“It’s been a long
A long time coming
But I know, a change gonna come
Oh, yes it will”
– Sam Cooke
(BALTIMORE – July 20, 2022) – True story: Back in 2016, Wes Moore asked me about the mayor’s race. While he never said it, I got the distinct impression he was interested. The problem is, I was all-in with Sheila Dixon. The topic never came up again.
Fast forward 6 years to last night’s unveiling of results: Wes Moore is winning the Democratic nomination for Governor.
When he first got in this race, what I cannot forget is the Black men who doubted him. I will also not forget the Black men, like Billie Murphy, who never wavered.
And with his loyal supporters behind him, Moore shattered every stereotype, smashed every obstacle, and answered every question.
At first, critics questioned whether or not he could raise money. He raised $7 million, leaving his opponents catching vapors. They said he lied about being from Baltimore, yet Baltimore came out handily for him. Hell, anybody who can put a premium on being from Baltimore has got to be good for business. Right?
Then they questioned if he could take Prince George’s County, and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks shut that notion down with the swiftness and announced her support.
Johnny Olszewski wouldn’t give him a second look and instead opted to back Tom Perez, a man I have not seen since 2006. Mayor Brandon Scott stayed silent, but this did not deter Moore as he did get the support of state Senator Antonio Hayes and others. Hayes told me about the many people he personally knows who Moore has helped over the years, including people in the Penn-North community.
While I haven’t seen Perez in years, I have seen Moore working in Baltimore, mentoring students, and speaking to community groups. He has never been a stranger to our plight, although we always knew he was destined to do something greater. When I think back to an interview I had with him at the Brookings Institute, Moore has been gearing up for this Governor’s race for as long as Franchot – if not longer.
He said in that interview that our future is too important for us to wait on someone else to come and save us. Nearly a decade later, Moore is teetering on the lips of the state capital and poised to become governor in November. First, though, he must re-calibrate to face Republican nominee Dan Cox on November 8th.
May the force be with you, Wes!
