jon Baron: 6,902 votes. • Retired research scholar Jerome Segal: 2,946 votes. • Perennial candidate Ralph Jaffe: 1,773 votes.

With the state’s limited number of Republican voters, Del. Dan Cox declared victory Tuesday with the nomination 132,428 votes, according to unofficial results. Cox, who represents portions of Carroll and Frederick counties, received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

The Hogan-backed candidate, former state commerce secretary Kelly Schulz, received 94,850 votes. Perennial candidate and former state Del. Robin Ficker of Montgomery County received 5,060 votes and Joe Werner of Baltimore County with 3,194 votes.

Attorney General

In the contested Democratic race, Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Maryland) declared victory with 217,748 votes. Retired judge Katie Curran O’Malley of Baltimore City garnered 147,730 votes. Her husband, former governor Martin O’Malley, served with Brown as lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2015.

Brown, of Prince George’s County, amassed a campaign chest of more than $941,000 compared to Curran O’Malley’s $623,000.

The race became tense when O’Malley released a campaign ad which summarized Brown’s record as “never” trying a criminal case in Maryland.

Brown responded on social media to highlight his 30 years as an attorney and work in the U.S. Army that included command of 80 legal professionals.

In a statement released early Wednesday, Brown thanked O’Malley for her service as judge, delivered a “thank you” to the voters and urged a strong Democratic push in the No-

5 Maryland Democrat and gubernatorial candidate Tom Perez speaks with supporters July 19 at Tommy Joe’s in Bethesda. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

Alsobrooks Easily Wins Democratic Nomination as Prince George’s Executive

William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks remained on the verge to easily win a second, four-year term in Tuesday’s primary election and to continue leading Maryland’s second largest jurisdiction.

As of 7:27 a.m. Wednesday, July 20 and according to unofficial results, the 51-year-old county native garnered about 68,000 votes against four other Democratic challengers.

“Voters deserve the respect of having me come out and ask for their continued support and that’s what I’ve done,” Alsobrooks said Tuesday morning at a polling site at Potomac Landing Elementary School in Fort Washington. “I haven’t taken a moment of this for granted. I have campaigned as hard as anyone.”

Her efforts showed as a slew of campaign signs dominated many parts of the county – some on the lawns of homeowners, others displayed in the windows of businesses. She also secured a $1 million campaign war chest and garnered various endorsements from top statewide and local officials.

A recent commercial aired on local television using her daughter’s voice to summarize Alsobrooks’ work to help build nine new schools, distribute four million meals through the county’s “Stand Up & Deliver” program and the opening of a new cancer center in 2024 in Largo on the campus of the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center.

With no Republican challengers on the ballot, it’s more than likely Alsobrooks will win the November general election and serve a second, four-year term.

David Sierra, who works in information technology on Capitol Hill, declined to say who he voted for but said he’s seen Alsobrooks in the community ever since he moved to the county in 2006.

“She’s solid. She’s been around. She has been a constant presence. She’s a good candidate,” Sierra said after he voted at Potomac Landing Elementary.

According to results with 315 of the 327 precincts reporting, the results of the other four candidates included: Tonya Sweat, 2,456 votes; Leigh Bodden, 1,887; Sherman Hardy, 1,644; and Billy Bridges, 1,129 votes.

Tamara McKinney of Lanham and Kelly Canavan of Accokeek each chose Sweat, an attorney who manages her own consulting firm.

Both women said they noticed Sweat’s advocacy before she announced her intentions last year to run for county executive. Sweat served as PTA president at Oxon Hill High School and vice president for advocacy on the Maryland PTA.

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5 Angela Alsobrooks and Wes Moore - a possible preview of the leaders of tomorrow. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

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