Krish Vignarajah’s recent campaign ad was evocative of the
scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Return
of the King when Eowyn, the Lady of Rohan, stabbed the Witch-king of Angmar
in his Ringwraith face. No man could
kill him, he said, well…Eowyn was no man.
I am not necessarily
saying that Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is the Witch-king. He seems more akin Grima Wormtongue, but for
the benefit of those who have not read Tolkien, I shall move on.
I am thinking about this in relation to the Governor’s
race. Over the past couple of months, I
had settled on the likelihood that I would not be endorsing a single candidate.
With multiple excellent options, I thought I would make a game-day decision on
Primary Day; I would vote for the progressive (Vignarajah, Jealous, or
Madaleno) that the polling data revealed to have the best chance of winning the
Democratic nomination.
But I have since re-considered that mind-set. I believe the Democratic Party needs to nominate
a candidate who offers a clear and compelling contrast to Hogan (in matters of
policy, communications, and optics); someone who has been consistently
impressive on the campaign trail and who has demonstrated an in-depth knowledge
of the issues that matter most to Maryland voters.
Thinking about a future gubernatorial debate, I reflected on
several questions. Who do I most want on the stage facing off against
Hogan? Who is best equipped to beat Hogan
at such forums? Who can pull together a constituency large enough to defeat a
fairly popular incumbent Governor in November? Knowing that the Democratic Party
will come together after the Primary Election and rally behind any of our fine
candidates, all of whom have a good chance of winning the General Election, who
should be our standard-bearer?
That is why I am
pleased to announce the Spartan Considerations endorsement of Krish Vignarajah
for Governor. Simply stated, she is
running on a smart platform on education issues (universal pre-K, free
community college), on economic issues, on what her campaign describes as family
issues (paid family leave, a state-run public health care option, gender
equity, and improved public transportation, among other priorities), and on
environmental/sustainability issues.
Beyond a serious policy agenda, she also has demonstrated her
considerable abilities as a communicator.
She is a policy wonk who can deliver complex information (on policy
challenges as well as solutions) in an accessible manner. Moreover, she has a strong background in public
service that will serve her well as Governor.
Nothing against Jealous and Madaleno. They both have considerable strengths. That said, when I ask myself the question, who
would be the best Democratic nominee for Governor? The answer, for the present author, is clear: Krish.
In solidarity.
