Last night in Virginia, we saw what happens when Democrats show up to vote in record numbers to elect a governor. And we saw what happens when we stand united to repudiate the hate and fear that Republicans are spewing under the leadership of Donald Trump.
In 2014, we learned how our vote has consequences: Maryland has a governor who is letting Donald Trump get away with repeated attacks on our values — and even vocally supported Ed Gillespie’s extremist campaign in Virginia.
The message that Virginia voters sent was loud and clear and I know that Larry Hogan is going to learn the same lesson that Ed Gillespie did yesterday.
In the age of Trump, people are looking for qualified, experienced leaders who know how to get things done, and who will stand up to what’s happening in Washington when it threatens our communities.
Now I’m sure this news comes as a great disappointment to Larry Hogan, who not only endorsed Gillespie’s Trump-style campaign, but even headlined a rally to support him.
Under Larry Hogan and Donald Trump, Maryland is moving in the wrong direction. Our school system is falling in the national rankings, our economy is moving slower than our neighboring states, and Donald Trump’s assault on Maryland values is going unchecked by Larry Hogan.
Throughout my four terms on the Baltimore County Council and in my two terms as County Executive, I’ve always rolled up my sleeves to get the job done.
When I inherited some of the state’s oldest schools, I initiated an historic $1.3 billion investment to rebuild or renovate 90 schools so we could get our students out of trailers and into modern learning environments.
When Baltimore County was in the midst of the Great Recession, we attracted $5 billion in economic investment, creating thousands of jobs and bringing the unemployment rate to a nine-year low.
And when Donald Trump began his reign of terror against our immigrant communities, and Larry Hogan did nothing, I signed an executive order stating that no Baltimore County employee would discriminate against any of our residents based on their immigration status.
No matter how hard he tries, Larry Hogan cannot distance himself from the monster he and the Republican Party have created.
Yesterday voters were loud and clear: they will not accept the policies of hate and division — and any Republican who enables or embraces Trumpism will be held accountable.
That’s exactly what Marylanders will be looking for in 2018 — someone who won’t be afraid to stand up for what’s right when Donald Trump threatens our values and someone can deliver real results.
It’s what I’ve done my entire career, and it’s what I’ll do as governor.
Remember, when Democrats vote, we win.
I hope you’ll join our campaign today so that we can celebrate our own Democratic victory here in Maryland this time next year.
Visit www.kevinformaryland.com today to get involved!