State Roundup: New Congress, president throw Key Bridge replacement, Red Line project into question; Montgomery begins assessing impact of likely cuts to federal agencies – MarylandReporter.com

DELAYED OR DEAD? KEY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT, RED LINE NOW IN QUESTION: With a new Congress about to take shape in Washington, what does that mean for the funding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge? While lawmakers had hoped to get the funding in place by the end of the year. U.S. Rep. Andy Harris said that the state is competing for funding with other disasters around the country. “I’m skeptical that the entire amount could be funded this year,” Harris said. Phil Yacuboski/WBAL NewsRadio.

• Baltimore’s Red Line cleared another hurdle Tuesday with Democrat Angela Alsobrooks’ win in the U.S. Senate race against its longtime nemesis, former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who recently doubled down on his opposition to the revived transit project he scuttled. Then it immediately ran into a wall – Donald Trump. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.

MO CO ASSESSES IMPACT OF POTENTIAL CUTS TO FEDERAL AGENCIES: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said his administration will begin evaluating the impact of potential cuts to federal agencies that could dramatically impact Montgomery County’s budget and its residents, following Donald Trump’s presidential win on Tuesday. Tax hikes are not off the table. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

ALSOBROOKS TAKES HER TURN AT HISTORY-MAKING: Maryland’s Angela Alsobrooks will make history in January as one of just five Black women to ever serve in the U.S. Senate. Next door in Delaware, Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester also triumphed in her Senate bid. They will be the first two Black women to serve simultaneously in the Senate. James Matheson of Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com.

PG OFFICIALS BEGIN LOOKING AT REPLACING ALSOBROOKS: Prince George’s County officials may not be eager to see County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) go, but they are probably eager to know when she plans to go. That’s because the timing of Alsobrooks’ departure will determine when and how the county selects its next executive, a job several hopefuls have already expressed interest in. William Ford/Maryland Matters.

TRUMP DID BETTER THROUGHOUT MARYLAND: President-elect Donald Trump came nowhere close to winning reliably blue Maryland’s 10 electoral votes Tuesday, but he performed better in every one of its 23 counties and Baltimore City. Sapna Bansil and Ramsey Archibald/The Baltimore Banner.

LAWMAKERS TO HOLD HEARING ON ABUSES AT PERKINS HOSPITAL: Maryland lawmakers are planning to hold a hearing to find out more information about the abuses at the state’s maximum-security psychiatric hospital. The legislature plans to call forward officials from the Maryland Department of Health to answer questions about the dangerous and toxic environment in the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital, according to Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee Chairman Sen. Clarence Lam. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.

COMMENTARY: THE REAL WINNERS & LOSERS: The sheer scale of former President Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election was breathtaking — and will still require a lot of soul-searching and contemplation in a lot of corners of this country. Here in Maryland, Election Day didn’t produce too many surprises. But still, there were consequential developments, and performances, and political trends, that are worth talking about. Who were the winners and the losers this Election Day? Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.

BA CO COUNCIL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ‘CARETAKER’ EXECUTIVE: The next Baltimore County executive will be chosen by seven men. Johnny Olszewski is headed to Congress after his win Tuesday in Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District race. He will resign as county executive with two years remaining on his second four-year term. It falls to the Baltimore County Council to pick his successor. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

• After Olszewski is sworn in to Congress in January, the County Council would then vote on a “caretaker” county executive to serve out the rest of Olszewski’s term, which ends in 2026. The county charter requires the “caretaker” be a member of the same party as the outgoing executive. Applications are being accepted. Danny Nguyen/The Baltimore Banner.
• Eight people have shown interest in the post: former state Sen. Jim Brochin and Del. Jon Cardin; Yara Cheikh, president of the Baltimore County Public Library Board of Trustees; Tara Ebersole, past president of the Baltimore County Democratic Party; state Sen. Kathy Klausmeier; Aris Melissaratos, former state secretary of business and economic development; Dennis Rasmussen, county executive from 1986 to 1990; and Barry Williams, who’s served as director of both the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks, and Department of Workforce Development. Brooke Conrad/The Baltimore Sun.

***HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARYLAND REPORTER. HELP US CELEBRATE: Hard to believe that MarylandReporter.com launched 15 years ago on Nov. 2, 2009, with the help of a foundation worried about the loss of state government reporting. We were the first nonprofit news website in Maryland covering state government and politics. Help us celebrate by making a donation during our annual matching gift campaign. ***

ELRICH OUT AFTER THIS TERM AS MO CO EXEC; HE BLAMES DEVELOPERS: Montgomery County voters overwhelmingly endorsed a ballot measure that will limit county executives to just two consecutive terms, ending current County Executive Marc Elrich’s plans to run again in 2026. Katie Shepherd/The Washington Post.

• On Tuesday evening, Elrich said he was disappointed by the results. “You’ve got Republicans who couldn’t beat me one on one, the developers couldn’t beat me one on one. They faced an election in two years. The best strategy was to try to use term limits to knock me out,” Elrich said. Ginny Bixby/MoCo 360.

IN HISTORIC MOVE, B’MORE CITY TO HAVE CONTROL OVER POLICE DEPT: For the first time since before the Civil War, the city of Baltimore will have full control of its police department as voters overwhelmingly passed Ballot Question E by 77% on Tuesday. Emily Hofstaedter/WYPR-FM.

DAVID SMITH HOPE TO CUT B’MORE COUNCIL; HE UNITED IT: All across America on Tuesday night, the David Smiths of the world were getting their way. Election results trickled in, and they were turning red — even in cities. But in Baltimore Smith was being dealt a tremendous blow. Lee O. Sanderlin, Hallie Miller, Emily Opilo and Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.

INNER HARBOR PROJECT OPPONENTS VOW TO KEEP FIGHTING: A day after Baltimore voters approved a crucial ballot question for the overhaul of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, opponents reiterated their plans to keep fighting. Protect Our Parks, the coalition that encouraged residents to vote “F-No” on Question F, said in a statement that it plans to block residential towers from being built on along the Inner Harbor promenade through its own appeal to voters — two years from now. Giacomo Bologna/The Baltimore Banner.

WHY DID ONE B’MORE BALLOT QUESTION SUCCEED AND THE OTHER FAIL? Why did Question H to cut the size of the Baltimore City Council go down in a historic 62%-38% defeat – the first ballot measure failing to win voter approval in over 20 years  – while Question F to overhaul the Inner Harbor succeed by a 60%-40% margin? Fern Shen and Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.