Voters will have a chance to hear from and ask questions of the Maryland candidates running for governor, attorney general and comptroller during a forum June 13 at Baltimore Center Stage theater.
The forum, which is being hosted by the Baltimore branch of the NAACP, will be free and open to the public, although attendees must reserve a ticket in advance. Attendees must also show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result to enter the theater.
“We are excited to partner with Baltimore Center Stage to invite Maryland gubernatorial candidates to discuss their visions for our state,” Reverend Kobi Little, president of the Baltimore branch of the NAACP, said in a statement. “The 2022 election presents historic opportunities to elect people of color and women to Maryland’s highest offices.”
Little said much is at stake in Maryland’s primary election on July 19.
“With this election we have the opportunity to bring to our state sweeping equity advancements in COVID recovery, education, law enforcement, transportation, health care, workforce development, commerce and the environment,” he said. “With the right leadership, our state can transform violence ecosystems into havens of peace and prosperity and convert school to prison pipelines into pathways to economic security and entrepreneurship.”
Next week’s candidate forum will provide another opportunity for voters to hear from the gubernatorial candidates – several of whom already participated in two debates this week – as well as candidates running to be Maryland’s next attorney general and comptroller.
A group of Maryland gubernatorial candidates – including all four Republicans and eight of the 10 Democrats – participated in a virtual debate Wednesday, hosted by Bethesda Magazine. Democratic candidates Peter Franchot and Rushern Baker were not part of that debate.
The full group of 10 Democratic gubernatorial candidates participated in their first televised debate on Monday.
Baltimore Center Stage Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra said serving as a community forum is part of the theater’s mission.
“BCS is honored to partner with the NAACP to support this important discourse for the state of Maryland,” Ybarra said in a statement. “As theater makers, it is a true manifestation of our art form’s highest ideals: creating the conditions for civic conversations, which help us collectively build the future of our state and its many communities.”
