Maryland gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore says he is treating Election Day as if he's down in the polls
BALTIMORE -- After weeks of covering the candidates and issues election day is finally here. The polls will close at 8 p.m., but candidates and their surrogates say they will rally for more support down to the wire.
Wes Moore has had a busy day. This is his final shot at getting any last-minute voters out there.
The candidate told WJZ's Avajoye Burnett he didn't sleep last night. He started out after the polls opened around 7 a.m., trying to hit several spots so that he could get even more visibility.
In the lead-up to Election Day, Moore spoke about free pre-kindergarten for every child, better teacher pay, and creating pipelines into the teaching profession. He also advocated for job training, funding for transportation and reducing income inequality between White and Black Marylanders.
His plan to address crime includes balancing funding for police while also having accountability funding for organizations like Safe Streets, a community violence intervention program in Baltimore.
It is now time to see if those ideals clicked with voters. In Howard County, Avajoye asked Moore his 30-second elevator pitch to voters.
"30-second elevator pitch, is that in Maryland, it is our time to be bold, and the thing that we want Marylanders to understand is that when we say we have a 'leave no one behind agenda,' we mean that," Moore. "That means every single part of the state, that means every community, that means understanding that we need everybody in order for us to accomplish the big things that Maryland needs to accomplish."
An author, military veteran, Rhodes Scholar and nonprofit CEO, Moore first gained recognition for his 2010 bestselling memoir, "The Other Wes Moore." He is looking to become Maryland's first Black governor.
Moore, who has held double-digit leads over Cox in recent polls, is running to regain the governor's office for Democrats in a state where they outnumber Republicans 2-1.
But Moore is saying he is taking nothing for granted. He says the team is running like they are 10 points behind.