A Fight Brews In Baltimore, Comparing GOP Bona Fides, A Rare Bipartisan Agreement, More In Notes

By Bryan P. Sears and William J. Ford, Maryland Matters

August 22, 2025

Del. Malcolm P. Ruff (D-Baltimore City) said Thursday he will seek the District 41 Senate seat next year in a rematch, of sorts, against Sen. Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City).

The two squared off in January when both were in the House and looking to fill the seat vacated by then-Sen. Jill P. Carter (D), who resigned after being nominated by Gov. Wes Moore (D) to serve on the State Board of Contract Appeals. The Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee ended up choosing Attar on a 5-3 vote.

With Moore’s confirmation of her nomination, Attar became the first Orthodox Jewish woman to serve in the Senate. Attar, who previously worked as an assistant state’s attorney in the city, was elected to the House in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Ruff, who is also an attorney, was tapped for his House seat in 2023 by Moore, after the central committee deadlocked 4-4 on candidates to fill another vacancy and sent two names for the governor to choose from.

But Ruff told a crowd of a couple hundred people at a rally-like event Thursday at Gwynn Falls/Leakin Park that he has proven himself since taking office as “a legislator who delivers for my district. I have the trust and support of the people who know me and who have seen my work and who believe in the future that we can build together.”

The crowd included Carter, the former senator, who introduced Ruff to speak,. Others who took the microphone included Dayvon Love, public policy director with Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, and a member of the central committee who supported Ruff in January; City Council Vice President Sharon Green Middleton; and Evan Serpick with Jews United for Justice.

It also included prominent Baltimore attorney William H. “Billy” Murphy Jr., whose firm employs Ruff as a trial attorney. “We only hire the best. We don’t hire punks. If you’re a punk, go someplace else,” Murphy said to several chuckles in the crowd.

Besides Attar and Ruff, the rest of the District 41 delegation includes the legislature’s longest-serving member in Del. Samuel I. “Sandy” Rosenberg, who was first elected in 1982, and the General Assembly’s newest member in Del. Sean Stinnett, who was sworn in to replace Attar in March. All are Democrats.

In a nearby part of the city…

At the same time as Ruff’s event, Crystal Jackson Parker announced to her supporters Thursday she plans to seek a House seat from neighboring District 40.

Jackson Parker, 58, served on the city’s Democratic Central Committee between 2018 to 2022. She ran unsuccessful for the House in 2022, finishing sixth among eight candidates who were seeking three nominations in the Democratic primary that year.

The current delegates representing that district, all Democrats, are Marlon Amprey, Frank Conaway Jr. and Melissa Wells.

Jackson Parker is the founder of the North Avenue and Hilton Street Business and Community Task Force. Last year, it was awarded a $250,000 grant as part of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement’s neighborhood policing plan. The native Baltimorean was the first person in her immediate family to graduate high school and went on to get an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and law degree from the University of Baltimore.

Part of her campaign platform includes investing in youth programs, expanding early childhood education and supporting small businesses and older adults. She summarized part of her life story on her website, as a 9-year-old diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic autoimmune disease that attacks the kidneys.

“Doctors told me I wouldn’t live past the age of 25. They told me I’d face a lifetime of pain, kidney failure and experimental treatments,” she wrote. “My story isn’t just about survival; it’s about service. I’ve dedicated my life to Baltimore because I know what it’s like to struggle, and I know what it takes to overcome.”

Hale dismisses Hershey criticism: ‘I don’t even know him.’

Maryland’s newly minted Republican gubernatorial candidate may know business but he doesn’t know many of the players in his new party.

Ed Hale, who announced Wednesday he would switch parties and seek the GOP nomination for governor, dismissed criticism from Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr (R-Upper Shore), who characterized Hale as a political opportunist who is not anchored in Republican values.

Baltimore businessman Ed Hale Sr. during a campaign event in Canton. Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.)

Hale, who is only declared but not formally filed, pooh-poohed Hershey and his criticism, saying in an interview on WBAL radio he’s more of a Republican than Hershey.

“I don’t even know him,” said Hale.

The Baltimore businessman, who until Wednesday was a lifelong Democrat, said meeting payroll, hiring employees and adhering to all the different things I built in my life” made him more of a Republican than Hershey.

Hale announced he would switch parties to run for governor, citing his own campaign polling he said showed Moore would be difficult to beat in a primary. The announcement drew a swift critique from Hershey, who questioned Hale’s motives and characterized him as a political opportunist in a statement sent to reporters Wednesday. Hale on Thursday described the statement sent to reporters as “a nasty-gram.”

Hale, in the Thursday morning interview, dismissed Hershey and his criticism.

“And I don’t even care about that guy,” Hale said. “I really don’t. When asked about him, I don’t care.”

Coming together for Western Maryland

Who says bipartisanship is dead?

Well, pretty much everyone, to be honest, but there was a rare example of it out of Washington this week.

That’s when all 10 members of Maryland’s congressional delegation — the nine Democrats and the sole Republican member, 1st District Rep. Andy Harris — put their signatures on a letter to President Donald Trump (R), urging him to declare a federal disaster in Allegany and Washington counties in the wake of severe flooding there in May.

Cost of Western Maryland flood damage more than doubles; state to appeal FEMA aid denial

“Extreme rainfall” from May 12 to 14 in Western Maryland inundated parts of Allegany and Garrett counties, pushing George’s Creek to surge to more than 12 feet above major flood stage, while Wills Creek in Cumberland rose 8 feet, and the Potomac River also flooded. Midland, Lonaconing and Westernport were among the hardest-hit communities, with floodwaters inundating homes, schools and businesses, washing out roads and damaging pipelines.

The state identified $17.9 million in damages it said qualified for federal relief, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency last month denied the state’s request without explanation. Gov. Wes Moore (D) vowed an appeal which came this week, when he wrote Trump to say the eligible damages now stand at $33.7 million, “nearly triple” the threshhold that would typically qualify the state for federal assistance.

The congressional letter cited Moore’s latest letter, saying the damages “clearly met disaster assistance criteria” established by FEMA. Relief is “necessary and warranted” said the lawmakers, who urged the president to approve a declaration.

“As the new school year begins and winter approaches, we echo the Governor’s concerns that without the requested assistance, the most vulnerable in these communities will be directly impacted,” the lawmaker’s letter said. “These assessments support the need for the requested declaration and assistance…. We urge you to expeditiously review and approve Maryland’s appeal and grant a major disaster declaration for the flooding of May 13, 2025.”

New fiscal year, new faces for pension board

The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System Board of Trustees welcomed three new trustees last week, along with a new public adviser to the Investment Committee, as part of what the board touted in a press release as “a refreshed governance structure as of the start of the fiscal year.”

Trustees Vernon A. Reid Jr. and Scott Nicewarner began their terms on July 1, along with Public Advisor Joanna Pratt. Trustee Vickrant Puri began his term on Aug. 1. All were formally welcomed at the Aug. 19 meeting of the board.

“With these appointments, the Board benefits from a rich blend of expertise spanning public service, education, finance and investment management,” System Executive Director Martin Noven said in a prepared statement. “Each new trustee and advisor brings valuable experience that will strengthen our stewardship of the retirement system on behalf of Maryland’s public employees and retirees.”

Puri, a Baltimore County Public Schools personal finance teacher, has prior banking industry expertise and was elected by active and retired members of the Teachers’ Systems. He joins the Investment Committee and the Corporate Governance and Securities Litigation Committee, and his term runs through July 31, 2029.

Reid and Nicewarner are both gubernatorial appointees and both serve until June 30, 2029. Reid is retired after decades with T. Rowe Price and will serve on the Administrative Committee. Nicewarner is the Hagerstown city administrator and will join the Audit and Administrative committees.

Pratt’s appointment follows the departure of Michael K. Barry. She has more than 20 years of experience managing endowments and foundations, and will provide independent expertise in managing large investments. She is selected by the board for a three-year term, but her appointment is subject to approval by the Board of Public Works.