The Howard County Democratic Party’s Labor Day picnic (above) had a big turnout this election year, including three congressmen, state and local legislators. “It is the first election in my lifetime where the choice is how we’re going to treat people,” Rep. John Sarbanes told the crowd. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, running for U.S. Senate, said: “We’ve got to not only win this election; we’ve got to win it big.” MarylandReporter.com photo.

POLL: TRUMP IN DUMP, HOGAN SOARS: Donald Trump is deeply unpopular in Maryland and could be acting as a weight on the GOP candidate for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, according to a statewide poll to be released Tuesday, John Fritze reports in the Sun. But Gov. Larry Hogan continues to soar with a 71% approval rating. Trump is down 29 points in the state, the poll finds, and is losing every demographic: men, women, whites, blacks, young voters and old. The numbers in the contest to replace Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski are nearly identical. Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Montgomery County is leading Republican Del. Kathy Szeliga of Baltimore County 2-1.

State Roundup, September 6, 2016