Well this was unexpected. I just learned that Ted Cruz called me out in a Senate hearing today using the far right’s new favorite dog whistle, “Critical Race Theory.”

Make no mistake, Ted Cruz and others attacking CRT want to rewrite history — including that of my own family.

But Ted Cruz can’t erase the fact that my great-grandfather Charles King was enslaved in Gaithersburg, Maryland, just 25 miles from where I live today.

Ted Cruz can’t erase that the only reason I am alive today is because my ancestors survived with a hope for a future they could not see.

Ted Cruz can’t erase that I have dedicated my life to carrying their legacy forward through helping others and breaking systemic barriers.

And Ted Cruz can’t erase the fact that when I win I will become the first African-American and first Latino governor of Maryland — and only the third African-American ever elected governor in the United States.

We need to rebuke Ted Cruz’s dog-whistle attacks and show him my family’s history is real and cannot be erased. Show your support for my historic campaign by contributing today.

Thank you for your belief in me.

John King