As all BCPS students know, schools were closed on November 8th for Election Day. Social media was flooded with ads and celebrities encouraging voters to use their voice and vote for their preferred candidate in the Midterm elections. Here in Maryland, the lingering question was who would be our new Governor? Larry Hogan was Maryland’s Governor who served for two full terms. Hogan did not endorse a candidate but was strongly against Republican candidate Dan Cox, referring to him as mentally unstable. Dan’s campaign trail was based on following the Constitution and helping Maryland to the best of his abilities. The Democratic candidate for Governor was Wes Moore, who based his campaign on equal opportunities and reducing childhood poverty. Wes Moore ended up winning the election, making him the third black Governor of Maryland.

Moore was born in Takoma Park Maryland, so he is relatively familiar with the area. In his early life, he dealt with instability in his family life after his father died. His mother moved him to the Bronx where his grandparents lived, but eventually he moved back to Baltimore after his mom was offered a job.

Something that seemingly stood out to voters was the fact that Wes Moore served as a Captain and Paratrooper in the US Army’s 82nd Airborne. Being a veteran himself offers a sense of understanding to those currently in the military and those with loved ones in the military. Additionally, Moore served as CEO of the Robin Hood foundation for four years. The Robin Hood foundation focuses on helping those struggling with poverty and helping them to have better overall quality of life. During his time as CEO, Moore distributed around 600 million dollars to those in need.

Wes Moore is a fairly successful author as well. His most successful book is entitled “The Other Wes Moore.” The book takes a deep look at recognizing how people with similar backgrounds and childhood experiences can end up in such drastically different situations later on in life. The book is a memoir, and follows two boys, both named Wes Moore. Both of the boys grow up in the same neighborhood, and one becomes a veteran, business leader, and White House fellow, while the other winds up serving a life sentence in prison. The two boys connect in their later years and find ways to communicate their stories to each other.

Wes focuses on sixteen general issues he promises to address during his time in office. These issues are the economy, education, health care, transportation, civil rights and social justice, climate, unlocking opportunities for black families, labor, public safety and criminal justice, gender equality, veterans, supporting seniors, LGBTQ+, protecting reproductive rights, disabilities, as well as integrating immigrant communities. Moore’s campaign website goes into heavy detail on how he plans to address each individual issue. You can visit the website at wesmoore.com! It will be captivating to observe how Moore goes about these issues and what he does during his time as Maryland’s Governor.