A view of the Maryland State House with School Street in the foreground. Stock.adobe.com photo by Jeff66/Wirestock Creators.
Matthew J. Schindler, a former Hagerstown City Council member, is poised to join the Maryland House of Delegates in January.
Schindler was the unanimous choice of the Washington County Democratic Central Committee Thursday night when party leaders met to recommend a replacement for former Del. Brooke Grossman (D-Washington), who resigned earlier this month. Schindler’s name has been forwarded to Gov. Wes Moore (D), who has the final say on Grossman’s successor.
Schindler, 41, spent nine months as an appointed member of the council, losing a bid for a full term in November. In an interview Friday, Schindler said he was inspired to seek the House seat in part because of all the talk on the council about the city’s legislative priorities in Annapolis.
“It became very evident through my work on the Hagerstown City Council how the success of municipalities like ours depend on what happens at the state level,” he said.
Schindler, who does IT and cybersecurity work for a bank in his day job, beat out four other Democrats who sought the appointment: Pieter Bickford, an ex-member of the Washington County Board of Education and former news anchor on WHAG-TV; Tereance Moore, a business consultant; Aitza Haddad Núñez, a public school teacher and member of the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs; and Peter E. Perini Sr., a former Hagerstown City Council member and ex-county Democratic chair.
Grossman, who was elected in 2022 to represent District 2B, which is centered in Hagerstown, resigned because her family is moving out of state.
“It seemed very serendipitous when the news broke about Del. Grossman,” Schindler said. The House seat “seemed to be the perfect fit.”
Schindler will have to run a potentially competitive race for a full term in 2026, but for now, he said he’s focused on getting up to speed for the 2025 legislative session, which kicks off on Jan. 8. “I’m excited to get to work.”
Veteran legislative team seeking four more years
Speaking of 2026 legislative races, lawmakers from District 21 representing parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties — Sen. Jim Rosapepe and Dels. Ben Barnes, Mary Lehman and Joseline Peña-Melnyk, all Democrats — are out of the gate early, announcing Friday that all four would seek another term in 2026, and that they would run as a team.
“With the threats posed to our people by the MAGA Republicans in Washington, we need to put Marylanders first,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “We need to protect our neighborhoods, our workers, our seniors, our small businesses, and our children. We’ll do that for the next two years and are ready to continue the fight.”
District 21 has a seasoned and powerful delegation. Rosapepe, the vice chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, was elected to the Senate in 2006 and also spent 10 years in the House, with a stint as U.S. ambassador to Romania in between.
Barnes, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, was elected to his seat in 2006, and Peña-Melnyk is the chair of the House Health and Government Operations Committee. She was elected to her seat in 2006 after serving on the College Park City Council.
Lehman was elected to the House in 2018 after serving two terms on the Prince George’s County Council.
Along with their joint statement, the lawmakers individually laid out their priorities and accomplishments, with providing opportunity, affordability and stability a unifying theme.
Acevero for Henson in District 30 Senate scrum
As she competes for the District 30 Senate appointment, Del. Shaneka Henson (D-Anne Arundel), like her principal opponent, Del. Dana Jones (D-Anne Arundel), continues to roll out endorsements. The latest for Henson comes from Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery), a leading progressive voice in Annapolis.
“Black women have long been unsung architects in the fight for justice,” Acevero said on social media. “Shaneka Henson exemplifies this leadership. Her dedication to uplifting those whose voices are often silenced resonates deeply with the shared fight for dignity and justice that unites Black and LGBTQIA+ communities.”
Acevero also called Henson a “vital” voice in Annapolis, and a proven leader.
Henson and Jones are vying to replace outgoing Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D), who will be sworn in to Congress on Jan. 3. The Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee is accepting applications from people interested in seeking the appointment through 5 p.m. on Dec. 24. It has yet to announce when it will interview the candidates and vote to recommend a replacement to Moore, who makes the selection.
O’Malley’s march
As he seeks to become the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has issued a fundraising appeal for a political committee he’s created called Win Back Our Country. An emailed fundraising solicitation links to a 2-minute O’Malley video outlining how he plans to renew the Democratic Party’s message, strategy and tactics.
“Your donation will help me to reach all of the voting DNC members with my plan to rebuild, reconnect, re-engage, and win for the Democratic Party and share this critical message: I am the experienced leader our Party needs who is ready on day one to tackle our complex challenges, bring our big tent coalition together, and win elections across the country and at every level of government,” O’Malley writes. “America’s future and the future of the Democratic Party depend on our work right now. Thank you for your belief in me.”
O’Malley is one of at least half a dozen men vying to be the next DNC chair, though other candidates could still enter the race. The 400-plus voting members of the national committee are scheduled to elect their next chair when they meet in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 1.
Harry Dunn’s new target: Kash Patel
Fresh off his time on the campaign trail for Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats, former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who ran unsuccessfully for Maryland’s 3rd District congressional seat earlier this year, has a new goal: Stopping the nomination of Kash Patel to be FBI director.
Patel, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, has vowed to use the federal government to go after Trump’s perceived enemies, and this has given Dunn, who has been preaching the pro-democracy gospel since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, a new mission. Dunn met on Capitol Hill this week with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of the few congressional Republicans willing to criticize Trump, to press his case.
Dunn in a statement said he came away convinced that Murkowski is committed to “ensuring that the FBI’s leadership upholds the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and independence.”
“This nomination is disrespectful to the honorable law enforcement officers who serve our country,” Dunn continued. “The FBI’s mission requires unwavering impartiality and trust from the American people. Appointing someone with a history of radical partisanship, disqualifying scandals, and limited law enforcement experience jeopardizes the integrity of the Bureau and undermines public confidence in one of our nation’s most critical institutions.”
Washington’s new role
Baltimore City’s state senators have elected Sen. Mary Washington (D) to serve as their chair for the next two legislative sessions.
She represents the 43rd District, which runs roughly from the campus of Johns Hopkins University to the campus of Towson University in Baltimore County.
“As chair, I look forward to focusing on the best ways to leverage our collective strengths to ensure that we continue to pass laws during our time together in Annapolis that benefit all Marylanders and deliver meaningful results for the Baltimore residents, businesses, and institutions we serve,” Washington said in a statement.
She’ll work alongside Del. Melissa Wells (D), the new chair of the city’s House delegation.