The Maryland State Board of Elections has certified results from the June 23rd Maryland Primary, and now the ballot for the General Election is set and will be held on November 3rd.
Most of the candidates endorsed by the AFT Maryland and AFL-CIO won their Primary Election, a testament to the power of the union vote. And with hundreds of seats up for election this term – from Governor all the way down to county council members, electing pro-worker candidates up and down the ballot will have the most positive impact on the lives of our members as public employees and educators.
While many seats for the general election will not be contested or be competitive, one very important race will be for City School Board, where incumbent and union-endorsed Board member Ashley Ash Esposito finished in first place in the primary. She, along with 3 other candidates, will vie for the 2 elected seats to the school board in November, so this race is something members should continue to be involved in.
Unfortunately, not all endorsed candidates won their primaries. Delegate Stephanie Smith, District 45, was a great loss. Delegate Smith has been a champion for AFT Maryland unions in Annapolis. As chair of the House Education and Economic Development Subcommittee, she was the lead in assuring Baltimore City Schools received proper funding.
Finally, a number of ballot measures will be up in November apart from the question to redraw congressional districts. Marylanders will get the chance to vote on the possibility for binding arbitration for state workers in contract negotiations with the governor. This proposed constitutional amendment has the potential to refer disagreements at the bargaining table to a neutral 3rd party, who can issue a decision that both parties are bound to follow. Under the current system, in negotiations with the state, the governor’s bargaining team can issue a “last best, and final” offer that is essentially “take-it-or-leave-it.” Binding arbitration will instead allow the parties to have their bargaining disagreements settled by an objective, professional arbitrator.
If you would like to become more involved in the candidate interview and get-out-the-union-vote process, contact AFT Maryland Political Coordinator Todd Reynolds at treynolds@aftmd.org.
article by AFT Maryland staff
2026-07-31