Kagan in the News

October 13, 2026 Montgomery Perspective By Adam Pagnucco Imagine holding a high profile event with thousands of attendees and seeking insurance coverage.  Then, with less than a month to go, your insurance broker tells you that a company will insure …

October 5, 2026 The Baltimore Banner by Pamela Wood Maryland’s Democratic women senators are pooling their resources to elect more women to the chamber. The sitting senators and women who are running for the Senate are forming a slate, allowing …

September 30, 2026 Bethesda Magazine By Adam Van Grack As the district explores closing elementary, middle schools, officials must learn from past lessons Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) recently announced that declining enrollment will lead it to consider closing elementary and …

September 18, 2026 Montgomery Community Media by Maryam Shahzad Olde Towne Plaza in Gaithersburg will become Sidney A. Katz Plaza to honor the lifelong Gaithersburg resident who has been in public service for 50 years. “I truly am honored and I truly am humbled by …

September 16, 2026 Maryland Reporter by Howard Gorrell While Fight Back MD supports a “YES” vote and Protect Maryland Votes urges a “NO” on the November 2026 congressional redistricting amendment (Question 3), respectively, Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D,  of Montgomery County has led efforts to …

September 11, 2026 The Banner by Marijke Friedman “It doesn’t feel like 25 years,” said Christine Fisher, whose husband died in the attack on the Pentagon Darin Pontell and Devora Kirschner, friends since sixth grade, moved to Gaithersburg and got …

September 8, 2026 Maryland Reporter by Howard Gorrell On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Maryland approved a proposed amendment on congressional redistricting for the November ballot. This decision reversed two lower-court rulings that would have blocked it. The Court decided …

September 1, 2026 DC News Now Sunrise on the Hill Maryland State Senator Cheryl Kagan (D-District 17) joins Sunrise on The Hill after a Maryland judge ruled that the redistricting amendment cannot appear on the November ballot. The judge paused …

August 26, 2026 WBAL The redistricting ballot question approved by lawmakers during a special session cannot go on the November ballot, an Anne Arundel County judge ruled Wednesday. Following Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson’s decision, Democrats and Republicans have weighed …

August 17, 2026 Montgomery Perspective By Adam Pagnucco Rockville City Council Member Adam Van Grack has long opposed MCPS’s decision to close Wootton High School.  One of the arguments he has made, which has been echoed by the Maryland Building Industry …

August 17, 2026 Conduit Street by Kevin Kinnally Maryland election administrators are preparing for the 2026 election amid evolving legal requirements, security concerns, staffing challenges, misinformation, and ongoing scrutiny of election operations. Counties remain on the front lines, managing the …

August 6, 2026 WAMU 88.5 The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi All eyes are now on November’s midterm elections, after this week’s Virginia primaries turned out to be a “big snoozer.” Could the Commonwealth be the difference in which party …

August 3, 2026 Bethesda Magazine By Ceoli Jacoby Maryland General Assembly also won't consider new maps, Senate president says A proposal to require special elections for vacant seats in the Maryland General Assembly won’t be on the agenda during the legislature’s special …

August 3, 2026 Maryland Matters By William J. Ford and Christine Condon Legislation will not actually redraw congressional boundaries, but will ask voters to make it easier to do so Maryland lawmakers are expected to come out of the special …

July 31, 2026 Bethesda Today By Ceoli Jacoby Montgomery County Question A not written in ‘plain language,’ District 17 senator argues Dist. 17 Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Rockville) is raising concerns about the suggested text of a proposed Montgomery County ballot …

July 23, 2026 Maryland Matters By Bryan P. Sears Voting advocates say proposed system is not yet certified for 2030; elections officials disagree, say a new system is badly needed The Board of Public Works approved a multimillion-dollar contract Wednesday …

July 20, 2026 Maryland Matters by Bryan P. Sears Bills not pertaining to redistricting will be prohibited lawmakers are told, freezing out GOP efforts to push affordability bills The leaders of the House of Delegates and the Senate are setting …

July 13, 2026 Baltimore Banner by Jack Hogan His victory in Montgomery County’s District 39 was one of the primary’s biggest surprises Amar Mukunda said he tapped into a “deep well of dissatisfaction” during his campaign against one of Maryland’s …

July 2, 2026 WYPR By Sarah Petrowich The Maryland Board of Public Works has delayed approving a $109 million voting system overhaul after advocates and state lawmakers brought up concerns around the contract’s transparency and price tag. The State Board …

June 30, 2026 Conduit Street Kevin Kinnally At the 2026 MACo Summer Conference, election experts will examine how court decisions, cybersecurity threats, and changing federal policies continue to reshape election administration. Counties play a central role in Maryland’s election system, …

June 29, 2026 The Baltimore Banner by Mark Sherman, Associated Press and Pamela Wood WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day, a practice President Donald Trump has persistently targeted. The decision rejected a Republican-led …

June 20, 2026 CNN By Fredreka Schouten Democratic-led states are racing to safeguard November’s midterm elections against potential interference from the Trump administration and its allies, passing new laws that restrict the presence of law enforcement at polling places or …

June 20, 2026 Montgomery Perspective By Adam Pagnucco Last week, I wrote about a series of mailers containing sample ballots on behalf of “Democratic teams” that actually reflected selections made by the county’s state senators.  That resulted in a bit of pushback …

June 19, 2026 Maryland Matters By: Bryan P. Sears Members of the House of Delegates are being asked to consider two windows for a special session that could consider two possible amendments to the Maryland Constitution. House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, …

June 10, 2026 Maryland Matters By: Christine Condon and William J. Ford Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) newest senior adviser will aim to improve Maryland’s use of AI technology. Michael Boyce, who started as Moore’s senior adviser for responsible artificial intelligence …

June 10 2026 Maryland Reporter by Cynthia Prairie ELECTIONS BOARD ISSUES GUIDELINE TO ADDRESS MAIL-IN BALLOT ERROR: Maryland’s five-member state election board unanimously approved a set of public guidelines Tuesday laying out how thousands of mail-in ballots will be tabulated for …

6/9/26 The Diamondback by Clare Roth Gov. Wes Moore signed about 275 state bills leftover from this spring’s legislative session late last month, addressing topics including artificial intelligence, youth civic engagement, housing and healthcare. In a public statement earlier this …

June 2, 2026 WMAR By: Taylor Epps ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland public school students will soon have a new opportunity to show their achievements after Governor Wes Moore signed the Maryland Civic Excellence Program bill. The program allows public school …

May 27, 2026 NCSL By Elections and Redistricting Staff Kagan, a nearly 20-year veteran of the General Assembly, is NCSL’s appointee to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Board of Advisors. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Cheryl Kagan decided that serving …

May 27, 2026 Montgomery Community Media Maryam Shahzad People want to know that when there is an emergency, 911 will be there to answer the call. “My passion for 911 began when my friend, Carl Henn, died in a freak thunderstorm and …

May 22, 2026 Montgomery Community Media Markette Sheppard In this week’s edition of The Pulse, get the latest update on the Maryland State Board of Election’s mail-in ballot error that affected more than a half million voters, including many Montgomery County residents. Then, …

May 15, 2026 WYPR By Sarah Petrowich The Maryland General Assembly passed an array of election reforms this year to try and curb election interference and increase voter access ahead of the General Election this November. State Sen. Cheryl Kagan …

May 12, 2026 WTOP News by Kate Ryan Among the bills signed into law on Tuesday, one allows anyone in Maryland to call 311 to get information on government services in their area. Maryland State Sen. Cheryl Kagan said the …

May 11, 2026 Montgomery County Council Presentation followed YAA’s “Prince of Egypt” performance, alongside Tony, Grammy, and Academy Award winner, Stephen Schwartz Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson was honored by Young Artists of America (YAA) on Saturday, May 2 with the organization’s Visionary Award in recognition …

May 8, 2026 Maryland Matters by Bryan P. Sears and William J. Ford Ferguson tops the list of names missing from list after months-long redistricting dispute with governor Scores of Democratic candidates were endorsed Thursday by Gov. Wes Moore (D), …

May  8, 2026 WYPR by Sarah Petrowich Gov. Wes Moore released his latest list of campaign endorsements on Thursday and one notable name not on the list is Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City). Ferguson has represented Southern Baltimore for 15 years …

April 30, 2026 Maryland Matters By: Bryan P. Sears Despite comments on HBO, spokesperson insists governor is not ‘opining’ on state elections that are the subject of a lawsuit Closed political primaries like Maryland’s disenfranchise voters and should be “reevaluated,” …

April 30, 2026 Bethesda Today By Ceoli Jacoby 2026 legislative session marked MoCo legislators' third failed attempt to change process for filling vacancies Reflecting on the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session at a meeting of the District 18 breakfast club at Silver Spring’s …

April 22, 2026 Montgomery Community Media Maryam Shahzad Maryland will use Artificial Intelligence to establish the nation’s first statewide 311 through the bipartisan bill led by State Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-District 17). The bill was approved by the Maryland legislature during the General Assembly session …

April 17, 2026 The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi LISTEN The Maryland General Assembly wrapped its session this week, but not before a rowdy last few minutes. Lawmakers are touting major accomplishments such as a balanced budget, a slew of anti-ICE bills, …

April 7, 2026 Montgomery Community Media by Maryam Shahzad State Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-District 17) testified Tuesday on her bipartisan bill to create the nation’s first statewide 311 system powered by artificial intelligence to lighten the load on 911 centers. A Maryland House Committee …

April 1, 2026 Maryland Matters By: Danielle J. Brown If Tuesday ruling undermines Maryland’s ban, LGBTQ+ advocates worry there won’t be time in session for corrective action State officials are trying to determine how Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling overturning a …

March 31, 2026 Washington Blade By Sam Epner Maryland’s legislative caucuses outlined their legislative priorities heading into the final weeks of the 2026 General Assembly during a joint press conference on March 24. The press conference was titled “We are …

March 31, 2026 Maryland Matters by William J. Ford Jones return for the rest of the session remains unclear, but Benson said she plans to return to the job Two of the state’s most respected legislators, who have been absent …

March 30, 2026 Montgomery Perspective By Adam Pagnucco. Few issues animate Democratic and progressive activists more than voting rights.  And more than at any point since the 1960s, voting rights are under attack.  President Donald Trump and his right-wing allies …

March 28, 2026 Maryland Matters By: Bryan P. Sears, William J. Ford and Christine Condon If you watched the House of Delegates first floor session of the week, youmight have been delighted to hear that a Maryland resident by the …

March 26, 2026 Baltimore Sun By Mennatalla Ibrahim Addition makes the bill’s future uncertain in Senate The Maryland House of Delegates on Thursday rejected a Republican-led effort to remove redistricting language from an elections bill, following a sharp partisan debate that raised …

March 26, 2026 Maryland Matters By: Bryan P. Sears House Democrats say they’ve ‘thrown in the towel’ on new maps, but vow to fight for new language on redistricting rules  Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said House amendments effectively …

March 25, 2026 The Banner by Pamela Wood and Madeleine O'Neill Some Maryland Democrats are making a late push to revive a backup plan for redrawing the state’s congressional districts in hopes of giving Democrats a chance to sweep all …

March 25, 2026 Maryland Matters By: Bryan P. Sears and Steve Crane Amendment likely spells doom for proposal that would have filled legislative vacancies by election rather than appointment A House committee, without debate and without dissent, added redistricting language …