Wes Moore took his oath of office with his hand upon a Bible owned by abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Among other firsts, Wes Moore is the first Black governor of Maryland; and alongside him, Aruna Miller, was sworn in as the 10th Lieutenant Governor, the first immigrant to hold that office.
The morning was filled with pomp and circumstance including a 19-gun salute and a flyover. As expected the guests included Oprah Winfrey (who introduced Moore), Chelsea Clinton, Eric Holder, Cal Ripken, and former Governors Hogan, O’Malley, Ehrlich, and Glendenning. Most of Maryland’s delegation to the US House of Representatives and Senate were on hand to wish the new Governor well. Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman served as the Master of Ceremonies for the inauguration. Pittman was the first elected leader to endorse Moore shortly after declaring his candidacy.
In his 20-minute inaugural address Moore outlined his vision for the State and how it dovetails into his campaign slogan–leave no one behind. He pledged a 100% clean energy Maryland by 2035 and the ability for graduating seniors to embark in a year of service . you can listsen to the full speech and Oprah’s introduction here:
Photos by David Anderson Photography