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Brenda Wintrode

Brenda

Brenda Wintrode covers Maryland politics and government, focusing on Maryland’s congressional delegation. She has been with The Baltimore Banner since its launch in 2022 and has taken on a wide range of topics, including the governor, the state legislature, elections, cannabis policy and the youth legal system. Before coming to The Banner, she completed a fellowship with Wisconsin Watch, writing a series of investigations into wrongful child abuse allegations made in multiple states by the same pediatrician. Barbara has a bachelor’s of science in business administration from Bryant University in Rhode Island. After a career switch, she earned a graduate degree from the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, where she was named outstanding master’s student in December 2020.

The latest from Brenda Wintrode

Van Hollen ‘kicking the tires’ on a 2028 presidential run
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen has spent the last year and a half raising his national profile.
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland speaks to a resident at the Polk County Streak Fry, held by the Polk County Democrats, at Water Works Park in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, September 13, 2025.
Terminated by Trump, Maryland federal workers are running for new jobs
Who better to run government, they say, than the people who really understand the nuts and bolts of it.
The candidates hail from the FBI, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Institutes of Health. They’ve represented America overseas as diplomats and on disaster response teams, and aided in historic criminal investigations, including of President Donald Trump.
How Gov. Moore’s open primary remarks landed in Maryland
Gov. Wes Moore’s comments on open primaries sparked excitement among reform advocates in Maryland, but his office later said he supports the state’s closed system, highlighting the debate over unaffiliated voters.
Baltimore residents cast their votes inside the polling location at Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
Views on Maryland’s mail ballot error are as partisan as elections themselves
Maryland’s mix-up has fueled existing bipartisan tensions over a voting method that has become as politicized as the candidates printed on the ballot.
Mail-in ballots are sorted for counting during canvassing at the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections.
Moore won’t sign immigration bills, but lets them become law
Gov. Wes Moore will allow two controversial immigration bills to become law without his signature, according to a statement from his office.
Gov. Wes Moore speaks before signing Senate Bill 245 and House Bill 444 in February, ending Maryland’s 287(g) program, which deputized local law enforcement officers to act as federal immigration agents.
How to make sure your Maryland mail ballot gets counted
Some people might be confused about how to make sure their ballot counts for the June 23rd primary, so let’s take this step-by-step.
Mail-in ballots are sorted for counting during canvassing at the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections.
Maryland’s 6th District candidates bicker about fortunes as voters worry about costs
David Trone has loaned himself $10 million for this race while April McClain Delaney has loaned her campaign $2.2 million.
Rep. David Trone, left, in 2024; Rep. April McClain Delaney in 2025.
What to know about Maryland’s mail ballot mix-up
The board of elections instructed affected Maryland voters to throw away their first ballot and its return envelope. They are sending a new ballot and return envelope.
Mail-in ballots are sorted for counting during canvassing at the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections.
Maryland will reissue 400,000 mail ballots after voters reported errors
Some Maryland residents received ballots for the wrong party. The vendor will pay to replace ballots ahead of the June 23 primary.
A board of elections worker prepares to feed mail-in ballots into a machine for counting during canvassing at the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections.
Chris Van Hollen, Kash Patel committee showdown spills onto social media
A heated Senate hearing between U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and FBI Director Kash Patel escalated onto social media after Van Hollen challenged Patel over reports of alcohol use and Patel fired back with personal attacks.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Kash Patel.
Maryland women want better menopause care. Lawmakers are listening.
The Maryland bill would encourage medical providers to learn about menopause and is part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness.
Moore bans insider bets on prediction markets by state workers amid new scrutiny
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order aimed at state employees and prediction markets as they have come under heightened scrutiny.
Gov. Wes Moore delivers remarks before Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s annual State of the City Address earlier this year. Moore's executive order bans state employees from using insider information to place bets on predictive market apps.
Winners and losers of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session
From Senate President Bill Ferguson to Gov. Wes Moore and the poor megalodon, here are those who came out on top and those wishing things went differently at the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session.
Plenty happened at the State House over the past 90 days. Who is thrilled and who is wishing things went differently?
Maryland Senate limits police cooperation with ICE
Maryland lawmakers move to block police from detaining immigrants for ICE, focusing on public safety and civil rights protections.
State Sen. Clarence Lam speaks at a rally organized by We Are CASA outside the State House in Annapolis on Friday, April 10, 2026. Lam, a Democrat representing Howard and Anne Arundel counties, is a lead sponsor of the Community Trust Act, a bill moving forward that would further limit local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A shooting shattered their family. Annapolis is playing politics with their grief.
Legislative bumps and political infighting in Annapolis shroud passage of a NyKayla Strawder memorial bill, a teen killed by a 9-year-old with access to his grandmother's gun.
NyKayla Strawder was killed in 2022 by a 9-year-old who accessed his grandmother’s gun.
Lawmaker seeks to expel Del. Christopher Eric Bouchat after weeks of missed votes
In a rare move, a Maryland lawmaker is attempting to oust a colleague, Del. Christopher Eric Bouchat, who has refused to show up for votes and hearings in Annapolis for weeks.
Del. Christopher Eric Bouchat has faced calls to resign after he abandoned most of his duties as a state lawmaker during this session of the Maryland General Assembly.
Moore, Maryland Democrats honor Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Annapolis
Pelosi spoke about her deep ties to Baltimore and how they’ve been fundamental in how she’s represented her San Francisco district, guests at the breakfast said.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, standing with Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, addresses the Maryland Senate after being honored with an award on Monday.
Heading to the airport? Get there at least 3 hours early, BWI warns.
On Sunday, airport officials alerted travelers to arrive at least three hours ahead of their scheduled departure times, as security lines full of spring break travelers grew.
Wait times are displayed at a TSA checkpoint at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Monday morning.
Columbus statue Baltimore dumped has found a pedestal in Trump’s Washington
A controversial Baltimore statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus discovered a new home near the White House, according to the artwork’s owners.
A statue of Christopher Columbus torn down from a pedestal in Baltimore's Inner Harbor now stands in a plaza on the grounds of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building on 17th Street NW in D.C.
ICE crackdown drives a wave of new bills in Maryland
Maryland Democrats are advancing a wave of bills to limit cooperation with ICE, regulate detention centers and expand legal protections for immigrants.
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