Aruna Miller becomes Maryland LG
INDIAN AMERICAN Aruna Miller made history as she became the first Asian American and the first immigrant elected lieutenant governor of Maryland with Army veteran and best-selling author Wes Moore becoming the state's first Black governor.
The Democratic pair of Moore and Miller, 58, defeated Trumpbacked Republican Dan Cox and Gordana Schifanelli. With Moore-Miller win, for the first time both the top two positions in a state will be held by racial minorities.
‘Maryland, tonight you showed the nation what a small but mighty state can do when democracy is on the ballot,‘ tweeted Miller Wednesday as networks projected the pair winner in a keenly watched race.
‘You chose unity over division, expanding rights over restricting rights, hope over fear,‘ she wrote. ‘You chose Wes Moore and me to be your next Governor and Lieutenant Governor.‘
‘Ever since I came to this country in 1972, I've never stopped being excited for the promise of America,‘ wrote Miller who came to the US with her parents as a seven-year-old child.
‘I will never stop fighting to make sure that promise is available to everyone,‘ she added. ‘And this promise begins with a commitment to deliver a Maryland where we Leave No One Behind.‘
First elected to the Maryland House in 2010, Miller has spent four years on the House Ways and Means Committee and four years on the Appropriations Committee, working on issues like paid family leave, transportation policy, domestic violence, and STEM education, among others.
Aruna is married to Dave Miller, with whom she has three daughters. She currently resides in Montgomery County.