As a registered voter in the state of Maryland and as a resident of Montgomery County, the most liberal county in the state, I think we need Ben Jealous to move Maryland forward — for the homeless community, for others who struggle, for everyone.
After beating Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker in the recent primary to be the Democratic nominee for governor, former NAACP President Ben Jealous must now convince Maryland voters that his policies are the best to serve Maryland voters. To win in November, though, Jealous must do the following:
- First, he can win by expanding the electorate and registering more voters.
- Second, he should align with union organizations and their members to get out the vote. (He has already aligned with the Service Employees International Union and Unite Here, a local organization focused on getting out the vote in minority communities.)
- Further, Jealous must unite the Democratic base before the vote on Nov. 6. The Republican incumbent, Larry Hogan, has a near 70 percent approval rating. If he wins, he’d become the second Republican governor in 60 years to win a second term. But we need change, and Hogan’s policies do not serve low-income people.
Michael Warner is a vendor with Street Sense Media. He has also worked as a field organizer for President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012 and Deputy Canvass Director for Planned Parenthood and held other positions on political campaigns and is looking for his next position.