A quick look at the Democratic field

Ten Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination this year in the hopes of succeeding outgoing two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Here’s a quick look at the crowded field ahead of the July 19 primary.

Rushern Baker, 63, of Prince George’s County, argues his experience implementing projects and programs during two terms as county executive in Prince George’s County makes him well-prepared to roll up his sleeves as governor and partner with local governments.

Jon Baron, 59, of Montgomery County, focused his pitch on his background in working on “evidence-based” public policy: putting state funding into pilot programs or initiatives validated by social science research.

Peter Franchot, 74, of Montgomery County, the only current statewide officeholder in the race, didn’t scare off other potential contenders by being the first to declare his candidacy way back in January 2020. But most other campaigns view him as still at or near the top of the pack, a view Franchot himself echoed after a recent forum in Baltimore on transportation issues. He said that sharp criticism aimed at him by other candidates over his record of siding with Hogan on some issues as comptroller is the result of his being the “front-runner.”

Doug Gansler, 59, of Montgomery County, has sought to promote himself as the candidate best suited to tackle violent crime issues, pointing to his experience as Maryland attorney general, as a federal prosecutor and as state’s attorney for Montgomery County.

Ralph Jaffe, 80, of Baltimore County, has yet to launch much of a public campaign, but calls himself on his website “a teacher, not a politician” and “leader of the MOVEMENT to stop corruption in government.”

Ashwani Jain, 32, of Montgomery County, has framed himself as the millennial candidate. He has built his campaign on crisscrossing the state for personal meetings with voters.

John King, 47, of Montgomery County, served as New

York’s state superintendent of education before joining the Obama cabinet. He’s heavily emphasized education issues and positioned himself as a detail-oriented progressive policy wonk.

Wes Moore, 43, of Baltimore, a first-time political candidate, comes with a resume that includes a Rhodes scholarship, military service and a stint as an investment banker. His fundraising prowess put him at the front of the money race in January, when candidates last filed campaign finance reports. He’s drawn on endorsements and his life story — chronicled in a bestselling autobiographical book — in appeals to voters. However, he saw the need to try to get in front of allegations, which he denied, that he cultivated false perceptions of his Baltimore back story.

Tom Perez, 60, of Montgomery County, spent four years as chair of the national Democratic Party Committee and was previously a Montgomery County councilman. The former

U.S. secretary of labor is leaning hard on his ties to organized labor and has made labor issues the centerpiece of a broader progressive agenda. Perez has racked up several, although not all, key union endorsements and courted the support of prominent Montgomery County politicians.

Jerome Segal, 78, of Montgomery County, has called for a more egalitarian society, one built around a simpler way of life.