By Ellen Salovaara
After serving eight years as governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan has reached his two-term limit, leaving Marylanders to look towards a new group of candidates. The primary elections for the next governor of Maryland will be held on July 19, 2022 and will determine the nominees from each party. The general election between these nominees will be held on November 8, 2022. To register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, a Maryland resident, and at least 16 years old. You can vote if you are a U.S. citizen, a Maryland resident, and at least 18 years old.
You can register to vote online using Maryland’s Online Voter Registration System or mail in a voter registration application. Learn more about this on the webpage for the Maryland State Board of Elections. If you mail in an application, it must be postmarked before or on June 7 for you to vote in the primaries. You can also register to vote on election day. If you are not sure if you’re registered, you can use the Maryland State Board of Elections voter search webpage to check.
Anyone eligible to vote in Maryland can request a mail-in ballot, and you can do so at Maryland’s Online Voter Registration System. Your ballot must be postmarked with the date of or before election day. If you will be out of Maryland during the primaries and/or the general election, requesting a mail-in ballot is the way to go.
If you want to learn more about voting as a college student, you can check out the Student Voters webpage on the Maryland State Board of Elections site. Some states allow you to vote for their government officials if you go to college in that state (example: if you go to college in Massachusetts, you can vote for Massachusetts government officials OR Maryland government officials). Learn about different state laws on the voting rules webpage at VOTE 411’s website.
In an interview, RPCS Upper School Head Ms. Kyle stated that she thinks voting is important because it is “a privilege of citizenship; it’s a responsibility of citizenship.” She recalled her first voting experience in 1994, remarking on the experience of returning to work the day after voting with the political scientists she was working with at the time “and really being fascinated by talking to the experts about what had happened and why it happened.”
When asked about why voting for the governor is important, she said: “thinking about civil rights…and also great waves of national progressive changes in the early 20th century…a lot of those changes have started at the state level, they’re often called the ‘laboratories of democracy,’ these are the governments that are closer to us. Maryland is such a unique and important state: the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the country, and our environmental needs are significant. We also border Washington DC and have many of our citizens involved in the federal government. With our active county governments and a well-governed state system, we citizens have great opportunities to have a voice and shape change."
Annie Obrecht, a senior who is excited about her first opportunity to vote this election, shared why she will be voting: “Honestly, I didn’t even question whether I would be voting or not once I was eligible—it has been something that I’ve been eager to do since the days when I would go with my mom to Roland Park Elementary for her to fill out a ballot. Reading the news can be really overwhelming when I feel like my opinion has no power. Voting is a way for me to not feel powerless and have representatives in office who work to uphold values I align with.” She discussed the importance of voting for the first time, explaining the research she has been doing on the role of the governor and the candidates, stating: “Being an informed voter is important to me and so I have continued to learn more about the candidates and their roles.” Annie feels strongly that voting for local government officials is essential, explaining: “I think local governments often tend to deal with issues that affect our day-to-day lives, more so, typically, than the federal government. One issue that comes to mind is the Supreme Court case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, where the outcome could overturn Roe v. Wade. If it is overturned, it falls on the states and local governments to decide on abortion laws individually.”
In order to help you make an informed decision about who to vote for, here is an overview of the main Democratic and Republican candidates for governor.
Democratic Candidates
Rushern Baker was elected county executive of Prince George’s County in 2010 and again in 2014. Mr. Baker represented legislative district 22B in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1994 to 2003. During this time, he was also the executive director for the Community Teachers Institute, located in Lanham, Maryland. He ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2018. On his website, Mr. Baker proudly states that his campaign is the only Maryland gubernatorial campaign not using public financing. He asserts that his campaign will not accept money from “large donors, PACs, or other special interest groups.” In an interview with Maryland Matters, a news website, he stated that working with national leaders who have been battling the pandemic inspired him to return to politics. Mr. Baker feels strongly about combating climate change. He views green energy as a catalyst for economic growth and job opportunities that would help communities that have been left behind. Mr. Baker stated that he would consider creating a “climate czar” position in his government, someone who would oversee climate-related issues. In a recent tweet, Mr. Baker claimed that he “will lead the effort for meaningful redistricting reform that results in compact and sensibly drawn districts, provides an environment that is more conducive to responsive constituent service, and hopefully restores public confidence in our politics.”
Peter Franchot was a representative in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1987 to 2007. He has been Maryland’s comptroller since 2007. Mr. Franchot lists his primary goals as governor on his website. One such goal is to “rebuild trust in the competence of state government.” To complete this goal, he hopes to pick up all trash and fill all potholes on state roads within his first six months in office. He also hopes to “create 100,000 jobs in 100 weeks in industries of the future.” Mr. Franchot wants to “make Maryland the first net-zero state in the U.S. and a net supplier of renewable energy.” He is committed to creating a cabinet-level position focused on diversity: the Secretary of DEI. According to his website, this secretary would “(i) promote diversity in government, especially in leadership positions, (ii) assess existing and proposed state policies to identify any biases, disparate impacts, or inadequate attention to existing inequity, and (iii) develop policies to promote economic relief for communities that have been structurally denied opportunity.” Mr. Franchot also hopes to “achieve statewide 5G and high-speed broadband access by 2026.” His website states that “providing truly universal internet connectivity is a matter of justice for families who are otherwise frozen out of opportunities, particularly youth who are at a disadvantage when it comes to education.”
Wes Moore is an author, entrepreneur, television producer, and U.S. Army veteran. From 2017 to 2021, he was the CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, an organization that fights against poverty in New York City. He is the author of The Other Wes Moore and The Work. Mr. Moore pledges to fight for equity in the criminal justice system. He wants to fight for racial justice in many different areas, including housing, education, housing, and healthcare. Mr. Moore hopes to prioritize environmental justice for low-income communities and communities of color. He hopes to ensure 100% clean energy by 2035, reduce 60% of dangerous greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045. He pledges to advance reproductive rights by inputting the protections of Roe v. Wade into the Maryland constitution. On his website, Mr. Moore states that he wants to “establish a Women in STEM focus across all levels of education and invest in job training and credentialing programs to drive women into high-demand, high-paying STEM jobs.” He also hopes to “repeal the Maryland law allowing spouses who engage in sexual abuse against their partner to use their marriage as a legal defense.” He also has an in-depth plan to “unlock economic opportunity for Maryland’s Black families.” His plan includes creating pipelines between Maryland HBCUs and tech employers, increasing support to encourage more BIPOC teachers to work in public schools, and accelerating the implementation of the $15 minimum wage.
Republican Candidates
Daniel L. Cox represents the fourth district in the Maryland House of Delegates. Mr. Cox was the Frederick County co-chair for Maryland’s Trump Victory Leadership County Team, and he holds an endorsement from Former President Trump. Mr. Cox assisted in the bussing of constituents to the “Save America March,” which escalated to the January 6th U.S. Capitol attack. While he was at the event, Mr. Cox tweeted, “Pence is a traitor,” and responded to the backlash from this tweet by claiming that Antifa had started the attack. Governor Larry Hogan denounced Mr. Cox’s statements, and the Frederick County Democratic Central Committee attempted to expel him from the House of Delegates for his false assertions. Mr. Cox later released a statement in which he denounced “all mob violence including those who broke into the U.S. Capitol.” In February 2022, progressive groups urged the Maryland State Board of Elections to discuss removing Mr. Cox from the gubernatorial ballot due to his participation in the U.S. Capitol Attack. One board member said the board will “respond accordingly.” Mr. Cox identifies himself as “100% pro-life.” He has co-sponsored multiple bills that would ban abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected. He believes that parents should have the right to end the teaching of Critical Race Theory in their children’s schools. He hopes to reduce taxes for businesses, families, and retirees.
Kelly M. Schulz was the Maryland Secretary of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation from 2015 to 2018, and she represented District 4A in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2011 to 2015. Ms. Schulz has received an endorsement from current Maryland governor Larry Hogan. Governor Hogan stated: “If you approve of how we have led Maryland, then Kelly Schulz is your choice for governor.” Ms. Schulz asserts that she will fight against every legislative move to raise taxes, and she will use her position to fight for tax cuts. Her primary platform is the promotion of tax cuts, which she says will help “families, small businesses, and retirees” in Maryland. Ms. Schulz owned a successful small business before becoming a politician. She branded the “defund the police” movement as “ridiculous” and claimed that she would “stand up for law enforcement.” Ms. Schulz states, “We need more officers protecting our communities with better training and more resources.” Ms. Schulz is deeply concerned with the fact that schools have been closed due to the pandemic, and she asserts that she will ensure schools become or remain fully open.
Joe Werner self-identifies as “the candidate for statewide development.” Mr. Werner wants to “remove illegal guns from the streets” and “get violent offenders out of our communities and into prison.” In addition, Mr. Werner believes that parents should be able to take their kids out of local public schools if the local public schools are “failing to provide for [the] child’s needs for impactful learning” and enroll them in charter schools. Mr. Werner has roots in Fells Point, and he is the son of immigrants. He hopes to create an environment in Maryland that allows small businesses to flourish. Mr. Werner supports the 2nd amendment right to bear arms, and he self-identifies as “pro-life.” He hopes to combat gun violence in Maryland by getting illegal guns off the streets.
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