Maryland’s Governor Election Was More Than Just a Win For Democrats
It was three cheers on November 8, 2022, when Wes Moore, a Democrat, won Maryland’s election for governor. He defeated Dan Cox, a state legislator supported by former president Donald Trump, on his journey to office; Moore was a newcomer to the political scene, endorsed by Oprah Winfrey during the primary elections in July.
Election Day held a sweeping victory for Moore, who won over 64 percent of the votes compared to Cox’s 32 percent.
Moore’s election is monumental for our state: he is the first Black governor of Maryland, and only the third Black governor in the country’s history.
Leading with his slogan to “leave no one behind,” Moore, an Army veteran, told crowds that he wanted to bring people together. His running mate, Aruna Miller, was the first immigrant and Asian-American to win lieutenant governor’s office – the pair championed equal opportunity for all Maryland residents.
Moore exudes patriotism, fighting for his country on the battlefield and returning to advocate for the underprivileged in today’s political warzone.
On paper, the win is one for the Democrats. However, this election was also a triumphant victory for people of color and immigrant families like mine. Finally, there are legislators that share my background. Finally, I see some like me in the office.
Miller represents girls like me, girls who grew up with immigrant families. She represents the epitome of what it means to live out the “American dream,” forging a career in American politics, a domain that has long opposed the involvement of women of color.
It’s hard for brown girls like me to trust that legislators and leaders that look nothing like me will have their best interests at heart. How could they? There’s no common ground, no hope for policy written solely to support us.
Even if policymakers and leaders are trying their best to support everyone, it’s impossible for someone with vastly different life experiences to understand the day to day life experiences of their constituents. It’s a breath of fresh air to know that someone who might have shared similar experiences to me will be sitting in office, working to support us using that knowledge.
Moore and Miller’s victory is just a start, but it lights a fire of hope in me for our government. The darkest parts of American history have been rooted in the oppression of Black and brown people, and finally we are seeing ourselves being represented and fought for.
It’s not only inspiring, it’s something our world desperately needs in this time of division.
Moore and Miller carry a heavy responsibility to make us proud: all the little girls and boys that see themselves on the screen will forever be emblazoned with memories of what these historic leaders will do with their power.
They won the race: now the work begins.