Maryland needs this podcast. Now.

Does the world need another podcast? In Maryland, some folks improbably think the answer is YES.

Three longtime colleagues and friends – Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz and David Nitkin – are joining forces to launch Maryland Now, a new podcast that will go beyond the headlines to explore the forces shaping Maryland’s politics, policy and public life.

Hosted by veteran journalists and public‑affairs leaders with more than 60 years of combined experience, the show brings depth, context and historical perspective to the issues facing Maryland today. Each episode will blend reporting, interviews, and insider knowledge for a unique perspective on major topics. Listeners will hear directly from those shaping decisions in Annapolis and across the state: agency heads, lawmakers, advocates, strategists, and longtime policy experts.

Nitkin, Kurtz and Henry draw on their decades covering and working in Maryland government to connect past decisions to current debates — revealing how we got here, what’s been tried before and what’s at stake now. And each week, you’ll be able to find the podcast and read a transcript of key portions here at Baltimore Fishbowl, which is the media partner for Maryland Now

Season One will provide deep dives into housing, energy, the state budget, public health, and more – many key issues facing the 2026 General Assembly session. The conversations are smart, candid, and grounded in real reporting — not hot takes.
If you want to understand Maryland — its politics, its communities, and its future — Maryland Now is for YOU.

Please take a moment to listen to the intro episode, and to subscribe. You can find Maryland Now wherever you get your podcasts.

More about the hosts

Dori Henry

Dori is senior vice president of Blended Public Affairs, which is the sponsor of Season One of Maryland Now. Previously, she was chief of staff and communications director for Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. She has served in senior communications roles in state and federal government, including as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor under Secretary Tom Perez during the Obama Administration. Dori started her career as reporter covering the General Assembly and state government for the Daily Record. 

Josh Kurtz

Josh Kurtz is best known as the founder of Maryland Matters, the nonprofit news website focusing on state and local government and politics. Maryland Matters has been around since 2017, but Josh has been writing about Maryland for one news outlet or another for 30 years now. He has also been an editor at Capitol Hill publications, Roll Call, and Environment and Energy Daily, as well as a reporter for newspapers in New York, New Mexico, and Wisconsin.

David Nitkin

David’s name became known years ago when the then-governor of Maryland banned all of state government from speaking to him because of reporting he was doing at The Sun. He went on from State House Bureau Chief to become the Sun’s state political editor, White House correspondent and then head of all Maryland news operations. He then turned to policy and politics, working for Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and Attorney General Brian Frosh. He’s been the executive editor at Baltimore Fishbowl since 2017.

A Heartbeat Away: Why No Maryland Lieutenant Governor Has Ever Been Elected Governor – Maryland Now

Why has no Maryland lieutenant governor ever become governor?Maryland has had nine lieutenant governors since the office returned in 1971, and not one has ever been elected governor. In this episode, longtime Maryland political journalist Josh Kurtz digs into the history and the odd politics of the job. Before the vote for governor and lieutenant governor next week, he asks why the office has been a dead end here when it is a springboard in many other states.Josh talks through the history with the people who lived it:Former Governor Parris GlendeningFormer Lt. Governor Michael SteeleJolene Ivey, Doug Gansler’s 2014 running mateBlair Lee IV, son of the state’s first modern lieutenant governorYork College political scientist Anthony SparacinoFormer Delegate Kumar BarveThe topics include:Why Maryland candidates must pick a running mate before the primaryHow other states choose their number twoAn unsuccessful push to let Md. nominees wait until after the primaryThe dramatic fate of the 2018 Kamenetz/Ervin ticketQuestions or ideas? Email marylandnow@blendedpublicaffairs.com or find us on Facebook.Thanks to Nate Carper of Carper Cre8tive for technical support. (00:00) – Why Maryland LG Matters (03:07) – Origins of the Office (04:36) – Dead End Reputation (09:09) – LGs Nationwide Compared (10:44) – How Maryland Picks Running Mates (12:18) – Jolene Ivey Courtship Story (16:38) – Mandel and Blair Lee Era (20:15) – Hughes Bogley Fallout (22:08) – 2022 Running Mate Scramble (25:56) – Wes Moore and Aruna Miller (29:13) – Aruna Miller’s Gamble (29:50) – Why LGs Get Sidelined (30:28) – Schaefer and Steinberg Fallout (32:22) – Glendening Picks a Kennedy (34:46) – Townsend Under the Microscope (36:05) – Ehrlich and Steele Ticket (40:07) – Racism and the Campaign Trail (42:01) – Steele Leaves and Lessons Learned (43:51) – Anthony Brown’s Rise and Return (45:33) – Boyd Rutherford Steps Up (47:06) – Kamenetz Tragedy and Ballot Chaos (48:30) – Fixing the Running Mate Process (50:28) – Steele’s Advice for Future LGs (51:44) – Debating the Reform Bill (56:09) – Wrap Up and What’s Next

1. A Heartbeat Away: Why No Maryland Lieutenant Governor Has Ever Been Elected Governor 57:54
2. Not in My Backyard: Data Centers, Power Bills and Maryland’s Energy Squeeze 35:31
3. Steny Hoyer & Sarah Elfreth: Passing the Baton in Congress 42:57
4. "Walk Again": The Culture Shift for Women in Maryland Politics 41:00
5. [Replay] Maryland's Official State Symbols, Explained 48:52