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President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Maryland on Monday in a final stump for Democrats across the state one day ahead of the midterm elections that will decide the balance of power in Congress.
The Bidens arrived at Bowie State University in the evening to campaign for gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore and the general Democratic Party, according to the White House. Moore is facing off against state delegate Dan Cox, a Republican endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
“Are you ready to vote?” the first lady asked to cheers from a raucous crowd. “We have a little more than 24 hours to get it done. And it’s going to be close. What we do right now will make the difference.”
“Let’s be clear: this election is not a referendum. It’s a choice. It’s a choice between two very different visions of America,” the president said in part, going on to highlight many of the accomplishments he made during his first two years in office.
Biden echoed the sentiments he’s delivered in many speeches in the leadup to the election, telling attendees that Republicans will target Social Security and Medicare, prescription drug prices and more should they win Congress next year.
Moore is heavily favored to win the election, and would flip the seat from red to blue should he win, replacing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who could not run again due to statewide term limits. The 44-year-old would also make history as Maryland’s first-ever Black governor, and could – depending on outcomes in other states – become the only African-American governor in the country.
Other down-ballot Democrats in Maryland could also make history: Aruna Miller, Moore’s running mate and candidate for lieutenant governor, would be the first immigrant elected to serve in a statewide office. And current Rep. Anthony Brown, also a Democrat, is running to become Maryland’s first-ever Black attorney general.
Moore is a political newcomer, having spent most of his professional career in finance and as CEO of the anti-poverty organization Robin Hood. He is also a combat veteran, and served as both a captain and paratrooper with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne and saw combat in Afghanistan.
“[Republicans] are coming after your parents and your social security and medicare,” Biden said in part on Monday, later adding: “It’s not just social security and Medicare, they want to put veterans benefits, everything on the line. But look, if the Democrats keep control of Congress we’re gonna make sure veterans are always cared for. And you damn well know Army Captain Wes Moore will always have the back of our veterans.”
Moore has made access to healthcare and abortion rights one of the central issues of his campaign, and on Monday pledged to protect access to abortion should he win the governor’s seat come Election Day.
“The principles of the nation that I love are under a level of unprecedented assault. Critical rights like understanding that abortion is healthcare,” Moore said in part. “And we’re going to work to make sure that Maryland is a safe haven for reproductive freedoms and reproductive health.”
The economy also emerged as one of the leading issues for both Moore and Cox, with the former saying he wants to “create pathways for work and wages and wealth for all Maryland families” as well as fix the state’s broken childcare system.
Cox, who held one of his final campaign rallies in Brunswick, Maryland, on Sunday, has said his economic policies rely on eliminating a multitude of taxes and increasing revenue from the oil and gas industry.
The Republican seemed confident in his chances on Monday, despite the polls, telling supporters: “The momentum is there. We see that the turnout is strong for us. We’re gonna win.”
There is also a Senate race in Maryland between incumbent Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, and Republican Chris Chaffee, where Van Hollen is similarly expected to win another term in Congress.
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