Maryland taxpayers footed a $200,000 bill for state officials and politicians to socialize and network with business executives track-side at the 148th Preakness Stakes over the weekend.

So who got to sip cocktails and watch the races in the state tent?

The state of Maryland provided a list of attendees to The Baltimore Banner after the race, a combination of politicians, state officials and business leaders. With Gov. Wes Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller being Democrats, the guest list skewed blue — though a couple Republicans who are horse racing fans were also invited.

And an official with the Department of Commerce told The Baltimore Banner on Saturday that a couple of the state guests would not be identified yet, because they are in the midst of confidential business negotiations involving the state.

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According to the governor’s office, here are the politicians currently in office who attended festivities in the state tent:

Here are members of the Moore administration and other state officials who were listed as visiting the tent:

Here are business executives and others who visited the tent:

The state tent was not open to the public or the press, but some of the listed guests were spotted coming and going. And some guests not on the list were also seen, including Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., current Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott and former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake.

The $200,000 cost of the state tent was spread across multiple state departments, including commerce, transportation, natural resources, agriculture, housing and community development, and the state lottery.

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Right next door was a hospitality event for the Democratic Governors Association, where Moore entertained donors alongside Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

pamela.wood@thebaltimorebanner.com

Pamela Wood covers Maryland politics and government. She previously reported for The Baltimore Sun, The Capital and other Maryland newspapers. A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, she lives in northern Anne Arundel County. 

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