With the July 19 primary election just months away, Maryland gubernatorial hopefuls continue to try and persuade voters that they are the right person to lead the state.
Five of the 10 Democratic candidates participated in a one-hour forum Sunday at the American Legion Post 136 in Greenbelt.
With Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s second four-year term set to expire in January, there’s one main goal for this year’s election.
“Put everything we have into the effort to get a Democrat elected governor,” said Konrad Herling, president of the Eleanor & Franklin Roosevelt Democratic Club, which hosted the forum.
The candidates speaking at the forum included former nonprofit executive Jon Baron, former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, former Obama administration official Ashwani Jain, former Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, and Jerome Segal, who founded the former Bread and Roses Party.
The forum consisted of three written questions from attendees with the first on using a magic wand to make life better for Marylanders.
If Baron had a magic wand, he would launch a partnership with private businesses to offer job training for every young adult statewide in “fast-growing” industries such as health care and information technology, he said.
Gansler said he would use “less wizardry and more experience” in combating crime, such as establishing domestic violence and drug courts in every jurisdiction in the state, an accomplishment he highlights as the only candidate handling criminal justice reform.
Jain, the youngest candidate at age 32, simply said he would “make politics inclusive and accessible. I believe if residents are not given a seat at the table in a very easy way, none of those policies will be equitable.”
After Perez said his magic wand would be used to “make sure everyone gets a fair shake,” he received applause from some in the audience in joining the opposition against the maglev high-speed train project. The Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail proposes to build an estimated 40-mile stretch between Washington and Baltimore mostly below ground, but nearly nine miles above ground in Prince George’s County with no stops.
Segal, a former philosophy professor, said time would be his magic potion to help Marylanders by decreasing the number of work hours. He said a person spends too much time in a car, so he proposes to incorporate policies for investing in electric vehicles that also preserve the environment.
The other candidates not in attendance included author and former nonprofit executive Wes Moore. However, he received a major endorsement Saturday from the Maryland State Education Association. The organization with 76,000 members also comes with a volunteer base stretched across the state.
“Our students and communities need leadership committed to the promise that no matter their neighborhood they will have the same opportunity to reach their potential,” union President Cheryl Bost said in a statement. “Wes Moore has demonstrated a commitment to unite people whom he leads in the fight for racial, social justice, and to give educators a voice in the decisions and policies that affect education.”
The other four Democratic candidates are former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, former U.S. Education Secretary John King Jr., state Comptroller Peter Franchot and former Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Neuman.
