“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
— Robert Frost
(TOWSON, MD – June 24, 2026) – I spoke with former Dunbar High School Athletic Director and Coach Bob Wade last week, and as always, it was a joy.
Coach Wade has a gift for encouragement. Every conversation seems to end the same way: with a reminder to do good work and make our beloved Dunbar High School proud.
I’ll be honest. When I first arrived at the Eastside Garden, I had no real appreciation for the school’s athletic history. I didn’t know about the championships. I didn’t know about the dynasties. I certainly didn’t know enough about the legendary Skip Wise.
How could a young man with roots in East Baltimore not know?
The answer is simple.
Coming out of Poly’s “A” Course, my life revolved around theorems, formulas, quadratic equations, pi, and the function of f as x approaches y. Two to three hours of homework every night. No hanging out on weekends. No following sports. No time for much of anything else.
The first thing I noticed at Dunbar was that the school had some of the prettiest cheerleaders in Baltimore.
Then I learned about the basketball dynasty.
Then the football dynasty.
Then the wrestling program.
Then baseball, where I eventually made my own mark.
What I quickly discovered was that excellence wasn’t optional at Dunbar. Winning mattered.
That expectation stays with you.
Which is why Coach Wade was smiling when we talked last week about Baltimore City Sheriff candidate Sabrina Tapp-Harper and Baltimore County Executive candidate Julian Jones.
To Coach Wade, they are still part of the Dunbar family.
And when members of that family succeed, he takes pride in their accomplishments the same way he once celebrated victories on the court and on the football field.
More importantly, Coach understands what these victories represent.
More resources.
More jobs.
More opportunity.
More influence in the rooms where decisions get made.
On Tuesday, voters across Greater Baltimore delivered several significant victories.
Tapp-Harper Wins Sheriff’s Race
Baltimore City voters elected Sabrina Tapp-Harper as their Democratic nominee for Sheriff, defeating incumbent Sam Cogen by a decisive margin.
Tapp-Harper earned 24,753 votes, or 55.55 percent, compared to Cogen’s 19,806 votes, or 44.45 percent.
For Tapp-Harper, the victory marks the culmination of years of perseverance.
The 36-year law enforcement veteran endured setbacks, criticism, and obstacles that might have discouraged others. Instead, she stayed focused on her goal and continued making her case to voters.
On Tuesday, those voters responded.
The result was clear.
Julian Jones Finishes First in Baltimore County
In Baltimore County, Councilman Julian Jones emerged as the clear winner in a crowded five-way Democratic primary for County Executive.
Jones received 22,584 votes, capturing 40.89 percent of the vote.
Councilman Izzy Patoka finished second with 14,640 votes and 26.51 percent.
Nick Stewart followed with 18.96 percent, while Pat Young and Mansoor Shams rounded out the field.
The victory places Jones in position to make history as Baltimore County’s first Black elected County Executive.
For years, Jones has built relationships throughout Baltimore County while establishing himself as one of the county’s most influential elected officials.
Those relationships paid dividends at the ballot box.
His coalition stretched across communities, generations, and constituencies.
On Tuesday, that coalition delivered.
Malcolm Ruff’s Leap of Faith Pays Off
Another race that captured our attention was the battle for the 41st District State Senate seat.
There, Delegate Malcolm Ruff accomplished something many young politicians only dream about.
He challenged a sitting state senator.
And he won.
Ruff defeated Senator Dalya Attar by a margin of 60.81 percent to 39.19 percent, earning 7,913 votes to Attar’s 5,099.
Let’s be clear about what Ruff did.
It took courage.
Attar may have been appointed rather than elected to the Senate, but she still possessed the advantages that come with incumbency. She had resources. She had visibility. She had signs and billboards seemingly everywhere throughout Northwest Baltimore.
Yet she also carried a burden that proved impossible to escape.
Federal indictment.
For months, the issue followed her campaign.
And in today’s digital environment, information doesn’t disappear the way it once did.
The internet is forever.
What might have faded after a few news cycles twenty years ago now remains permanently accessible.
Voters understood that.
Ruff gave them an alternative.
A Park Heights native, Gilman School graduate, Duke University football letterman, attorney, and legislator, Ruff offered voters a different vision for the district’s future.
The voters responded decisively.
The Bigger Lesson
Politics often comes down to one question:
Who do voters trust to carry the ball?
On June 23rd, voters across Greater Baltimore answered that question in several important races.
They rewarded persistence.
They rewarded preparation.
They rewarded candidates who presented themselves as ready to lead.
Three victories stood out.
Sabrina Tapp-Harper.
Julian Jones.
Malcolm Ruff.
A sheriff who refused to quit.
A county executive candidate who spent years building a countywide coalition.
A young attorney who challenged a sitting senator and won.
Coach Wade spent a lifetime teaching young people how to compete, how to persevere, and how to finish.
On Tuesday, three of Greater Baltimore’s winners did exactly that.
Coach Wade would call it a championship night.
And he’d be right.
