Showing posts with label Maryland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maryland. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Wes Moore refuses debate invitation from Fox 5 in Maryland governor race


Democratic Maryland governor candidate Wes Moore has declined another invitation to debate his Republican opponnent, Dan Cox. Fox 5 announced last evening that Cox had accepted, but that the deadline to respond to the invitation passed without any response by the Moore campaign. Shortly after the deadline passed, a Moore spokesperson told the Bethesda-based TV station that their candidate's answer was, "no."

In dodging several debates, including one at a prominent HBCU in the state, Moore has said he does not want to give Cox a platform to more widely broadcast his views across the state. That hasn't stopped Cox from doing that on his own this week. The Donald Trump-endorsed Republican has stepped up attacks on Moore for not removing a false claim of being a Baltimore native from his book The Other Wes Moore, and exaggerating details in that biography, and has taken legal action to stop early counting of mail-in ballots ahead of the November election. Cox has received a significant amount of media coverage in recent days as a result.

With a new Goucher poll showing Moore ahead of Cox by 22 points, Moore understandably would like to run out the clock. One cannot make a campaign-damaging gaffe if one does not participate in debates. Critics question how a candidate might perform under the much greater pressure of serving in the office itself, if he or she is unable to debate their opponent. Moore has so far accepted one debate invite, to a forum being broadcast live October 12 by Maryland Public Television.

Friday, September 16, 2022

Maryland Gov. Hogan announces Korean firm UNDBIO to establish R&D lab in Rockville

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan meeting with
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul 

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced more positive economic developments for his state from his economic development trip to Asia today. Rockville is one of the winners in Hogan's outreach, as the governor reported that South Korean biotech firm UNDBIO has agreed to establish a 25,000 square foot research and development facility here. Twinlabs, a Rockville real estate firm that specializes in life sciences, reached a lease agreement with UNDBIO, who have committed $100,000,000 to the project.

UNDBIO anticipates the new facility will develop and manufacture insulin samples for FDA approval. These approved products will then enter the pharmaceutical market. The company possesses unique proprietary insulin production technology, which will be employed in the Rockville venture.

"Maryland is proud to be home to hundreds of life sciences companies that set the bar for biotechnology innovation and fuel our region’s innovative economy, and we are excited to welcome the life-saving work of UNDBIO to Rockville,” Hogan said in a statement this afternoon. “This is yet another shining example that Maryland is open for business and further evidence of our state’s special bond with the Republic of Korea.”

“I am happy to establish our relationship with the State of Maryland to undertake the research and development required to produce affordable insulin and insulin analogues for the diabetic population around the globe,” UNDBIO’s Chairman Jun Yong-soo said. “We look forward to developing high paying biotech jobs for Maryland, and would welcome other partners into our global insulin project.”

Monday, September 12, 2022

Maryland speed camera enforcement on SB I-95 in Harford County to begin September 19


A traffic alert for those driving on Interstate 95 north of Baltimore: The Maryland Transportation Authority will deploy speed cameras around the Express Toll Lanes project work zone on the southbound side of the highway near MD 152 in Harford County this coming Monday, September 19, 2022. 


After a warning period, tickets with $40 fines will be issued for those breaking the 65 MPH speed limit starting on Monday, October 10. This leg of the ETL project is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024, so expect this enforcement to continue through that date.

Monday, September 5, 2022

Donald Trump praises Maryland governor candidate Dan Cox, continues Larry Hogan feud at Pennsylvania rally

Maryland governor candidate Dan Cox at
Trump rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

President Donald Trump handed Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan a humiliating defeat in the July Republican primary, when his gubernatorial endorsee Dan Cox decisively beat Hogan's handpicked candidate, Kelly Schulz. But Trump is not finished with Hogan yet, who continues to explore a presidential run in 2024 - likely against Trump. And so it was that Hogan was once again on Trump's mind at Trump's jam-packed rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania over the Labor Day weekend.

Trump, as expected, weighed in again on the August FBI raid of his Mar-a-Lago home, divulging new details of how agents ransacked the bedroom of his teenage son, Barron. And he responded to President Joe Biden's Thursday speech in which the President called the 74,223,369 Americans who voted for Trump "a clear and present danger" to the country. 

But about 90 minutes into the rally, Trump's thoughts turned to the state just south of where he was speaking. He began by calling Cox "a man I'm very proud of. He's got a tough race, but I'm very proud of him. Because you have a RINO governor in Maryland. His name is Larry Hogan."

The crowd let out a cascade of boos at the mention of Hogan. "I think he wants to run for president," Trump continued, before deploying his favorite stump-speech insult about Hogan's physical appearance. "I said you got to look in the mirror first; it's not going to work. Not going to work," Trump said to guffaws from the audience. 

"But he's a real RINO," Trump continued. "And he doesn't want [Cox], because this man is all for our country. His name is Dan Cox, and he beat, he beat Larry Hogan's candidate by, like, 20 points with my endorsement. And he's doing fantastically." 

Trump speaking about his endorsee for
Maryland governor, Dan Cox (left);
Cox stands to acknowledge applause from
the crowd

Trump then turned toward where Cox was sitting just beyond the stage. "Dan," he said, "congratulations."

But Trump couldn't resist returning to his favorite East Coast punching bag, Hogan, once again. "And Larry Hogan - and this is my fault, I'm sorry, Dan - but Larry Hogan is not going to be supporting you, only because I am supporting you. So, I don't know what that means, but I can tell you that Maryland has a great man running, and I hope you're going to do well and we'll be out there helping you, okay? Thank you very much. Good. I have a feeling you'll do very well."

Photos via Dan Cox for Governor campaign

Thursday, September 1, 2022

Maryland governor candidates Dan Cox, Wes Moore to square off in TV debate October 12


After declining several invitations to debate Republican Dan Cox, Democrat Wes Moore has accepted an invite extended to both Maryland gubernatorial candidates from WBAL and Maryland Public Television. The debate is scheduled to take place on October 12, 2022 at 7:00 PM. It will be broadcast live on WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and FM 101.5, WBAL-TV 11 in Baltimore, Maryland Public Television statewide, and on NBC4 in the Washington, D.C. area.

Unless Moore agrees to further debates, this will be a high pressure forum, particularly for Cox. With far less broadcast advertising money than Moore has at his disposal, this will be a key opportunity for Cox to speak to a substantial TV and radio audience of likely voters. Cox is also in a rare scenario where the current governor of his own party affiliation - Larry Hogan - is refusing to help him in any way, due to Hogan's ongoing feud with Donald Trump. Trump endorsed Cox over Hogan's choice of Kelly Schulz in the GOP primary. 

"I look forward to the opportunity this October to contrast my vision and values with Dan Cox’s far-right agenda,” Moore said in a statement. “I am glad Wes Moore has finally accepted an invitation to debate with me," Cox said in his own statement this morning. "So far, he has refused or declined to respond to several requests, including those from Morgan State University and the Maryland Federation of NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association). I would like to thank MPT and WBAL for this opportunity. I look forward to letting the voters of Maryland see the candidates live, in person and unfiltered."

Monday, August 29, 2022

Maryland governor candidate Wes Moore won't debate GOP rival Dan Cox at Morgan State University


Wes Moore, Democratic nominee for governor of Maryland, has declined a debate invitation from Morgan State University. MSU is the largest among the state's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox accepted the invitation, and said he will debate an empty chair representing Moore at MSU on September 27. According to The MSU Spokesman campus newspaper, which is hosting the debate, a Moore spokesperson provided the paper with a contradictory statement when asked why Moore would not accept the invite.

The Moore spokesperson said that the candidate would not debate Cox because Moore does not want to provide a platform "that amplifies his dangerous and decisive (sic) rhetoric." Yet, the spokesperson went on to say that Moore would debate "at the appropriate time and forum." Moore has so far declined at least two invitations by organizations that have invited him to debate Cox.

“The students at Morgan State University deserve inclusive treatment for their historic debate,” Cox said in a statement. "Moore should not discriminate against them, nor diminish the University’s leadership in political debates. Voters need to hear directly from their candidates, so they can make well-informed decisions on how to vote November 8th.” The Cox campaign said their candidate accepted the MSU invite "immediately."

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

President Joe Biden to speak at rally in Rockville on Thursday, August 25


President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will appear at a Maryland Democratic Party rally on Thursday, August 25, 2022 in Rockville at Richard Montgomery High School, located at 250 Richard Montgomery Drive. The rally, which will also feature Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore and Maryland comptroller nominee Brooke Lierman, will run from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Doors will open at 4:00 PM, and the official event page says attendees should be there no later than that time for an orderly check-in. 

Biden will arrive in Rockville tomorrow with a full head of steam politically. Over the past few weeks, the strong belief by many pundits that Republicans would gain full control of Congress in November's election has appeared increasingly doubtful, particularly in the Senate. Whether the President was responsible for gas prices falling or not, the issue of fuel costs is no longer a daily topic in the mainstream media. Biden scored one legislative victory after another this summer, steamrolling over seemingly-prone Republicans in Congress, and then took out an al-Qaeda leader for good measure. Polls within the last 24 hours show Biden's previously-dismal approval rating is rising from the mid-30s to the low-to-mid 40s, with plenty of runway ahead between now and Election Day.

Maryland supporters of President Donald Trump and Maryland GOP gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox appear to have more energy than the Republicans in Congress. They announced they will hold a "Freedom Rally" outside the Rockville Biden event tomorrow, and are asking fellow supporters to bring "flags and yard signs" to wave. "Show Joe Biden and Wes Moore that Maryland is a FREE state," the event flyer reads.

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Maryland governor candidate Dan Cox visits Montgomery County Fair


Dan Cox
, the Republican nominee for governor of Maryland, stopped by the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in Gaithersburg. The candidate met and spoke with voters, toured the exhibits and attractions, and visited the Montgomery County Republican Party tent. One stop of particular interest to the gubernatorial hopeful was the 4-H Sheep & Swine Club booth, where he participated in the 4-H raffle. Cox was a Champion sheep (Shropshire) showman and shepherd in Maryland 4-H from 1986-1991. 

Photo via Dan Cox for Governor

Saturday, August 13, 2022

Toys R Us at Macy's opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)


The Toys R Us at Macy's era is upon us at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Does it live up to the hype? Not entirely yet. Perhaps they are still getting organized here, but will otherwise have difficulty competing with the new FYE Alex Baby & Toys, which is delivering something closer to the Toys R Us experience in the Old Navy wing of the mall.


As I mentioned when the plan for the holiday pop-up shops was announced, one of the fundamental problems is that the Toys R Us experience can't be duplicated in a small format. Toys R Us was essentially a big-box store, a cavernous warehouse with aisle after aisle of toys. Even Target and Walmart can't match that with their toy sections. At the same time, the TV and movie-licensed products most popular at Toys R Us don't exactly fit the image of a Macy's department store, where you'd expect high end German teddy bears as a toy display.


The vibe right now is somewhere between Big Lots and Ross. Shelves are less than full in spots, and the displays could be more neatly presented in some cases, as you can see in the photos here. There isn't much that screams, "Toys R Us," besides the Geoffrey stand-ups. The overall aesthetic is going to require a bit more attention and juice before Black Friday to create a holiday atmosphere.


I'm beginning to wonder if the pop-up idea is simply an effort to prop up the value of the Toys R Us trademark by the new owners, to be able to resell or repurpose it down the road. The plan has gotten a lot of media attention for the brand name. But what does that brand name stand for? This is a nice and convenient way to pick up holiday gifts while doing your usual shopping at Macy's, but it is definitely not reproducing the Toys R Us experience for people who have actually been inside a real Toys R Us.








Thursday, August 11, 2022

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan samples Iowa State Fair pork chops, unveils "refund the police" plan in Nebraska


Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's potential quest to be the Republican presidential nominee in 2024 led him to the Iowa State Fair today, a required stop for any candidate on the road to the White House. Hogan joined Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) at the grill to prepare the fair's famous pork chops. Sampling the finished product, Hogan assured his Twitter followers that the juicy slab on a stick "lives up to the hype!"

Hogan joined Iowa
Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) at the
Iowa State Fair

Hogan's presidential snack came with a side dish of policy, as the two-term governor unveiled a "Plan of Action for Safer Communities" during an earlier stop in Nebraska. Referring to the calls of two summers ago to "defund the police" as "crazy," Hogan proposed a "refund the police" policy to fight rising crime. The plan also includes new proposals to crack down on violent criminals, address the opioid crisis, and secure the border. Hogan was hosted by GOP Congressman Don Bacon in Omaha, and also appeared as a guest on the Hugh Hewitt Show.



Photos via @LarryHogan on Twitter

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan calls for release of documents in FBI raid at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home


Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan yesterday called on the Biden administration to release documents related to Monday's FBI raid at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Hogan's statement raised some eyebrows, as he has been a leading Republican critic of Trump over the last several years. It came a little over two hours after a similar tweet by a newer critic of Trump, his own former Vice-President, Mike Pence. 

Pence and Hogan are both exploring runs for the White House in 2024, and positioning themselves as alternatives to Trump. But both men appeared to be competing for media attention yesterday with another potential 2024 rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had issued a far more muscular criticism of the raid on Twitter a day earlier.

"Even before yesterday’s events at Mar-a-Lago, America was already dangerously divided," Hogan said in his statement. “These are unprecedented circumstances that require unprecedented transparency and accountability from our government institutions. The American people deserve to know all the facts as soon as possible, and I call on the Biden administration to release—at a minimum—the documents authorizing the FBI search."

“If the federal government cannot ultimately provide overwhelming evidence that action was absolutely necessary, then it will only undermine faith in democracy and the rule of law, and further divide Americans.”


Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Trump-endorsed Maryland governor hopeful Dan Cox releases statement on FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago


Delegate Dan Cox, the Republican nominee for governor of Maryland, released a statement on yesterday's FBI raid of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. Trump has endorsed Cox in the race, and hosted him for a meeting at the estate earlier this summer. 

“[FBI Director Christopher] Wray, [President Joe] Biden, [Vice-President] Kamala [Harris] and [Attorney General Merrick] Garland are using their offices for their own political weaponization against Republicans, and our greatest President of the United States, who actually did what he said when elected and returned power to the people," Cox said. "Presidents have plenary powers to declassify and keep papers. This FBI raid of Trump’s home is nothing short of communist stasi police state tactics. It has no place in any civilization and never in America."

Cox also called on other GOP leaders in Maryland to speak out about the raid. "As the newly nominated leading top of the ticket of the Maryland Republican Party, I call on every Maryland Republican to make public statements tonight condemning the raid on President Trump’s home. This is not a time for silence."

Monday, August 8, 2022

Maryland governor candidate Wes Moore to hold fundraisers in the Hamptons, on Martha's Vineyard this month


Wes Moore
, the Democratic nominee for Maryland governor, will be raising funds with some boldfaced names in New York and Massachusetts in the coming weeks. Director Spike Lee will host Moore for a fundraising event at his home on Martha's Vineyard on August 14, CNBC reports. Attendees will pay $500 to $6000 to get inside Lee's Oak Bluffs mansion.

A week later, Moore will head to the Hamptons for a second fundraiser hosted by Dilation Capital hedge fund managing partner Brian Eizenstat and C-Street Advisory Group CEO Jon Henes. CNBC reports that ticket prices are the same for that event. Moore is only one of many gubernatorial and presidential candidates heading where the money is this month; Stacey Abrams, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Ben Sasse and Lee Zeldin all have similar events planned in the Hamptons.

Moore's travel itinerary has caught the attention of his Republican opponent, Dan Cox. In a fundraising email to supporters, Cox said that while Moore "is raising money from the international law firms and big pharmaceuticals and is in the Hamptons this month raising money from Oprah, C-Street globalists and power-hungry radicals, this week I was in the neighborhoods of West Baltimore hearing concerns of students and parents."

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Maryland governor candidate Dan Cox adds campaign staff, hires former Dave Brat campaign manager


Republican Maryland gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox announced Friday that he has expanded his campaign staff with several new hires. Chief among the additions is Southern Maryland native Zach Werrell as campaign manager. Werrell managed the upstart campaign of Republican Dave Brat when he ousted GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the 2014 Virginia primary, and Brat went on to win Cantor's congressional seat that November. He was only 23 when he helmed Brat's campaign, and is co-author of the book, How to Bag a RINO: The Whiz Kids Who Brought Down House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. 

Zach Werrell

Cox's other appointments include Lucy Kruse as Campaign Press Director, Kate Sullivan as Field Director, Patience Faith as Executive Assistant to Cox, Debbie Olsen to head the campaign's finance team, and Sallie Taylor as Campaign Office Director. In addition, the campaign announced captains and directors have been named for each county and region of the state.

"With our leadership and field team, we will successfully win Maryland with the issues that are most important to Marylanders: Protecting our children, community safety, and advancing a career-friendly atmosphere," Cox said in a statement Friday night. "We are here to unite all Marylanders under this banner.” Cox faces Democrat Wes Moore in the November election.

Photos via Dan Cox for Governor (top)/HowToBagARINO.com (bottom)

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Maryland governor candidate Dan Cox meets with Latino pastors in Montgomery County


Dan Cox
, the Republican nominee for governor of Maryland, met with a group that represents over 350 Latino pastors across the state Tuesday evening in Montgomery County. Following the event in Derwood, Cox said in a statement that the Hispanic pastors "are embracing family values with our campaign." Cox, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, has continued his outreach to diverse faith communities this week in a state where African-American and Latino voters hold significant electoral power. Earlier Tuesday, his campaign posted a photo of Cox praying with African-American pastors at a National Night Out event in Baltimore.



Photos courtesy Dan Cox for Governor campaign

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Trump DOD official endorses Dan Cox for Maryland governor


Kash Patel
, who served as former chief of staff to the acting U.S. Secretary of Defense during the administration of Donald Trump in 2020, today endorsed Dan Cox, the Republican nominee for governor in the state of Maryland. "Dan Cox has stood for our Constitution against the vicious onslaught of those who wish to undermine it," Patel said in a statement released by the Cox campaign this afternoon. "As a state delegate and attorney, he has fought for parental rights, safe schools and streets, and lower taxes. I fully endorse Dan Cox to be the next governor of Maryland!"

Cox has already been endorsed by Trump himself. Patel previously served as an aide to the House Intelligence Committee, and as a senior adviser to Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell. Trump was reported by Axios to have considered replacing Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspell with Patel. Last week, Axios reported that Patel is a leading candidate to serve as DNI, if Trump is reelected in 2024.

Friday, July 29, 2022

Maryland governor candidate Wes Moore to appear in Montgomery County August 1


Wes Moore
, the Democratic Party nominee for Maryland governor, will appear at a rally in Silver Spring Monday night, August 1, 2022 at 6:00 PM. The rally will be held at Veterans Plaza at 1 Veterans Place in downtown Silver Spring. Also scheduled to appear, are U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, and Democratic Maryland Comptroller candidate Brooke Lierman. The event is scheduled to run from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

Monday, July 25, 2022

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan accuses Donald Trump of "collusion" with national Democrats in Dan Cox victory


After taking a pounding from President Donald Trump since the blowout victory of Trump's chosen Republican candidate in the Maryland governor race, current Gov. Larry Hogan (R) made the rounds of Sunday talk shows to fire back. Hogan reiterated on CNN his belief that Cox will not win in November, and made an unsubtantiated new charge that Trump colluded with national Democrats to secure the nomination for Cox. 

There is no evidence of such collusion, and Hogan did not provide any on the program. CNN host Jake Tapper joined Hogan in falsely accusing Cox of being a QAnon supporter. "He embraced the QAnon insanity," Tapper said of Cox at the outset of his interview with Hogan. In fact, Cox has never spoken of QAnon during his campaign, much less "embraced" it. 

Cox's newly-nominated Democratic opponent Wes Moore called Cox "dangerous" for Maryland on Saturday, but did not employ the QAnon attack, instead pointing to Cox's "allegiance" to Trump. Cox responded that,"returning power to the people and ending the mandates Moore wishes to force upon us permanently is not dangerous, it is called freedom." 

Democratic gubernatorial nominee
Wes Moore; Gov. Larry Hogan (R) would
not commit to supporting Moore despite
saying he won't vote for the GOP nominee

Hogan has said he will not vote for Cox in November, but would not commit to voting for Moore on CNN Sunday. He was widely criticized for announcing he had voted for the late Ronald Reagan in the 2020 election, rather than supporting Trump's opponent, Joe Biden. Hogan may simply be out of touch with Maryland Republicans, who also nominated Michael Peroutka for Attorney General last Tuesday. Peroutka has been endorsed by Cox and shares his positions against pandemic "lockdowns, mandates, and violations of parental and medical rights." But Peroutka handily defeated moderate Republican James Shalleck, without any spending on his behalf by the Democratic Governors Association.

Photos via CNN (top)/Wes Moore for Governor

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Donald Trump rips into "RINO" Larry Hogan, gloats over Dan Cox win in Maryland at Arizona rally


President Donald Trump was in Arizona last night to campaign for Republican governor candidate Kari Lake, and U.S. Senate hopeful Blake Masters. But addressing a crowd of thousands at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Trump had Maryland on his mind. Specifically, the humiliating defeat his chosen GOP candidate, Dan Cox, had inflicted on Trump nemesis Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in the gubernatorial primary race there this past Tuesday night. Cox defeated Hogan-endorsed Kelly Schulz 54.05% to 41.83%.

Trump delivered several bodyslams to Hogan in last night's speech. He compared Hogan to retiring "RINO" Arizona governor Doug Ducey (R), ridiculed his physical appearance, needled the pre-election Cox skeptics on Fox News, and declared he had put a quick end to Hogan's rumored 2024 presidential run.

"We had a big win, though, you saw that in Maryland, right?" Trump began, digressing from a sales pitch on Masters' merits. "You have a RINO governor there, very much like Ducey, actually - just not as good-looking. Actually, Ducey's not great, but he's better looking than this guy...Hogan - Larry Hogan. Do you ever hear of him? Real RINO."

"And he supported somebody, and everybody said - I was watching Fox News, and they were saying, 'Oh, no, no,' the person he was supporting [Kelly Schulz], they have it made. And they said, one of the people said, 'Well, but this other person, Dan Cox, not a lot of people had heard about, but he's very good,' He said, 'Dan Cox has the Trump endorsement.' 'Well, no, I know, but this person has been around, she's gonna win.'...Dan Cox won by 19 points! And he'll be great. So much for Larry Hogan's presidential ambition. All he has to do is look into a mirror, and he'll say, 'It's not gonna work.'" 

Photo courtesy C-SPAN

Friday, July 22, 2022

Tom Perez on media calling Maryland governor race for Wes Moore: "Not so fast"


A number of news outlets declared Wes Moore the victor in the Democratic Maryland governor race today, and the campaign of Tom Perez is pushing back. "Put simply, it’s too early to call this race," Perez campaign manager Sean Downey said in a statement. "Yesterday was the first day of counting for the 212,962 recorded and received vote-by-mail ballots and it was a huge day for Tom Perez. He flipped multiple counties from election day and made major vote gains statewide, all while as many as 80,000 votes remain in Montgomery County — the largest remaining vote share and Tom's incredibly strong base."

Perez has led the race decisively in Montgomery County since vote-counting began Tuesday night, at times hold double the number of votes Moore had in the jurisdiction. A resident and former county councilmember in Montgomery, Perez is now clearly counting on a hometown mail-in vote bonanza to even up the statewide race.

Moore has led statewide in the early voting and Election Day counts. In addition to the over 200,000 mail-in ballots, there are also 15,630 provisional ballots to be reviewed and counted. The winner will face off against Green Party candidate Nancy Wallace, Libertarian candidate David Lashar, and Republican nominee Dan Cox in November.