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Former Obama Education Secretary, Dr. John B. King, Is Making A Run For Maryland Governor

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April 23, 2021

He’s putting the money where it counts, back in the schools!

Former Obama education secretary, Dr. John B. King Jr., is making a run for Maryland governor, The Washington Post reports. 

King is a New York native who was an orphan before the age of 12, his mother dying of a heart attack and his father of Alzheimer’s. He holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard, a law degree from Yale, and a doctorate from Columbia, crediting his public school teachers with saving his life. King got his start as a high school social studies teacher before becoming a middle school principal, eventually launching a charter school in Boston. He worked as the top education official in New York before becoming a member of the Obama Education Department in 2015 before serving as education secretary. 

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Now, the 46-year-old has announced his run for governor of the state of Maryland, set to make history as the first Black governor of the state which is home to Prince George’s County, Maryland, the richest Black county in the nation. King, who resides in Silver Spring, MD with his wife and two daughters, said the run is a full circle moment for him, his great-grandfather being enslaved on a plantation in Gaithersburg, MD, less than 25 miles from where he currently lives. His first move, if elected as governor, would be to address the systemic and racial inequity in the state. 

“If you look at the issues that we are facing today…they are all very much tied to the state’s history around the institution of slavery, around segregation and discrimination. I think it’s important for us as a state to sort of grapple with those issues of racial equity and to build a future that provides opportunity for all,” King said in an interview. 

His plan is to focus on expanding access and opportunities in education beyond Kirwan, the state’s blanket education system. King plans to implement universal preschool and focus on providing high-quality education to all students across the board. If chosen, King will succeed Gov. Larry Hogan, whose run he describes as a “series of missed opportunities,” specifically as it relates to education, climate change, and job growth. 

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There are a multitude of prominent Democratic contenders joining the gubernatorial race alongside King, including former Montgomery council candidate Ashwani Jaim, author and activist Wes Moore, former P.G. County executive Rushern L. Baker III, and former nonprofit executive Jon Baron. There have also been nods to P.G. County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. Anthony G. Brown. 

Here’s wishing you all the best Dr. King! We are rooting for you!

Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post

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