Maryland Chatters

The late Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D) was one of the most consequential figures in Maryland political history. Love him or hate him, his record-breaking tenure as a presiding officer in the General Assembly — a stunning 33 years — means he was central player in every significant political fight and policy debate over the past several decades. His knowledge of history and his political skills were unparalleled. He had strong personal beliefs, but he also had an innate sense of where his caucus, and the Senate, and the entire state were moving — and adjusted accordingly.

He was of course a powerhouse in Annapolis, but he also had enormous influence in Prince George's County (where he grew up and came of age politically), throughout all of Southern Maryland, and in the judiciary and criminal justice system. Governors came and went, but Mike Miller was always there. He served with eight governors, beginning with Marvin Mandel.

The tributes to Miller really began in January of 2019, when he first revealed that he had stage 4 prostate cancer. They continued that fall, when he gave up the gavel as Senate president, and continued into 2020 when the Senate hung his portrait in the chamber, and at the end of the year, when he resigned his Senate seat. And of course, his death this January at the age of 78 was a sad and seminal moment.

There was a lot of talk about how Mike Miller loved the state of Maryland, loved the state Senate, loved the University of Maryland (his alma mater), and loved his big and formidable family. But he also had a second family that he also loved and admired and was forever loyal to — his staff.

On the latest episode of Maryland Chatters, our occasional podcasting series, we to talk to three of his former chiefs of staff:

Joe Bryce, who held the job for three years in the mid and late 1990's and is now a lobbyist with the firm Manis Canning and Associates; Vicki Gruber, who served in the job from 2006 to 2017 and today is the executive director of the Department of Legislative Services in Annapolis; and Jake Weissmann, who was Miller's last chief of staff and holds that role now for Senate President Bill Ferguson.

The world is a much different place than it was last week, when we first started preparing for this episode. On Wednesday, a violent mob breached the U.S. Capitol in a deadly attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election as America’s 46th president.

The attack occurred one day after two Democrats won runoff elections in Georgia, giving their party a majority in the U.S. Senate.

We talked this week with Maryland’s junior senator, Chris Van Hollen, about the violence at the capitol, the new congress, the new administration, and the impact of COVID-19 on Maryland.

Later this week, the Maryland General Assembly will convene for an extraordinary session ― with desks surrounded by plexiglass, a House chamber annex, empty hallways and virtual bill hearings. Maryland Matters editor Josh Kurtz discusses what can be expected this session – from the logistics to the legislation.

Marylander Tom Perez has been the head of the Democratic National Committee since 2017 and his term will soon expire.

After the party united to elect Joe Biden this fall, we talk to Perez about the party’s future, its successes during his term – and the ground Democrats lost in the U.S. House and other down-ballot races in 2020.

In an interview with Maryland Matters reporter Bennett Leckrone last week, Perez said he’s taking a “long view” of how the Democratic Party is doing. And the election of Biden, coupled with the Democratic governors elected during his term, means the party has a bright future.

We also talk to Perez about his own future plans once his term at the DNC expires in a couple of months.

Later in the podcast, Maryland Matters reporter Elizabeth Shwe ventures out to southern Maryland to catch up with Thomas McLain – “Mac” – Middleton, who represented Charles County in the Maryland Senate for 24 years.

Middleton was the only full-time farmer left in the General Assembly when he was upset by Arthur Ellis in the 2018 Democratic primary.

During this holiday season, Middleton and his son, Brett, have been swamped with selling Christmas trees and decorations from their farm, Middleton Manor Farms, which has been in the family since the 1660s.

For many politicians, fundraising isn’t their favorite part of the job, but its necessary.

And during the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue has become more fraught than ever.

Instead of crab feasts and soirees, many lawmakers this year turned to virtual events with pay-as-you-can price tags. Maryland Matters reporter Danielle Gaines caught up this week with one lawmaker who’s making the most of quarantine with a series of creative online fundraisers.

And we like to end our podcast on a bit of a lighter note, and it didn’t take long for Maryland Matters editor Josh Kurtz to find a way to bring the Beatles into this mix. He chats with an Eastern Shore lawyer with a familiar name – and they both claim to be the state’s biggest Beatles fan.

Brandon Scott is a “son of Baltimore.”

Born and raised in Park Heights, Scott says he was drawn to run for public office in the city when he was a child and watched the world descend on his neighborhood for a horse race once a year, when every other day he and his friends and family struggled for basic needs, like heat or AC in their schools.

“It changes you,” Scott said.

And now, Scott, Baltimore’s youngest mayor in more than a century, will helm a city in the midst of great change. Former Mayor Catherine Pugh left city hall in scandal a year-and-a-half ago. In the wake, the city council and Scott proposed a series of governmental reforms, all overwhelmingly approved by voters at the polls.

Maryland Matters’ Bennett Leckrone caught up with Scott about his win and plans for governing earlier this week.

We also check in with Maryland Matters Editor Josh Kurtz about the news of the week, including other election outcomes, Maryland Republicans’ attitudes on the presidential race, what the 2021 General Assembly session will look like, the loss of another top public health official in state government, and, on a lighter note on this Friday the 13th, a tally of the fate so-called unlucky bill numbers.

Welcome to Maryland Chatters, the new podcast from the nonprofit, nonpartisan journalists at Maryland Matters.

Our first episode comes just before Election Day 2020 ― an election like no other.

Voters are casting their ballots ― by mail and by dropbox ― like never before. Marylanders are turning out at early voting centers like never before.

And, for some high-profile Republicans, they’re navigating an election season like never before.

This week, Maryland Chatters caught up with Michael Steele, former Maryland lieutenant governor and Republican National Committee chairman, who recently announced he was crossing party lines to endorse Joe Biden for president.

In an interview with Maryland Matters’ Bruce DePuyt, Steele explains his choice ― and the decision to go so public with his thoughts. He also reflects on his barrier-breaking election back in 2002 and his future political ambitions.

We also hear from Patrick “PJ” Hogan, the Annapolis lobbyist and Democratic vice chair of the Maryland State Board of Elections. Reporter Bennett Leckrone talked to Hogan about the start of early voting in the state, his political transition from Republican state senator to Democratic state senator, and even the reason he’ll never forget his wedding anniversary.

Each episode of Maryland Chatters will also include political analysis by Maryland Matters Editor Josh Kurtz. This week, he talks with host Danielle E. Gaines about Gov. Larry Hogan’s popularity in a new poll, as well as some post-election predictions.