College Democrats Host Maryland Gubernatorial Candidate Ben Jealous At Frostburg State

On Tuesday, March 27, the Frostburg State College Democrats welcomed Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous to campus to speak to students and hold a question and answer session. Jealous is the former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 2013, he was named Marylander of the Year by The Baltimore Sun for his efforts in organizing initiatives to help abolish the death penalty in Maryland, the fight for the passage of marriage equality, and his work in chairing the effort to pass the DREAM Act. Jealous is running in the democratic primary, in which the polls show him as a top tier candidate.

Jealous focused his speech on topics relating to education, mass incarceration, healthcare, combating the opiate crisis, and adjusting the budget. Jealous is running a progressive campaign, similar to likes of Bernie Sanders’ campaign in the 2016 presidential primary race. He has been endorsed by prominent Democratic Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Bernie Sanders. In each county in the state, he currently sits at either first or second in the primary polls, with the other candidate being Prince George’s county executive Rushern Baker.

In regards to education, Jealous spoke on the fact that Maryland public schools have decreased from number one in the country to number six during Governor Larry Hogan’s time in office and that education needs to be funded properly, both in the public schools and in higher education. In addition, he spoke on the healthcare debate currently going on in the United States. Jealous pushed for former President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, yet believes another step must be taken. He stated his plan to implement a state based Medicare for all system that would cut overhead rates and decrease pharmaceutical costs.

He offered a plan to fully fund his progressive initiatives by using revenue from casinos to fund public education, decreasing the amount of money spent on prisons and allocating that money to higher education, legalizing recreational marijuana for adults so that it can be taxed, and taxing online sales to save “main street retailers.” Jealous also pointed out that the budget can be changed to fit his constituents needs merely by allowing the people to have a voice in the budget process.

In a question presented by a member of the audience, he advocated for stricter gun control by closing loopholes, engaging in more stringent background checks, and cutting the passage of firearms into Maryland from states with weaker gun control laws. He also pointed out the flaw in law enforcement techniques of combating “broken window” crimes which take manpower away from more serious crimes.

In an interview with The Bottom Line, Jealous pointed to his endorsements as examples of his goal to unify the Democratic Party in his campaign. He acknowledged that the party has been relatively split with some leaning towards the center and some displaying more progressive views, but believes his campaign can unify voters. Jealous also made the distinction that his mission is to unseat Gov. Hogan and turn the governor’s mansion back to the democrats.

Jealous concluded the interview by stating, “what we are presenting is a vision to move Maryland families forward no matter what happens in Donald Trump’s Washington.”

The Maryland gubernatorial primary elections will take place on June 26, 2018, while the general election will occur along with the rest of the midterm elections on Nov. 6, 2018.