HOGAN’s POLL NUMBERS STAY UP: Gov. Larry Hogan continues to soar in a new poll of Maryland voters released Tuesday, while President Donald Trump’s number remain in the dumps, reports Michael Dresser in the Sun. According to Annapolis-based Opinion Works, a survey taken in late October and early this month shows that 67% of Maryland voters approved of the Republican governor’s performance in office, while only 22% disapprove. Meanwhile, 63% disapprove of the job Trump is doing, with more than half saying they disapprove strongly. Only 34% approve.
VA BACKS METRO PROPOSAL: Robert McCartney and Martine Powers report that a proposal to replace the Metro board with a smaller panel drew bipartisan support from Virginia officials and regional business leaders Tuesday, but Maryland raised legal concerns and the District said it would support the plan only if combined with a regional sales tax or other dedicated funding for the agency.
DEL. HIXSON WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION: Del. Sheila Hixson (D), a trailblazer for women in Annapolis and a savvy lawmaker with a long list of legislative accomplishments, announced Tuesday night that she will not run for re-election, Josh Kurtz reports in Maryland Matters. He also writes that there’s a new nonprofit organization called the Indian American Impact Fund that will focus on electing Indian-American candidates for political office and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund on Tuesday endorsed state Sen. Rich Madaleno (D) for governor.
