Wes Moore sworn-in as Maryland’s 63rd governor, calls for residents to serve

Wes Moore put his hand on the Bible that once belonged to abolitionist and fellow Marylander Frederick Douglass and took the oath of office on Wednesday to become the 63rd governor and the first Black person to hold the position in the state’s history.

He started his first speech as governor alluding to Maryland’s past and pointing the way hopes the state will move forward. He later outlined his plans for the state, including adding jobs, addressing climate change, improving public safety and offering a service year option for high school students.

“As I stand here today, looking out over Lawyers’ Mall, at the memorial to Justice Thurgood Marshall, it’s impossible not to think about our past and our path,” said Moore, from the stage erected on the steps of the State House in Annapolis near the spot where Marshall once argued civil rights cases about school desegregation in Maryland.

"Maryland, our time is right now," he added later.

Historic moment, Marylanders on hand from across the state

Marylanders from across the state recognized the implications of the day, where Moore was sworn in as the nation’s third Black elected governor in United States history and his lieutenant governor, Aruna Miller, a native of India, became the first immigrant to hold that position.

“It’s an historic day, not just here in Annapolis, but in our country,” said state Sen. Paul Corderman, Washington, in an interview on Lawyers’ Mall before the ceremony.

“Our Union became a little more perfect this day,” Tom Perez, a competitor of Moore's in the Democratic primary and a U.S. Labor Secretary during the Obama administration, said in an interview near the gates of the Governor’s Mansion.

One of the inheritors of Marshall’s legacy, former NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill, indicated what the day meant to the nation and to Maryland.

“It is a moment that is woven into the arc of our history,” said Ifill, a Baltimore native, “It should not be taken lightly.”

“It is a consequence of hard work and determination of so many people for hundreds of years, marching steadily and also the voters of Maryland who understood the significance.”

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One of those Marylanders on hand was Harriette Lowery, a Talbot County resident, who rode a bus organized by the Moore transition team from Easton. Over 20 buses brought over 1,000 Marylanders to the event from as far away as Flintsone and Hagerstown in Western Maryland to Ocean City and Easton on the Eastern Shore. Lowery had never been to an inauguration previously.

“I want to represent my family,” said Lowery, a former Baltimore City Hall employee, wearing a shirt with an image of Douglass, a Talbot County native. “I was standing in the gap for our ancestors.”

Moore won Talbot County during the primary, his only Eastern Shore county victory, and again during the general election, one of only two of the eight shore counties that he won. Statewide, he received more votes than any Maryland governor had previously.

Sen. John Mautz, whose district includes parts of Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, and Wicomico counties, said Moore’s campaign promise to “leave no one behind” reminded him of former Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch, who said, “One Maryland.”

“Our job is to make sure the Eastern Shore is also not left behind,” said Mautz, a Republican state senator and a Talbot County resident, in an interview before the ceremony. “This is a great day of incredible tradition which our state is founded on, and something for everyone to enjoy.”

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Several members of the Maryland congressional delegation and at least three former governors of both parties were on hand, as was Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame infielder Cal Ripken Jr. Another celebrity, Oprah Winfrey, introduced Moore.

Jake Day, the outgoing mayor of Salisbury and secretary nominee of the housing department, and Portia Wu, Moore’s selection to lead the department of labor, stood nearby the gates of the governor’s mansion. Emily Keller, the former mayor of Hagerstown and the announced special secretary of opioid response, also attended.

Moore calls for service opportunities for high school graduates

Moore called the state “asset-rich and strategy poor” in outlining his priorities.

"For too long, we have left too many people behind," he said.

The new governor started his discussion of the future with the environment before transitioning to schools and concluding with his desire to enact a service year option for every high school graduate in the state.

He said paths for Maryland’s students begin with high quality schools “from pre-K to 12^th grade,” a nod to his aim to make pre-kindergarten classes more accessible.

Moore, a combat veteran, concluded his roughly 20-minute remarks by discussing his own years of military service and his desire to grow those opportunities for the state’s young people.

“My years of service transformed me,” he said. “I want every young Marylander, of every background, in every community, to have the opportunity to serve our state. That is why we will offer a service year option for all high school graduates.”

More:On MLK Day, Moore promotes service year option, readies for governorship

He told the thousands on hand to see him in the sunshine and mild winter weather: “You’ve elected me to serve as your governor, but the work will be done together.”

He said the challenges the state faces require residents to "answer the call of service."

“We celebrate today, but we the start the hard work.”

Dana Bowser, who rode the bus from Easton with Lowery, called the speech “inspirational as well as aspirational.”

In an interview after the speech, Bowser, the director of student retention and success at Chesapeake College in Queen Anne’s County, called education “the key” and “the great equalizer.”

Frederick Douglass would be proud, she said before boarding the bus back to the Eastern Shore, but added that he would say this is not enough.

“We celebrate today,” said Bowser, “but we the start the hard work.”

Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Wes Moore sworn-in as Maryland’s 63rd governor, calls for service