Several candidates vying to be Maryland’s next governor made their pitches to voters at a Democratic candidates鈥� forum in Ocean City on Wednesday night.
鈥淐OVID has thrown this whole place apart,鈥� said former Prince George鈥檚 County Executive Rushern Baker. 鈥淲e need somebody who on Day One can get in there and get the job done.鈥�
Former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler said the stakes are high 鈥渁nd we need to have a Democratic nominee who can actually win the general election.鈥�
鈥淭here are folks who say the Democratic candidates are all the same,鈥� said former U.S. Education Secretary John King, as he touched on issues from education to health care to housing. 鈥淲e are not.鈥�
Baker said the state needs someone who will speak 鈥渉ard truths to power.鈥�
鈥淲e have to honestly talk about the slaughter of young Black men in Baltimore City and places like that,鈥� he said.
Watch Wednesday’s forum below.
Gansler called for ending judicial elections, saying it鈥檚 鈥渙ne of the first things we鈥檙e going to do.鈥�
鈥淛udges should not be raising money from lawyers and they should not be political,鈥� he said. Gansler voiced support for having police officers in schools as well: 鈥淲e need to have school resource officers in every school in Maryland to keep our kids safe.鈥�
Former nonprofit executive Jon Baron and activist Jerome Segal took part in the Maryland State Bar Association forum as well, which was co-moderated by 草莓传媒鈥檚 Dick Uliano.
Candidates not taking part included Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, former charity CEO Wes Moore and former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez, because of scheduling conflicts or 鈥淐OVID-related issues.鈥� Moore tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
