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After some tough primary election races, Maryland Democrats sought to “kiss and make up” on Monday, Aug. 1 in a unified effort to win back the governor’s mansion in November’s general election.
Former Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez, who came in second place in the governor’s race with slightly more than 19,000 votes, or 3%, stressed the importance of electing Wes Moore, former Del. Aruna Miller, Rep. Anthony Brown and Del. Brooke Lierman of Baltimore City.
All four would mark firsts for Maryland: Moore as the first Black governor; Miller the first woman of color and first American Indian as lieutenant governor; Brown the first Black attorney general; and Lierman the first woman to serve as comptroller.
“When we make history folks, it’s a big [expletive] deal,” Perez said to several hundred fellow Democrats at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring. “To everybody who may have voted for someone else [and] may have voted for us, here’s what I’m here to say: get over it. It’s time to come together. It’s time to win.”
The Maryland Democratic Party’s “All Blue In ‘22” rally focused on “unity” and “solidarity.” In addition, the participants encouraged voters to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in the Nov. 8 general election.
The governor’s seat remains the coveted prize because the second, four-year term of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan expires in January.
Although Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state by a ratio of 2-to-1, a Democrat hasn’t held the governor’s seat since former Gov. Martin O’Malley in January 2015.
Five other gubernatorial candidates are slated to run for governor but the Democrats’ attention remains squarely on Republican Del. Dan Cox who received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Cox, an attorney, husband and father of 10 children, posted a placard Sunday on his Twitter page to outline some of his proposals that include: ending transgender indoctrination in schools; eliminating health and mask mandates; and funding the police to “establish law and order in Baltimore City.”
The delegate, who represents portions of Carroll and Frederick counties, also posted a picture of Moore wearing a Maryland mask that suggested that if Moore were elected, he “will continue [President Joe] Biden’s failed economic policies and will continue the war on police and increased taxation via a carbon tax.”
Moore, an author and former nonprofit executive, summarized himself Monday as someone who pledges his allegiance to God, family, the American flag “and the people of Maryland.”
“This is a Republican nominee who has pledged allegiance to Donald Trump,” he said. “This is not merely a choice between Democrats and Republicans. This is an election of two entirely different views of what our state and what our future should look like and who we will fight for.”
Moore said his administration would ensure free universal pre-kindergarten for all children, accelerate the increase for a $15 minimum wage and provide additional support and resources for the state’s historically Black colleges and universities.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott summarized his Democratic Party against the Republican Party as “sane versus crazy.”
“[Republicans’] brand of policies, their brand of hate, their brand of separation have no place in our state,” Scott said. “We want to beat them back into hiding so that they don’t want to run for elected office in Maryland.”
Another contested race features Democrat and former Del. Heather Mizeur challenging Rep. Andy Harris, the state’s only GOP member in the state’s federal delegation who challenged the 2020 presidential election of Biden.
Harris seeks a seventh term representing the 1st Congressional District with a heavy GOP influence along the Eastern Shore and portions of Baltimore, Carroll and Harford counties.
“I am running to defeat a traitor in our nation,” said Mizeur, who would be the first woman elected in the state’s federal delegation in 15 years.
She then asked the crowd, “Are we ready to reject [Harris] and defeat him in November?”
“Yeah!” they yelled.
Meanwhile, Maryland Republican Party chair Dirk Haire released a statement Monday also calling for unity among the members.
Haire announced former Gov. Robert Ehrlich, Jr. will lead the party’s “2022 Victory” campaign for all GOP candidates.
“I’m excited about this fall’s elections and the many opportunities our Republican candidates have to hold and pick up seats up and down the ballot,” Ehrlich said. “I look forward to working with the State Party and our GOP candidates to hold the Governor’s mansion, pick up key County Executive and Congressional seats and additional seats to our General Assembly delegation.”