Friend,
When I entered this race, I did so for the same reasons I became an educator. Losing both my parents to illness at such a young age, I know what it’s like to feel alone in the world and like no one has your back. But I also know how the right support from the right public institutions can save lives – I’m living proof.
If it wasn’t for the public school educators who nurtured me and gave me a second chance, I wouldn’t be here today. I became an educator because I wanted to make sure students had the same life saving opportunities I did.
I got into public service because I know firsthand that in our society there are too many systemic barriers holding people back. This race for governor has always been deeply personal to me because I know there are too many Maryland families that have been denied real opportunity.
While we do not yet know who will be our Democratic nominee, sadly we know at this point it will not be us.
I want to thank the tens of thousands of supporters, donors, volunteers and activists who’ve supported this movement every step of the way and shared our belief that state government can and should be a force for good in people’s lives.
I am profoundly grateful for my running mate Michelle Siri’s leadership on behalf of economic dignity for Maryland families and for her tireless fight to not only protect every Marylander’s bodily autonomy, but to also guarantee a safe haven for the thousands of out-of-state women seeking abortion care.
I want to thank my family who joined me on the campaign trail and sacrificed so much to go on this journey with me. I feel incredibly blessed to have my wife Melissa as a partner in all things - and could not be more proud of my daughters Amina and Mireya.
While these results are disappointing, I am tremendously proud of the campaign we have run. We showed that progressive Democrats can campaign in every corner of this state.
We showed that those who are too often ignored by Annapolis insiders need to be heard. Whether it’s the voices of the incarcerated as Maryland continues to struggle with being the state with the highest rate of incarceration of Black men, trans Marylanders who have been denied gender affirming health care, or the education support professionals who are long overdue for a raise, we never compromised and never equivocated on our core principles.
From universal, affordable child care to Medicare for All, from committing to net-zero emissions by 2035 to a transportation approach centered on people not cars, we have lifted up a vision for a more just and prosperous Maryland.
I am proud of the people that came together to help fight for a brighter, more equitable future. While we may not have been victorious, Michelle and I will never stop fighting alongside you.
My great-grandparents lived with a faith in a future they could not see. A future where in three generations their family could go from being enslaved in a cabin in Gaithersburg to serving in the cabinet of the first Black president.
Now we too must live with faith in a future we might not be able to see today, but it’s a future we know is possible. We know it’s possible because on this campaign we helped lift the voices of those too often ignored.
Thank you so much for your support, and I wish the best of luck to the next Democratic nominee.
With eternal gratitude,
John B. King Jr.
