By Steve Crane | Editor-in-chief
“I am keenly present to the fact that I would not be standing here before you were it not for these brave individuals, whose actions and whose sacrifices, and generations of brave individuals who stood for something greater. They stood for greater freedom, for greater justice, for greater harmony. They stood for the possibility of a greater nation” - Sculptor Branly Cadet at the unveiling of his work at the State House honoring Black patriots from Maryland who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Welcome back to the working week. In the pause before Election Day, when the next chapter of history will be written, we take a minute to look back on a forgotten chapter of Maryland history.
State officials Sunday unveiled a new monument to the 15o or so Black Marylanders who fought in the American Revolution, part of the more than 5,000 Black soldiers across colonial America who fought. The new memorial on the State House grounds took the place of a former monument to Maryland native Roger Brooke Taney, the chief justice of the United States who wrote the Dred Scott decision. Bryan P. Sears has that story.
More than a million Marylanders have already cast ballots, but those who head to the polls Tuesday can expect a safe and secure experience, despite the headlines, and verified results after, said Jared DeMarinis, the state’s election administrator. Those comments, and a discussion of how election officials across the state have prepared for potential problems, came during a wide-ranging interview with Capital News Service’s Joe Wicke.
Those stories, and a look at how state vineyards are starting to rebuild after a devastating freeze destroyed their crop this year, are below, along with a roundup of headlines from the past week. And don’t forget our election contest — you have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to get your entry in. Read up and enter to get your week going. Enjoy!
Branly Cadet, a California-based sculptor, designed the monument honoring 150 Black Revolutionary War Soldiers from Maryland. The monument also recognizes the contributions made by Black women during the war. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
By Bryan P. Sears
A nearly forgotten part of Maryland's Revolutionary War history is now permanently enshrined on the grounds of the Maryland State House.
A new monument, called "Black Patriots, The Pursuit of Transcendent Liberty," commemorates the roughly 150 Black Marylanders — some free, some enslaved— who fought against the British during the Revolutionary War.
The bronze-and-granite memorial features Thomas Carney, a free Black Marylander, who was born on the Eastern Shore in 1752 or 1754 and enlisted in 1777. He fought in battles including the Battle of Germantown and the Siege of Ninety-six in South Carolina, where legend credits him with carrying a wounded Maj. Gen. Perry Benson off the battlefield and saving his life, according to the American Battlefield Trust.
The new statues sit where a monument to Maryland native Roger Brooke Taney once stood before being quietly removed in 2017. Taney was chief justice of the United States when he wrote the 1857 Dred Scott decision, denying citizenship, and constitutional rights, to Black Americans.
Prince George's County voters cast their ballots Tuesday during early voting at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center in Landover. A state elections official predicted Election Day voting would be safe and secure. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)
By Joe Wicke
Maryland’s top election official said voters across the state can trust the electoral process on Election Day, despite claims by some of potential voter fraud and rigged elections nationally.
“It is safe, secure, verified,” Jared DeMarinis, Maryland’s state administrator of elections, told Capital News Service. “I think the verified part is important. It’s open and transparent.”
DeMarinis said voters should also not be dissuaded by threats of intimidation. The Maryland State Board of Elections said Tuesday the agency was notified by the U.S. Department of Justice that election monitors will be sent to Prince George’s County to monitor compliance with language provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The practice is not uncommon, but in a climate when federal officials have not ruled out sending federal troops to polls, some election officials and civil rights groups are worried about the impact on voters.
IN OTHER NEWS
Election Day draws curtain on contentious campaigns: When the polls close Tuesday night, the 2026 U.S. election will go down as one of the most expensive and ugly midterms — galvanizing record-breaking voter turnout in a deeply divided electorate.
Medicaid work requirements eased: Medicaid recipients who are disabled or have a chronic illness will not have to prove they are unable to work to be exempted from work requirements taking effect next year, a federal judge ruled, while upholding other rules.
Wineries, vineyards begin slow rebuild: Vineyards across Maryland that were devastated by a late freeze this spring have begun the yearslong process of rebuilding their fields, as wineries look forward to a couple years of challenging vintages.
MATTERS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
1 million vote early in Maryland: Record numbers of voters in a gubernatorial election year turned out for early voting in Maryland, with early voting and mail-in ballots likely to top 1 million before Election Day, according to the latest state data.
U.S. record set for early midterm voting: As of early Friday, more than 46 million Americans had cast ballots ahead of Election Day, topping 45.9 million Americans who voted early in the 2022 midterms, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab.
Frederick funding flap: Frederick County Republicans are asking for an investigation of a Maryland political fundraiser who they say violated state laws barring coordination between a super PAC and a candidate, in this case County Executive Jessica Fitzwater.
Questions on Question 3: At early voting centers, several voters admitted they were having trouble understanding ballot Question 3, a constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting. Opponents say the confusing language may be by design.
MOST-READ STORIES OF THE WEEK
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