Md. legislators get high marks from consumer group — but not GOP

A consumer advocacy group is giving state lawmakers high scores for passing laws in the 2014 General Assembly session that raise the minimum wage and reduce the impact of foreclosures.

The Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, a nonprofit whose mission includes advancing fairness and justice for consumers, also released four-year scores that depicted state lawmakers as generally favorable to consumer issues. Only nine of 47 senators and 46 of 141 delegates got four-year scores lower than 80%

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Updating Assembly candidates: General Election roundup of races

Our post primary roundup of candidates for General Assembly shows only the winners of June 24 primary. It includes every candidate that will appear in the General Election for 47 Senate seats and 141 in the House, along with their endorsements, and their cash on hand before the primary.

A handy list shows the 35 candidates who have no opponent in the fall — 14 for Senate and 21 for the House. A separate list shows the 10 incumbents who lost reelection bids, and there is also a list of 46 incumbents who are retiring from the legislature or are running for other offices.

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Democratic establishment largely prevails from top to bottom, as few State House incumbents lose

It was a good night for Democratic incumbents in the legislature and the Democratic establishment throughout the state as favored candidates from top to bottom did well in Tuesday’s primary. There were only nine State House incumbents who lost, while newcomers backed by incumbents won. The Republican establishment did not fare quite as well, losing two incumbent senators. This article contains a rundown of scores in contested primary contests.

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Senate Republican leader Brinkley challenged from the right

In a legislature where the GOP is already drowned out by the majority Democrats, Senate Republicans are in danger of losing a voice many Democrats have come to respect in SEnate Minority Leader David Brinkley. Brinkley, 54, faces a younger, energized challenger in Del. Michael Hough, 20 years his junior, who insists that Brinkley’s conservative record just isn’t conservative enough for the constituents of District 4 in Frederick and Carroll counties

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In PG District 26, Sen. Muse has two strong challengers

Brian Woolfolk, who has never served in the state legislature, is running against two opponents with significant legislative experience representing District 26, which runs along the Potomac River in southern Prince George’s County.
He is challenging incumbent Sen. C. Anthony Muse, who has served two terms in the Senate and three terms in the House of Delegates before that, and Del. Veronica Turner, who is challenging her own state senator with significant union backing

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In District 18, Madaleno vs. Beyer: The gay liberal incumbent senator has an even more progressive transgender challenger

An unusual political matchup pitting Maryland’s only openly gay senator against a transgender woman has emerged as one of the more fiery races before the June 24 primary.

Sen. Richard Madaleno, the Democratic incumbent of District 18 in Montgomery County, faces a former county council aide, Dana Beyer, a retired surgeon and long-time transgender rights activist and lobbyist

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