Progressive unions, groups and allies are taking on Democratic Party regulars again, this time in the June 26 Maryland Democratic gubernatorial primary. But whoever wins faces an unenviable task, even in the deep-blue state: Trying to dislodge popular GOP Gov. Larry Hogan in November.

WASHINGTONBy a strictly party-line vote all 50 voting Republicans for, all 46 voting Democrats and both independents against the Senate gave Republicans a National Labor Relations Board majority by naming corporate attorney John Ring to its sole vacant seat.

Organized labor did not flatly oppose Rings nomination, but questioned whether he could set aside his pro-corporate track past to implement federal labor laws goals of encouraging collective bargaining and labor-management peace.