The Democrats in Maryland, who had been out of power for eight years, recently returned to the governor’s mansion and made history by electing the state’s first Black governor.
A charismatic best-selling author and former president of the Robin Hood anti-poverty group, Wes Moore is only the third Black person to be elected governor in the United States.
Moore had 59.7 percent of the vote at midnight, putting him in the lead
The newly elected governor was introduced to a cheering, party-ready audience. Moore’s campaign headquarters at the Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore had a club atmosphere long before the race was called, with people bobbing and swaying to a DJ playing modern and classic R&B hits like “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan, “Encore” by Cheryl Lynn, and “Rock Steady” by Aretha Franklin.
Moore stepped out onto the stage with his family—wife Dawn and kids Mia and James—as “Higher Love” by Whitney Houston and Kygo played in the background. Moore remarked, “What an incredible night and an improbable voyage.” After 246 years of American history, Moore becomes only the third Black governor, after Virginia’s Douglas Wilder and Massachusetts’ Deval Patrick.
His victory was a ray of hope for the party bracing itself on Election Day for the loss of the House and possibly the Senate. Maryland and Massachusetts are reliably Democratic states, but their popular Republican governors were not on the ballot this year, so the Democrats saw them as prime targets for retaking.
Moore restated campaign promises
Charlie Baker of Massachusetts declined to run for reelection, and Larry Hogan of Maryland was disqualified from running due to term limitations. In his acceptance address, Moore restated campaign promises he intends to carry through once he takes office. He leaned into his campaign motto of “leave no one behind” and pledged to collaborate with police and local communities to bring a new public safety era.
Also mentioned was his grandmother, who was born in Cuba but moved to Jamaica before settling in the United States. Moore claimed she passed away last week at the age of 95.
Moore is backed by a network of influential allies who helped propel his campaign to victory.
In a recent campaign ad, former President Barack Obama endorsed Moore, saying, “My friend Wes Moore is the leader Maryland needs.” Moore’s “Beyond Belief” show on the OWN Network received support from the Network’s CEO, Oprah Winfrey. The time we’re in calls for a special kind of leader. Winfrey proclaimed, “For governor in Maryland, you have one in my friend Wes Moore.”
The Moore administration will be put under early pressure to fill the many open positions in state government agencies like the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Services, and the Department of Public Health.
