🆓 MARYLAND WIRE NOTES & MEDIA ROUNDUP
Quick reads, lateral moves, and verified news from around the Free State.
State Operations & Half-Staff Alert: State agencies resumed normal business operations today, November 12, following the Veterans Day holiday. Per executive order from Governor Wes Moore, Maryland flags are flying at half-staff from sunrise to sunset today in honor of former State Delegate Dennis C. McCoy, per the Maryland Secretary of State Flag Status Portal.
SHA Statewide Pavement Engineering Q&A Cutoff: Following the November 6 pre-proposal conference for SHA’s $12.6 million Statewide Pavement Management Engineering Services contract (BCS 2026-05), written vendor questions closed this week on eMMA ahead of technical proposal submissions, per the SHA BCS 2026-05 Public Notice.
Board of Public Works November 18 Agenda Live: The BPW has posted its updated agenda for the upcoming Wednesday, November 18, 2026 meeting on the BPW Meeting Documents Portal, alongside the newly published 2027 BPW Meeting Schedule.
WSSC Water Early Engagement Vendor Sessions: WSSC Water is hosting upcoming early engagement vendor briefings for Accelerated Sewer System Inspection Technology (November 16) and Commission-Wide Tree Trimming, Removal, and Disposal Services (November 19), listed on the WSSC Water Events & Procurement Portal.
Montgomery County Public Schools Core Internet RFP: MCPS is accepting proposals through November 25, 2026, for telecommunications and Internet Access Services covering approximately 255 school sites (RFP MO27-47001-270000847 / BPM059350), available via the MCPS Procurement Bid Record.
Environmental & Delmarva Infrastructure Updates: Environmental advocacy groups are pressing state leaders to eliminate funding for Maryland’s $15 million Animal Waste Fund over delivery shortfalls, while routine inspections of both Route 90 bridges into Ocean City begin next week in Worcester County, according to WGMD Delmarva News.
Have a Tip or Story Idea?
Want to see your company featured in Wired Maryland? Help us cover the full landscape. Tell us what your team is building, what’s exciting, or pass along an intelligence tip. On or off the record—our door is open.
💡 Direct email to
barry@themarylandwire.comor reach Barry directly via text or phone at 570-447-4395 (text preferred for fastest response; voice calls returned as available).
Wes Moore’s next book: “Repair,” out March 9
Gov. Wes Moore has a sixth book coming — “Repair: Healing a Divided Nation,” from Henry Holt, 320 pages, out March 9, 2027. The publisher calls it “a bold interrogation of where America falls short, what we still do right, and how we rebuild, together.” Moore says he won’t run in 2028, but the Banner reads the book as another sign he may be weighing a run for higher office, and the Associated Press notes that book releases are standard for White House candidates. “In Maryland, I’ve seen what happens when good people do hard things, even in the face of unimaginable odds,” Moore said of the book, which he announced fresh off his reelection landslide.
Source: Baltimore Banner
The new 2028 power brokers are already taking calls
POLITICO reports the 2028 race is already playing out in the phone calls of the new Democratic power brokers: Sen.-elect Annie Andrews has fielded multiple calls from potential presidential candidates since Election Day, and she, Rep.-elect Nancy Lacore and Rep. Jim Clyburn meet on Capitol Hill for the first time Wednesday to plan how the delegation works together. Clyburn adviser Antjuan Seawright says the three will have a tremendous opportunity to entertain and introduce South Carolina to the potential candidates. Moore is among the contenders who have already reached out to winners — he called Nevada Gov.-elect Aaron Ford — and Andrews met Republican Sen. Tim Scott on Tuesday, with both pledging to work together in the Senate.
Source: Greenville Online
MCIC’s second annual summit is tomorrow in Mount Rainier
The Maryland Community Investment Corporation — the state-chartered instrumentality created by Moore’s HB 599, Maryland’s first state-sponsored Community Development Entity for New Markets Tax Credits — holds its second annual summit, “From the Beltway to Baltimore,” tomorrow, Friday, November 13, at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier. CEO Michael Pokorny, formerly of the Reinvestment Fund, leads the outfit, and the board is chaired by Comptroller Brooke Lierman, with Moore cabinet secretaries — including Jake Day at Housing and Community Development — on the board. Details per MCIC’s October 20 LinkedIn post.
McIntosh’s lead grows to 1,355; Jones vows Lutherville Station moves either way
Democrat Shawn McIntosh’s lead over Republican Councilman Nino Mangione in Baltimore County’s District 5 grew to 1,355 votes as of Tuesday night, with more mail and provisional ballots still to count; about 12,000 provisional ballots are expected to be canvassed today, and certification is due Friday, November 13. County Executive-elect Julian Jones said Wednesday he will push the long-stalled Lutherville Station redevelopment forward no matter who wins the seat — Mangione had been working on an agreement adding community protections, while McIntosh has said she supports the project but wants neighbors more involved. The race, for a seat Republicans have held for 32 years, is still uncalled.
Source: Good Morning Towson
Adrian Boafo heads to freshman orientation with federal workers on his mind
At freshman orientation in Washington, newly elected House Democrats — including Maryland Rep.-elect Adrian Boafo — vowed to focus on affordability and accountability ahead of taking office in early January, with Democrats controlling at least 255 seats. Boafo prioritized help for federal workers affected by downsizing.
Source: Maryland Matters
Anthony Brown joins 16 attorneys general pressing the Senate on permitting reform
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general urging the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works and Energy and Natural Resources committees to postpone a vote on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 — the permitting reform bill — until further revisions ensure it meets its stated goals and includes appropriate environmental and public health protections. The coalition warns the draft would harm states’ and tribes’ ability to protect resources under the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
Source: MarylandFeed
Former DNR Secretary Ron Franks dies at 84
C. Ronald Franks, who served as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources from 2003 to 2007 under Gov. Robert Ehrlich, died Saturday, November 7. Franks, a dentist and fly-fishing outfitter who owned Winchester Creek Outfitters in Grasonville, also served in the House of Delegates from 1991 to 1995. DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz praised Franks’ impact on oyster restoration and the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Visitation is Monday, November 23, in Centreville.
Source: MarylandFeed
Moore honors veterans at Crownsville
Gov. Wes Moore delivered remarks Wednesday at Crownsville State Veterans Cemetery for the Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony, at one of five state-owned veterans cemeteries managed by the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families. The event drew 75 veterans, family members, and elected officials, with music by the Maryland Defense Force Band, a wreath-laying, and a rifle volley by the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard. The administration recently announced a $23 million investment to support veterans and military families.
Source: MarylandFeed
Hispanic Chamber infrastructure summit today in Baltimore; Coker to speak
The Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosts its 2026 Infrastructure Summit today, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Engineers Club of Baltimore, 11 West Mount Vernon Place, bringing together government officials, industry leaders, and contractors to discuss infrastructure projects, investment forecasts, and contracting opportunities for minority-owned and diverse businesses. Among the confirmed speakers is Harry Coker Jr., secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce; representatives associated with the Maryland State Highway Administration are also listed among the speakers and invitees.
Source: Potomac24
The invisible lobbyists: the money work that never touches the registry
The Wire’s new piece argues the lobbying registry only measures one kind of work — walking into a hearing room and asking a legislator for a vote — while the biggest money in Maryland gets structured off the registry entirely: the bond deals, the public-private partnerships, the tax appeals, and the zoning dockets that decide what gets built and who pays for it. Legislative lobbying is passing a bill; transactional public affairs is keeping a multi-million-dollar deal inside the law while the state moves the money, and the firms that do the second kind are the ones a general counsel calls first — most never file a registration for it, because the law does not ask them to.
Source: The Maryland Wire
IonQ and Carahsoft open a quantum lane into Maryland IT contracts
College Park quantum hardware developer IonQ and Reston-based public-sector aggregator Carahsoft Technology Corp. have formally announced a strategic partnership to bring IonQ’s full-stack quantum platforms to state, local, and federal government entities — and the Wire’s new piece explains what it means for Maryland procurement. As the Department of Information Technology rolls out its new Technical Acquisition Team to enforce rapid-validation IT procurement, Carahsoft’s contract infrastructure — including DoIT’s CATS+ framework, GSA schedules, and NASA SEWP — lets Maryland agencies buy quantum compute taskings without waiting for standalone RFP cycles.
Source: The Maryland Wire
The big boys in the county lobbying game
Everybody in Annapolis knows the state game — the lobbyists register with the State Ethics Commission and the filings are public — but the county game is different: there is no single registry, there are five of them, one for each of the counties that matter, and each keeps its books its own way. The Wire’s new piece goes county by county — Montgomery, Prince George’s, Baltimore City, and Howard — asking who the big boys are in each; Baltimore County is coming in its own piece, because the county will not show its list. Montgomery shows the money down to the dollar; Prince George’s has a king; Baltimore City belongs to one firm; Howard belongs to one woman.
Source: The Maryland Wire
Woman of Distinction: Dawn Flythe Moore, First Lady of Maryland
When Dawn Flythe Moore stepped onto the inauguration stage in Annapolis on January 18, 2023, she made history as Maryland’s first African-American First Lady. Yet for anyone familiar with Maryland’s political landscape, her arrival at Government House was not an introduction—it was a homecoming. Long before her husband, Wes Moore, became the state’s 63rd governor, Dawn Flythe Moore had already spent decades walking the halls of the State House, shaping policy, building coalitions, and dedicating her life to public service.
Born in Bayside, Queens, New York, to a union crane operator and a public school music teacher, Moore was raised with a deep appreciation for community advocacy and working families. She brought that ethos to the University of Maryland, College Park, earning a Bachelor of Arts in government and politics alongside a certificate in women’s studies in 1997.
Rather than leaving her adopted home state after graduation, she immediately dove into Maryland public service. Over the next decade, she built a formidable career behind the scenes of state government:
* State Government Leadership: She began in the Maryland Secretary of State’s office, rising quickly to become Director of the Community and Intergovernmental Relations Division.
* Executive Advising: She served as a senior policy advisor to Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and later acted as field director during the 2002 gubernatorial campaign.
* Chief of Staff: Following the 2006 election, she was tapped by Lieutenant Governor-elect Anthony Brown to serve as his director of intergovernmental affairs and subsequently as his chief of staff.
Since becoming First Lady, Moore has used her platform to champion initiatives rooted in equity, economic opportunity, and community wellness. Her core priorities include supporting military families—highlighted by her legislative advocacy for the Families Service Act to expand employment opportunities for military spouses—alongside mental health awareness, youth development, and women’s economic empowerment.
A passionate advocate for arts and culture, Moore has also transformed Government House into a more inclusive reflection of the state it represents. Partnering with institutions such as the Maryland State Archives, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, she spearheaded efforts to curate artwork inside the historic residence that honors Maryland’s rich and diverse heritage. Her leadership and lifelong commitment to the state were recognized in 2025 with her induction into the University of Maryland Alumni Hall of Fame.
Balancing her public duties with family life in Annapolis alongside Governor Moore and their two children, Mia and James, Dawn Flythe Moore exemplifies purposeful leadership—proving that true distinction comes not just from making history, but from opening doors for others t
o follow.