County Council Leaders Endorse Baker for Governor
Gubernatorial Candidate Rushern L. Baker III Seeks The Governor’s Seat For Second Time
Compiled By Tiffany Young
Nine members of the Prince George’s County Council have showed support and will endorse Rushern Baker III, former county Executive, in the race for Maryland governor they announced in Largo Aug. 31.
The following officials endorsed Baker at the annoncement: Council Chair Calvin S. Hawkins II, Vice Chair Deni Taveras and Councilmembers Franklin (At-Large), Dannielle M. Glaros (District 3), Todd M. Turner (District 4), Ivey (District 5), Davis (District 6), Rodney C. Streeter (District 7), and Sydney J. Harrison (District 9). The two members who did not endorse Baker are: Thomas E. Dernoga (District 1) and Monique Anderson-Walker (District 8).
"I enthusiastically endorse Rushern Baker for Governor because I believe in the great work that we did together,” At Large Councilmember Mel Franklin said in a statement following the press conference. “Whether it was economic development, school construction, public safety, health care, transportation, or the environment, Rushern's leadership as County Executive sparked our county's comeback by rescuing us from the Great Recession to become Maryland's leading job creator along with a 50% drop in violent crime. Nearly every part of our county reflects the progress that we made during Rushern's tenure and he now has the opportunity to bring his values of equity and opportunity for all, especially for communities that have been left behind, to the entire state. Because of his boldness, courage, and character, the residents of our great state couldn't have a better choice for governor than Rushern Baker and I’m proud to stand with him."
Baker (center) flanked by members of the county council. PHOTO: COURTESY THE OFFICE OF AT LARGE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER MEL FRANKLIN
Baker, who is seeking the governor’s seat for the second time, is hopeful this campaign will be successful as the council members and others in county government have rallied to support his campaign, an increase from four years ago. The former county executive is no stranger to adversity in seeking elected office: he ran for county executive three time before attaining the goal in 2010.
Baker is still seeking an endorsement from Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, but is moving full speed ahead in his campaign. On August 31, at a press conference, Maryland Matters reported that Baker called the endorsement a “special moment.”
According to the article, Baker said that if county leaders were able to convince state leaders and the University of Maryland Health System to build a new hospital in historically under-served Prince George’s, then tackling health disparities on a larger scale is also doable.
All eyes are on Maryland’s 2022 race for governor as incumbent Larry Hoan is now term-limited and is ineligible to return to the seat. Baker is up against an array of Democratic candidates that includes nonprofit executive Jon Baron, Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot, former state Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, former Obama Administration official Ashwani K. Jain, former U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr., author and former anti-poverty CEO Wes Moore, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Baltimore tech entrepreneur Michael Rosenbaum.
Next Tuesday, Baker will formally launch his campaign.
