Bryan Sears

Bryan P. Sears

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Bryan Sears covers the governor and General Assembly, state politics and transportation for Maryland Matters. He has covered the Maryland State House for the last two decades at the Baltimore Sun Media Group, Patch.com and most recently, The Daily Record. Sears has won multiple state and national awards for police and crime reporting, local and state government coverage and investigative reporting that resulted in a guilty plea by a government official for stealing from his own campaign account. He’s a frequent radio and television contributor.

Seeing double, seeing red: Moore demands Question 3 opponents halt lookalike ad
Maryland

Seeing double, seeing red: Moore demands Question 3 opponents halt look-alike ad

Oct 22, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
A new ad that urges residents to vote against a constitutional amendment that would loosen standards for congressional redistricting has drawn the attention of — and a cease and desist demand from — Gov. Wes Moore. The ad, produced by...
Attorney general’s office failed to track, monitor millions in outside legal contracts
Maryland

Attorney general’s office failed to track, monitor millions in outside legal contracts

Oct 20, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
State auditors are calling for tighter controls and monitoring of outside law firms hired by state agencies, after finding a lack of procedures in the attorney general’s office makes it difficult to track millions paid to nearly 100 firms. The...
Poll: Majority of voters oppose data center construction anywhere in Maryland
Maryland

Poll: Majority of voters oppose data center construction anywhere in Maryland

Oct 08, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
A majority of Maryland voters are opposed to building data centers in the state and have a dim view of artificial intelligence, which they believe will have a negative impact on society, a new poll shows. Half of those surveyed...
Board approves hiring powerhouse law firm to defend Moore in defamation case
Maryland

Board approves hiring powerhouse law firm to defend Moore in defamation case

Oct 07, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
The Maryland Board of Public Works Wednesday approved a $50,000 contract to hire a powerhouse outside law firm to defend Gov. Wes Moore (D) against a defamation lawsuit filed by the owner of the Baltimore Sun. David Smith, who is...
Poll: Voters oppose redistricting ballot question when presented ‘meat of the political outcome’
Maryland

Poll: Voters oppose redistricting ballot question when presented ‘meat of the political outcome’

Oct 07, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
A proposed amendment to the Maryland Constitution that would change the way congressional districts are drawn in Maryland faces stiff voter opposition, a new poll shows. The poll, released Tuesday by the Institute of Politics at the University of Maryland...
Moore and Cox bring heat to debate, but will it alter the race?
Maryland

Moore and Cox bring heat to debate, but will it alter the race?

Oct 06, 2026
Bryan P. Sears Pera Onal
The lone televised debate between the two leading contenders for governor looked very similar to their debate four years ago. Gov. Wes Moore (D) and his Republican challenger Dan Cox each presented their vision of a state under their leadership...
Poll: Moore sits with a comfortable 2-1 margin over Republican challenger Cox
Maryland

Poll: Moore sits with a comfortable 2-1 margin over Republican challenger Cox

Oct 06, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) would cruise to a second term in office if the election were held today, according to a new poll from the Institute of Politics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The poll, released Tuesday...
Trump administration challenges Maryland’s ban on police using masks
Maryland

Trump administration challenges Maryland’s ban on police using masks

Oct 01, 2026
Bryan P. Sears William J. Ford
The U.S. Department of Justice is challenging a new state law that prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing masks to conceal their faces while on duty. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Maryland on the same...
Crackdown on out-of-state vehicle registrations to start this month
Maryland

Crackdown on out-of-state vehicle registrations to start in October

Sep 30, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
State officials say they are ready to crack down on Maryland residents who register their vehicles in other states. Under a law that takes effect Thursday, Marylanders who register their cars in other states will have 60 days to register...
Political notes: Refunds for utilities, input for Fitzwater, new jobs for Coale, Peterson
Maryland

Political notes: Refunds for utilities, input for Fitzwater, new jobs for Coale, Peterson

Sep 29, 2026
Bryan P. Sears William J. Ford
A win in Maryland’s top court will result in credits for customers of the state’s utility companies — eventually. How much and when remain open questions. BGE, Delmarva Power and Pepco announced Monday they will ask the Public Service Commission...
Contract appeals board sanctions lottery agency for ‘roadblocks’ to investigation
Maryland

Contract appeals board sanctions lottery agency for ‘roadblocks’ to investigation

Sep 28, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
A nearly yearlong battle over a lucrative lottery contract has landed the state’s gaming agency in hot water with the Maryland Board of Contract Appeals. The gaming agency was sanctioned for repeatedly ignoring orders for records, the board said. A...
State revenues get modest bump despite ‘mixed’ economic indicators
Maryland

State revenues get modest bump despite ‘mixed’ economic indicators

Sep 25, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
Maryland’s revenue forecast for the current year has improved and a first look at the coming fiscal year shows some modest improvement despite a “mixed picture” of economic indicators. Those projections, released Thursday by the Board of Revenue Estimates, added...