Archive for The Baltimore Banner

Half of Marylanders give positive marks to Gov. Wes Moore’s performance in office, according to a new poll from two Annapolis-based advocacy firms.

The approval represents a slight slip for the Democratic governor, who has topped 50% approval in polls since taking office in January 2023.

Blended Public Affairs, an Annapolis public relations firm, conducted a survey with names of previously known candidates and asked residents what they wanted to see from a future executive. Inflation and cost of living and crime/public safety were identified as top concerns. Nearly half of respondents surveyed said they would support an infrastructure fee to upgrade schools, libraries and fire stations.

Blended found that while Klausmeier led the pack in name recognition, most voters did not know enough about her or any of the other candidates to have an opinion.

Harborplace was a sensation, drawing millions of visitors, but over time it lost its luster, traded hands and fell into disrepair. Last June, an LLC created by Bramble bought Harborplace for nearly $83 million after its previous owner defaulted on a loan and the property came under the control of a court-appointed receiver, records show. He beat other developers vying for the project.

According to Bramble and MCB, the designs were based on a massive amount of public input solicited both online and during in-person community meetings throughout the city. But he also knew the plans would face pushback.

Behind the scenes, Bramble hired Alexandra Hughes, a longtime political operative in Annapolis, to handle public relations. According to briefing documents obtained by The Baltimore Banner in a public records request, Hughes identified several controversial points ahead of the plan’s public release:

Why spend so much public money on a single project in Baltimore instead of other areas in Maryland? Does the project need apartments? And will they be priced for the average Baltimorean? Can this project attract enough retailers? Or would it just cannibalize retail from other areas of the city?

Illustration Featured: Alex Fine for the Baltimore Banner

Maryland has an open seat in the U.S. Senate up for election this year that’s drawing national attention, with control of the chamber hanging in the balance. That means there’s plenty of polling, as the candidates and other interested parties search for indications of which way voters will go.