The author and former director of a non-profit organization Wes Moore, a Democrat, defeated far-right Republican Dan Cox in the 2022 elections to become the first African-American person elected to the office of governor in Maryland history The Associated Press projected on Tuesday.
Moore, 44, delivered a big victory to Democrats in a difficult national election cycle for the party, reclaiming the governor’s mansion after eight years of Republican rule with a promise to “leave no one behind,” a message that it resonated in a diverse state where people of minorities have recently become the majority.
“We leave no one behind. And that’s not just a mantra,” Moore said during the campaign. “It’s a value statement. And it’s not just a value statement. Come January, that will be the new mission of this state.”
Moore, the son of a Jamaican immigrant raised by a single mother, becomes just the third elected African-American governor in United States historyafter Deval Patrick in Massachusetts and L. Douglas Wilder in Virginia.
A political newcomer, Moore won over Maryland voters with charisma and optimism and is seen as a rising star among a new generation of Democratic Party leaders.
Outgoing Maryland Governor Larry Hogan congratulated Moore:
Moore’s running mate, Aruna Miller, a former state delegate, will be the state’s first immigrant and the first minority woman to serve as lieutenant governor.
in the senate
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland won a second term in Tuesday’s Maryland election, defeating Republican Chris Chaffee in the heavily Democratic state.
In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1, Van Hollen’s seat was considered safe in this election.
Van Hollen, 63, was elected to the Senate in 2016 after serving seven terms in the House of Representatives.