Two of Maryland’s top political leaders visited the White House on the same day earlier this week.
House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones joined four other Black state house speakers from around the country for a meeting with White House officials on Monday. In the evening, Gov. Wes Moore attended a Black History Month event in the East Room.
The five Black speakers met with Julie Chavez Rodriguez, director of intergovernmental affairs, and Susan Rice, assistant to the president and domestic policy advisor, to discuss how they’re working with President Joe Biden’s administration “to deliver for working families in their states,” according to a recap from the White House.
“The White House officials thanked the Speakers for their leadership and congratulated them on their historic elections,” the White House said in its recap.
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Jones posted on social media that the speakers were invited to discuss their own priorities, a sign of the Biden administration’s “commitment to partnering with state legislatures.”
During the roundtable discussion, Jones shared some of her legislative priorities and efforts to positively impact economic and health outcomes for people of color, according to a Jones spokesperson. Jones also thanked the Biden administration for funding critical road projects in Prince George’s County and improvements at Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act money.
Later on Monday, Gov. Wes Moore and his wife, Dawn Flythe Moore, were among a few hundred people who attended a Black History Month celebration at the White House.
During the event, Biden spoke about his administration’s investments in historically Black colleges and universities, appointments of Black women in the federal judiciary, and awards of federal contracts to minority-owned businesses.
The governor posted a photo with his wife in front of a portrait of Michelle Obama at the White House.
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pamela.wood@thebaltimorebanner.com
brenda.wintrode@thebaltimorebanner.com
Former Lt. Governor becomes an author
Former Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford spent the last four years crisscrossing the state on a mission to visit every state park — and he’s turned those journeys into a publication.
“Rutherford’s Travels” is a small glossy book that documents his travels to all 76 parks in both words and photos.
“It’s really to share the experiences,” Rutherford said in a phone interview.
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The publication was pulled together in the waning days of the Hogan-Rutherford administration. Rutherford said he spotted some errors after the small print run, and his law firm (Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny) plans to print a larger batch.
“There are still some finishing touches to put on it,” he said.
A signing event and book giveaway is in the works, Rutherford said. The book won’t be for sale.
With his #LGStateParkBucketList behind him, we asked Rutherford an important question: Which was his favorite park?
He answered with not his favorite, but the park that turned out to be a pleasant surprise: Janes Island State Park near Crisfield on the lower Eastern Shore. The park has a portion on land and also a 2,900-acre island that’s a 5-minute trip in a motorboat or about a half an hour in a kayak or canoe.
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Rutherford said he visited the park at the best time of the year: October, when there are no mosquitos, biting flies or jellyfish.
pamela.wood@thebaltimorebanner.com
One conference, two Maryland governors
Gov. Wes Moore and former Gov. Larry Hogan don’t have much in common politically — except perhaps their opposition to former President Donald J. Trump — but they’ll both speak at a political conference in Washington, D.C., this weekend.
Moore, a Democrat, and Hogan, a Republican, are on the agenda for the Principles First summit, a conservative event that’s positioning itself as an alternative to the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference being held at National Harbor in Prince George’s County.
Principles First is an organization that describes itself as “leading the fight for principled conservatism.”
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Moore is scheduled to appear on a panel Saturday morning titled “American Elections: A Pillar of Democracy,” while Hogan is scheduled to open Sunday’s event with remarks that he’ll deliver via video.
Hogan continues to test the waters for a potential presidential run in 2024, where the announced major Republican candidates so far are Trump and Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina and former ambassador to the U.N. In early polling, Hogan continues to trail Trump, Haley and likely candidate Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida.
pamela.wood@thebaltimorebanner.com
Comings and goings
Mike Ricci, who was former Gov. Larry Hogan’s communications director, has landed a new gig as a partner with the bipartisan communications firm Seven Letter.
“You can’t find a steadier hand in navigating crisis than Mike Ricci,” Seven Letter founding partner and CEO Erik Smith said in a statement.
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In addition to working for Hogan, Ricci’s experience also includes running communications for then-Speaker John Boehner and then-Speaker Paul Ryan.
“His extensive background in the public sector makes him a tremendous resource both for our team internally and for the clients with whom we partner,” Smith’s statement said.
Seven Letter has offices in Washington, D.C., and Boston.
Ricci also is a fellow in crisis communications at Georgetown University this semester.
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