Now that the dust has settled from the 2022 gubernatorial election, many people have tried to explain why the Republicans did not win the governor’s race.
One perspective that no one has offered as a reason for the loss in the governor’s race is race itself.
Both Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich had almost a 60 percent job approval rating and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan had a 70 percent job approval rating and was successful because they had African American running mates.
In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1, this is a proven formula for success in Maryland Republican politics. Neither Secretary Kelly Schulz nor Del. Dan Cox chose an African American running mate.
Both running mates Michael Steele and Boyd Rutherford brought distinguished and successful careers to their respective tickets. Mr. Steele had a law and business background, and was the Prince George’s County Republican Chair and later Republican State Party Chair.
Mr. Rutherford also had a law and business background, was a member of the Howard County Republican Central Committee and Maryland Secretary of General Services. One does not become a cabinet secretary to supervise the running of a state agency without building coalitions and bringing people together from all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The Maryland Republican Party needs to reach out to the African-American community and other ethnic communities if it is going to be successful. Former Congressman Jack Kemp (R-NY) in the 1980s called this “The Big Tent” and he was right.
Gov. Wes Moore won the Democratic primary because he understood the need to bring people together. He proved that you do not have to hold public office previously to do so. He had a message that resonated with people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
This message propelled an unknown candidate into the Governor’s Mansion to become Maryland’s first African-American governor.
The Maryland Republican Party needs to have a clear and defined message and reach out to the African-American community and other ethnic communities. Not only are these the keys to success in Maryland politics, but also the keys to the Governor’s Mansion.
Paul M. Blitz writes about veterans issues and politics for various publications.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Thank you.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Ends: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.