Seante Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) at a news conference during the 2025 General Assembly session with Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll). (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
Add Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) to the list of Republicans kicking the tires on a run for governor.
Hershey, who has a dozen years in the Maryland Senate, said in a radio interview Wednesday he is being encouraged to consider throwing his hate in the ring, following the entrance of Ed Hale Sr.
“I think Maryland Republicans deserve better than to have lifelong Democrats switch jerseys at the last minute and try to claim our nomination,” Hershey told WBAL Radio, adding that Republicans “know the difference between conviction and convenience.”
“Families are being crushed here by higher taxes and rising energy costs, a governor that’s focused on Washington more than Annapolis,” he said. “So, I think it’s more clear now than ever that Marylanders deserve leadership that’s rooted in authenticity and opportunism, and that’s where I think Ed Hale was going with his campaign.”
Hershey did not respond to attempts to reach him Wednesday.
Hershey has been rumored to be considering entering a Republican field filled with candidates who changed parties, and a cast of others who have little to no electoral experience and even less in a statewide campaign.
Hale, a lifelong Democrat, switched parties and re-announced his campaign last month, after telling reporters he had no shot at defeating incumbent Gov. Wes Moore in a Democratic primary.
Since then, Hershey has criticized Hale. The businessman in return said he didn’t know who Hershey was.
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“I’ll tell you this, the number of calls and texts and messages I’ve received from, you know, not just Republicans, but independents and moderates across the state, since Hale’s announcement, saying: ‘Steve, we need a real Republican and somebody that’s stood up for us consistently.’ That type of encouragement is humbling, and I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t made me think seriously about the next step,” Hershey told WBAL.
“So, I’m being thoughtful about this decision. I want to make sure that if I take this step, it’s done the right way. I’ve spent my career standing up for fiscal discipline, reliable energy, accessible health care, safe communities, and if Marylanders believe that’s the kind of leadership they want in the governor’s office, then I owe it to them to take a serious look at it,” he said.
Hershey has electoral experience, but his district is made up of rural counties. It is unclear how quickly he could pull together a statewide campaign and fundraising apparatus.
He would need to decide quickly. Every day he delays is one less day to raise funds. Like all legislators, he is barred from fundraising activities during the General Assembly session.
There is also the unknown — primarily will former Gov. Larry Hogan seek a third term and a head-to-head matchup with Moore.
So far, the official Republican primary field consists of John Myrick, who previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate, and Carl A. Brunner Jr., a Carroll firearms instructor. Both formally filed for the GOP nomination.
Hale has yet to formally file, and cannot do so until he picks a running mate.
Two others — freshman Del. Christopher Bouchat (R-Frederick and Carroll) and Carroll County farmer Kurt Wedekind — have said they intend to run. Like Hale, neither has formally filed.
Wiggins moves up at Chamber
Grason M. Wiggins has been promoted to senior vice president of government affairs at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce in recognition of “exceptional leadership” and his role “in delivering one of the most successful legislative sessions in the organization’s recent history,” according to a chamber release.
Grason Wiggin, senior vice president of government affairs, Maryland Chamber of Commerce. (Photo courtesy Maryland Chamber of Commerce)
Wiggins, who joined the chamber in August 2024, “elevated our advocacy to a new level with a clear strategy and strong results,” said chamber President and CEO Mary D. Kane, in announcing the promotion. “Thanks to his leadership, Maryland businesses were protected from a devastating 2.5% services tax, unlimited liability exposure and costly climate mandates.”
The chamber said it “achieved a 93% success rate” in stopping legislation it targeted in the 2025 General Assembly, when it said it connected more than 5,000 business leaders with policymakers and brought more than 400 business leaderss in for testimony and committee engagement.
The chamber also credited Wiggins targeted job fairs and outreach to connect Marylanders with jobs, and strengthening relationships statewide. Before joining the chamber, Wiggins was at Harris Jones & Malone, the Maryland Multi-Housing Association and the Maryland Department of Labor. He holds a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
“I’m honored to continue to work with Maryland’s legislators, employers, and workers to ensure our state is generating economic opportunity for every Marylander,” said Wiggins, who will continue to lead chamber advocacy in Annapolis as senior vice president.
Get your scorecards out — it’s already endorsement time
The primary election may still be almost 10 months away, but that hasn’t stopped candidates in the Montgomery County executive race from trotting out the endorsements they have already lined up for the job.
The latest came Wednesday, when Progressive Maryland and Working Families Party announced their support for County Council Vice President Will Jawando (D-At-Large) to receive the Democratic nomination for county executive.
Larry Stafford Jr., executive director of Progressive Maryland, said that in a Democrat-rich county like Montgomery, where the council is all-Democratic, “there’s an important distinction we have to make between Democrats who have a backbone and Democrats who have a spine to stand up straight and walk straight and look with a clear vision to fight on behalf of everyday people. That’s Councilman Will Jawando.”
It came a day after Jawando said his campaign had qualified for the county’s public financing option, raising more than $90,000 from almost 1,000 contributions, least 80% of which came from county residents. He said Wednesday his plafform includes affordable housing, fully funded public schools and a challenge to the Trump administration “recklessly slashing” government funding.
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“We have an opportunity in this election … to show a community where we reject the false narrative that if my neighbor can eat, that I can’t eat,” Jawando said. “That if my neighbor does well and gets rental assistance, it’s going to make my life worse. We can stand up for a community where everyone does well together and reject the divisiveness of Donald Trump.”
But Jawando will face at least two County Council colleagues: Andrew Friedson and Evan Glass (D-At-Large).
Friedson who was endorsed in July by the International Association of Firefighters Local 1446, has also secured the support of some heavyweight state legislators from the county : Senate Majority Leader Nancy King (D-Montgomery) and Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery), who chairs the Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee.
Also this summer, Glass announced the backing of two major Democrats in former Rep. David Trone and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, who called Glass “the effective, progressive leader we need right now to fight against the extreme agenda in Washington that is hurting our community and our country.”
Glass, who was the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the council when elected in 2018, would become the first as county executive, if elected.
Two other Democrats have officially filed the paperwork to seek the nomination for county executive in the June 2026 primary: Celeste Iroha, a registered medical assistant, was the first person to announce in March, according to Bethesda Today, while Mithun Banerjee, a landlord from Silver Spring, filed his candidacy in May.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no Republicans had filed for the seat, according to the state Board of Elections. But candidates have until Feb. 24 to file.