Former NAACP president Ben Jealous is a candidate reminiscent of Bernie Sanders. He supports Medicare-for-all, free in-state college tuition, and a slew of other policy goals that put him firmly in the progressive camp. (Just don’t call him a socialist.)
Jealous’s candidacy is historic — if he wins the election, he would be the first black governor of Maryland. He easily beat a crowded field of candidates in the Democratic primary. But now he faces a tough race against incumbent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who was elected in 2014 and has had high approval ratings throughout his time in the governor’s mansion.
“That’s in part,” writes Luke Broadwater at the Baltimore Sun, which endorsed Hogan, “because he’s adopted as many moderate — or even liberal — positions on issues as he has conservative stances.” All of that will make Hogan tough to beat.
What Democrats can learn from Larry Hogan
Charlie Baker is cruising to reelection in Massachusetts.
Some of that has to do with the fact that he’s facing a weak nominee in Jay Gonzalez, who seems to be running a somewhat poor campaign. But the fact that the gubernatorial race didn’t draw a stronger Democratic nominee is itself a sign of Baker’s strength — after all, it’s not as if Massachusetts is lacking for Democratic Party elected officials with ambition. They just all took a dive.
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