On January 26, candidates for governor seeking the endorsement of the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA)—Maryland’s statewide educators’ union—will participate in a virtual candidate forum on education issues. All candidates for governor who have declared their intention to pursue MSEA endorsement have been invited to participate.
Educators are eager to work with a new, pro-public education governor. The next governor has an opportunity to see that the transformative Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is faithfully implemented; to equitably support all students, educators, and public schools; and to embrace, promote, and support overdue racial and social justice initiatives statewide.
All announced or rumored gubernatorial candidates of both parties were invited to seek MSEA’s endorsement for the 2022 election. The endorsement vote will ultimately be taken by the 500+ MSEA Representative Assembly delegates, who are elected in each county by their colleagues. A final endorsement vote, which requires a 58% majority of delegates, is likely to come during MSEA’s Spring Representative Assembly in April, informed by candidate responses during the forum and MSEA’s thorough candidate vetting process.
MSEA’s endorsement, which Maryland Reporter described as “one of the most democratic and open of the union endorsements,” has historically brought with it significant volunteer, organizing, and paid media support. In the last gubernatorial cycle in 2018, 81% of MSEA-endorsed candidates won their races in the primary, and 71% won in the general election.
The forum will be a live Zoom meeting that is streamed and recorded on MSEA’s Facebook page, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m.
