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John B. King Jr. (D), the former U.S. secretary of Education under President Obama, announced his 2022 gubernatorial bid Tuesday.
Education will be one of King鈥檚 foremost talking points on the campaign trail, and he touted his lengthy resume as an educator in his announcement.
King started his career as a teacher and school administrator, and later became New York State鈥檚 commissioner of education before joining the Obama administration.
贬颈蝉听聽features audio of President Obama introducing him at a previous event 鈥� though not for his campaign for governor. The video also features a still photograph of King with the former president.
鈥淢y life is proof of the positive difference that public institutions can make in people鈥檚 lives,鈥� King said in the announcement. 鈥淚 lost both my parents as a child, my mom when I was 8 and my dad when I was 12. Public schools and inspiring public school teachers saved my life. Even when I struggled as a teenager and got kicked out of high school, it was teachers and a school counselor that gave me a second chance. I am running for governor of Maryland because we can鈥檛 afford to rely on chance for more Marylanders to have the opportunity to succeed.鈥�
King, 46, has headed The Education Trust 鈥� a Washington D.C.-based organization focuses on closing the achievement gap for students of color 鈥� since his tenure as secretary of Education ended in 2017.
He鈥檚 more recently weighed in on a slew of state-level policy issues by forming the progressive advocacy group聽聽last year. That group pushed for a variety of reforms during the Maryland General Assembly鈥檚 2021 legislative session, including criminal justice reform and environmental justice efforts.
King鈥檚 Tuesday release noted Strong Future Maryland鈥檚 broad activism, but repeatedly underscored his work in education. He previously聽聽that building up early childhood education, ramping up health and mental health services in public schools and partnering with Maryland鈥檚 Historically Black colleges and universities should be the state鈥檚 top priorities going forward.
King鈥檚 announcement video features testimonials from a handful of his former students.
鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 time for a teacher as governor,鈥� one of them says.
鈥淲e need a teacher as governor,鈥� says another.
鈥淭he great thing about a teacher as governor is that teachers know we have to start by listening to our students, by seeing our students as whole people,鈥� King says in the video. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how a governor should think.鈥�
For King, the sweeping Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Future education reforms are just the first of many steps needed to improve education in the state.
鈥淚 would argue that we have to see the Blueprint as the floor, not the ceiling,鈥� King told the women鈥檚 Democratic club in March. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to continually be asking what we can be doing to build on the Blueprint.鈥�
The timing of King鈥檚 announcement 鈥� April 20, the same day Harriet Tubman is believed to have begun her work with the Underground Railroad in Maryland 鈥� was deliberate. King鈥檚 Silver Spring residence is roughly 25 miles from where his own great-grandfather and his family were enslaved in Gaithersburg.
鈥淢y ancestors could not have imagined that I would be where I am today,鈥� King said. 鈥淚 am living because they survived. I am running for them and to make good on the promise of a better future for Marylanders for generations to come.鈥�
In announcing his candidacy, King joins a growing Democratic field of 2022 gubernatorial candidates: Comptroller聽, former Prince George鈥檚 County Executive聽听补苍诲听, another former Obama administration official, have also announced bids. Several other Democrats have聽聽for potential runs.
