Joe Biden to lead Maryland Democrats in unity event
Candidates, officials rally to support Jealous campaign
Former Vice President Joe Biden is set to be the keynote speaker tonight when Maryland Democrats gather in Baltimore for a “post-primary unity celebration” to rally support for Ben Jealous’ gubernatorial campaign.
Biden and top state Democrats are scheduled to join the former NAACP president, who easily won Tuesday’s Democratic primary, for the party’s first fundraiser for the general election. It will be held in an event space in the warehouse at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at 6 p.m.
In addition to Jealous, Sen. Ben Cardin, Mayor Catherine Pugh and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez are expected to speak.
According to the Maryland Democratic Party, the event is one of several unity events to be held around the state after the primary, in which Jealous was nominated to oppose Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in November.
State party spokesman Fabion Seaton said one of Jealous’ rivals for the nomination, Krish Vignarajah, is expected to attend. He said the campaigns of three other candidates — Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, Richard S. Madaleno Jr. and Alec Ross — are expected to be represented by their running mates. They are Elizabeth Embry for Baker, Luwanda Jenkins for Madaleno and Julie Verratti for Ross.
Seaton said all of the defeated campaigns except for that of Jim Shea were represented at a Thursday night event in Montgomery County. He said Madaleno, a Montgomery state senator, and Vignarajah attended that event. The party had scheduled an event Friday across from the State House, Seaton said, but canceled it because of the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette.