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June 19, 2025

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2 News Homepage

Biden Wins Talbot County in Final Unofficial Count; First Dem Victory Here Since 1964

November 14, 2020 by John Griep

Joe Biden has eked out a narrow victory in Talbot County, according to the final unofficial results, becoming the first Democratic presidential candidate to win here since 1964, when Lyndon Johnson took the county during his landslide over Republican Barry Goldwater.

Election officials conducted the final canvassing on Friday, when mail-in ballots could be received until 10 a.m.

Biden has 11,062 votes (49%) to 10,946 (48.5%) for President Donald Trump, the Republican incumbent, as of the final unofficial count.

The shift in results over time mirrors similar trends seen nationwide — Trump supporters voted in person (whether on Election Day or during early voting); the majority of Biden voters opted to vote by mail. Nearly 77% of Talbot’s votes for Trump were in person; about 57% of Biden’s votes were by mail.

In Talbot County, early voting was the most popular choice with more than 10,000 voters casting ballots in the days before Election Day. More than 8,500 county residents cast mail-in ballots, an option urged by the Biden campaign due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 2,900 voters went to the polls on Election Day.

Biden outperformed Hillary Clinton by about 7 percentage points. Clinton got 42.1% of Talbot’s vote in 2016; Trump had 52.2%.

In 2012 and 2008, Barack Obama had similar margins of defeat in the county as Clinton. He lost Talbot by more than 12 percentage points against Mitt Romney in 2012; by about 10 percentage points against John McCain in 2008.

Republican George W. Bush won Talbot by nearly 20 percentage points against Democrats John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 2 News Homepage Tagged With: Biden, democrats, early voting, election, election day, mail-in, republicans, Talbot County, Trump

Marylanders’ Attitudes About Government’s COVID Response Vary By Demographic

October 14, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Nearly half of all Marylanders have experienced financial hardship since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and people remain concerned that they or a loved one will get sick, according to a just-released survey. 

Skepticism about a potential vaccine is high across the state, regardless of ideology. 

Republicans are much more skeptical about the benefits of mask-wearing and social distancing than Democrats. 

And Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) continues to get very high marks for his handling of the crisis — particularly from residents of the Washington, D.C. suburbs, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by wide margins. 

The wide-ranging poll’s cross-tabs, which look at gender, ideology, race, geography and other characteristics, reveal fairly broad demographic differences.

The Goucher College poll of 1,002 Maryland residents was taken between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4 by the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College. It had a 3.1-point margin of error.

The main takeaways:

A strong majority (58%) of residents said Maryland’s approach to reopening the economy has been “about right.” Nearly a quarter (23%) believed the state moved “too quickly;” 16% said reopenings came “too slowly.” 

Half of survey respondents (51%) said they believe the worst of the pandemic “is behind us,” a view that runs counter to the warnings being expressed by public health experts. Forty percent of Marylanders believe the worst “is yet to come.”

Just under half (45%) of residents have experienced “severe” or “moderate” financial hardship since the virus hit the state in March; 55% said they had endured no money woes. 

Nearly seven in 10 Marylanders said they have some or a great deal of concern that they or a loved one will become infected, while 31% who have little or no concern.

By an overwhelming margin, residents remain happy with Hogan’s coronavirus leadership. The former head of the National Governors Association moved aggressively to close schools, limit business activity and ramp up the public health response when the virus first hit. 

By a better than 5-to-1 margin, Marylanders give the second-term executive, who has started to position himself for a potential White House bid in 2024, a thumbs-up for his decision-making and rhetoric. 

The poll’s cross-tabs reveal a lot about the ways race, age, political ideology and geography shape Marylanders’ attitudes toward the epidemic and public health. 

Exposure concern, masks and the future of COVID-19 

Republicans are much less concerned about COVID-19 infection hitting their family. Overall concern about an infection is high (69-31). Among Democrats it’s even higher (82-18). But only 47% of Republicans say they’re worried about exposure. 

Party affiliation also affects residents’ views of public-health precautions.

By an 11-1 margin, residents believe that wearing masks and social distancing “can help stop the spread” of the virus. Support is highest among Democrats (98-2) and women (94-5). It is lower among Republicans (77-19) and men (84-13). 

Echoing the concerns raised by scientists and public health leaders, Democrats (52-38), Blacks (54-40) and women (46-45) believe the pandemic will get worse. Conversely, Republicans (74-18), whites (56-33) and men (57-33) believe “the worst is behind us.”

Although a majority of residents of all stripes think the pace of the state’s reopening has been “about right,” women, Democrats and younger adults were more likely to say that the state has moved “too quickly.” 

“Women are displaying more caution than their male counterparts,” said political science professor Mileah Kromer, the director of the survey, in an interview. “It seems to be on the basis of caution. It’s slight, but it’s present.”

Financial hardship

The COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the state’s economy, and while some rehiring has occurred, the impacts on families have been widespread. Jobs have been lost and tens of thousands of people have been forced to dig into their savings and rely on help from friends, family and food banks to meet basic needs. 

Younger adults (56-44), Blacks (53-47), people of “other races” (54-46) and people who didn’t go to college (52-48) reported moderate or severe financial hardship due to the economic slowdown. 

People aged 35 and up, college graduates and whites — those more likely to be able to work from home or are retired — were more likely to say they had not endured any financial woes due to the coronavirus. 

In an analysis for Maryland Matters, Goucher revealed that residents of the Baltimore region were more likely to have experienced financial distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Residents of Baltimore City and Baltimore County (56-44) said they have had money woes. People who live in the Washington, D.C., suburbs (43-57) were less likely to have struggled financially. The same was true for the residents of Central Maryland, the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland (41-59).

Hogan

Hogan turned over the reins of state government to Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford (R) in March, so that he could focus on the pandemic full time.

Like his overall job-approval numbers, Hogan’s handling of the virus (82-16) would be the envy of any leader. 

His support is highest, remarkably, in two counties dominated by Democrats, Prince George’s (91-9) and Montgomery (85-12). 

Democrats (86-13) like his COVID game plan even more than Republicans (75-23). And his support among Blacks for the way he has handled the public health crisis (85-14) edges out his white backing (81-17). 

Kromer thinks the stark contrast between Hogan and President Trump works in the governor’s favor in the D.C. suburbs.

“I have to wonder if there is something there, given how prominent the federal government is in the D.C. suburbs,” she said. “They are in a hot spot and they’ve been in a hot spot for a while.”

Hogan is part of a group of Northeast governors whose early, aggressive actions have won them applause. Many Southern and Midwestern governors who were outspoken about the need to reopen have seen their poll numbers tank. 

Vaccines

President Trump, who has made more than 20,000 false statements since taking office, according to a Washington Post count, has repeatedly promised that a vaccine will be available this year, a statement contradicted by his own to advisers. 

The Goucher poll found that Marylanders are skeptical about vaccines. 

Asked whether they would take an “FDA-approved” vaccine, 49% said no, while 48% said yes. 

Younger adults (56-41) and whites (54-43) were more willing to do so. Adults between 35 and 54 (38-59) and Blacks (38-61) said they would decline. 

By Bruce DePuyt

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: Covid-19, democrats, Economy, Gov. Larry Hogan, Maryland, masks, reopening, republicans, social distancing, Survey

Md. Democratic Women Hail Harris Selection as ‘Monumental’ Moment

August 12, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Growing up in the suburbs of New York City, as a young girl interested in politics, Del. Wanika B. Fisher (D-Prince George’s) never imagined that she’d see someone who looked like her at the highest echelons of American politics.

Now that U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has been selected to become former vice president Joe Biden’s running mate, Fisher — who like Harris is half Black and half Indian-American, a child of immigrants — is ecstatic.

“I’m super excited,” Fisher said in an interview Tuesday, moments after Biden’s decision was made public. “She’s like my spirit animal because we’re both half-Asian and half-Black. We’re also both former prosecutors.”

Leading Democratic women in Maryland reacted generally with approval — and in some cases, joy — after hearing the news. Some spoke or wrote of the nomination in very personal terms.

“I cannot put into words how monumental a moment this is for black and brown girls across our country,” Del. Stephanie M. Smith (D-Baltimore City) wrote on Twitter. “This is a first step. It takes the right mix of heart, smarts and AMBITION to meet this moment. Sen. Harris is ready to lead and I’m ready to battle for her chance!”

Smith, who is a graduate of two historically Black colleges and universities, hailed the fact that Harris, who did her undergraduate work at Howard University, is the first graduate of an HBCU on a national presidential ticket.

Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) — the first African-American and the first woman to hold the speaker’s gavel in state history — tweeted that she was “thrilled” by the choice.

“Black women are the backbone of our party and our country and I believe this is the winning ticket we need to defeat Trump,” Jones said.

“Joe was definitely listening” to people who told him how important it would be to select a Black woman, Fisher said.

State Sen. Mary L. Washington (D-Baltimore City) said Harris will enter the pantheon of other Black women who have been trailblazers in American politics, like the late congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.), former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.) and former U.S. secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“We’re witnessing history again,” Washington said in an interview, “when we are standing at a time that’s been defined by really toxic, racist, anti-LGBT culture coming from the White House.”

Women praised Biden for selecting Harris even though they clashed at times during the Democratic presidential debates — especially when Harris suggested in one televised moment that some of the policies on school busing that Biden embraced during his early career as a senator harmed Black girls like her.

“I think it says a lot for him to pick her,” Washington said. “She gave him a solid punch, and to come back to her speaks well of him.”

Harris’ performance on the debate stage — and during high-profile Senate hearings — helped her outshine other women that Biden vetted for the VP slot, Washington said.

“For me, what’s really key here is she stood on a national stage and was unafraid to call out the past, to speak truth to power,” she said.

Speaking on MSNBC Tuesday afternoon, former Maryland congresswoman Donna Edwards hailed Harris’ ability “to go toe-to-toe on policy” with any Republican.

And unlike some of the other candidates Biden was considering, Harris has relationships on Capitol Hill and executive experience from her time as California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney that would serve her well as vice president — or if she’s ever required to take over from Biden, Maryland Democrats said.

“I think she’s obviously got the skill and stamina,” Fisher said. “And she’s been around a lot of the players on the Hill. A lot of the other women would have to rely more on staff. I think Kamala is definitely in a place to govern.”

But before there can be governing, Biden and Harris must first get through an intense campaign against President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Asked by Chuck Todd on MSNBC Tuesday how Harris would do in a debate against Pence, Edwards paused for a moment.

“Wow,” she replied.

By Josh Kurtz

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: Biden, democrats, election, kamala harris, vice president, women

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