Governor Backs Jawando, Dozens of Other Candidates Before June 23 Vote
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore issued a broad set of endorsements Friday covering county executive, school board, county council, and state legislative races, expanding a political effort that began last month ahead of the state’s June 23 Democratic primary.
The most prominent of Friday’s picks was Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando, whom Moore backed for the Democratic county executive nomination — the only county executive candidate Moore endorsed in this round. “We have delivered enormous progress for the people of Maryland since taking office, but there is still more work to do, and Will Jawando is a leader who will help us finish the job in Montgomery County,” Moore said.
Other Montgomery County endorsements included Scott Goldberg for an at-large council seat and Drew Morrison for the District 1 council seat.
McCaskill Added After Being Left Out Last Month
Del. Aletheia McCaskill, a Baltimore County Democrat, received Moore’s backing for reelection after being left out of the governor’s first round of endorsements the previous month. Ryan Turner was endorsed for one of three District 41 delegate seats in Baltimore City. Baltimore City Sheriff Sam Cogen also earned Moore’s support for another term.
In Anne Arundel County, Moore backed Council Chair Julie Hummer for reelection, and in Prince George’s County, Antwan Brown received the governor’s endorsement for register of wills — a seat being vacated by Cereta Lee, who was the first Black official to hold the position following her initial election in November 2006.
In total, Moore issued endorsements for nine county council candidates across Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties, and for 12 school board seats spanning Baltimore City, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties.
Early voting opens June 11 and runs through June 18, with the primary scheduled for June 23.
Federal Energy Data Error Overstated Maryland Price Spike
Separately, Maryland residents received qualified good news on energy costs after federal data showing a dramatic spike in electricity prices turned out to be wrong.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration had posted figures indicating that Maryland residential electricity rates rose 89 percent between March 2025 and March 2026, placing the state second-highest in the nation at 35 cents per kilowatt-hour. The figures drew concern, as they would have represented a severe burden on households already dealing with elevated utility costs. Federal energy policy has drawn scrutiny in Maryland on several fronts this year.
Staff at the Maryland Public Service Commission identified the discrepancy when the data failed to align with known utility rate information. After the commission flagged the error, the EIA issued corrected figures showing a 17 percent year-over-year increase, with Maryland’s actual rate standing at 22.2 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Commission Chair Kumar Barve credited his staff for catching the mistake. “I want to commend our staff for noticing that this data did not align with information we have on utility rates and for asking EIA to revise their charts,” he said.
While the corrected rate is considerably lower than what was initially published, Maryland still ranks among the higher-cost states nationally. Roughly a dozen states reported rates above Maryland’s corrected figure. Washington, D.C., by comparison, averaged 25 cents per kilowatt-hour. Rising energy costs remain a significant concern for Maryland households, a pressure felt alongside broader economic strains facing residents. Homelessness in the state climbed 17 percent in the most recent national count, reflecting wider affordability challenges.
Context: A Busy Pre-Primary Period
Moore’s endorsement activity reflects the competitive nature of Maryland’s Democratic primary landscape, where gubernatorial backing can carry significant weight in down-ballot races. By extending his support to candidates who were initially left off his endorsement list, Moore broadened his political footprint heading into a primary that will shape the composition of county governments and the state legislature for the next several years.
The energy data correction, meanwhile, highlights the practical consequences of federal statistical errors — in this case, one that briefly made Maryland appear to face a far more severe electricity affordability crisis than current data supports, even as the corrected figures still show meaningful year-over-year price growth.