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Democratic candidate for governor Wes Moore likes to say he\u2019s showing \u201cMoore-mentum\u201d as he racks up endorsements from key political leaders and interest groups.<\/p>\n
Now, he is getting a boost from one of America\u2019s biggest celebrities: Oprah Winfrey is coming to town, virtually, to help Moore raise money.<\/p>\n
Winfrey, according to the Moore campaign, will interview the candidate \u201cabout leadership and the challenges families in Maryland are facing\u201d on the evening of June 14. Ticket prices for the virtual conversation start at $250.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first interviewed Wes Moore in 2010, I was impressed by his sense of integrity and leadership qualities,\u201d Winfrey said in a statement provided by the campaign. \u201cI look forward to our conversation and hearing more about his vision for the people of Maryland.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winfrey has interviewed Moore on a few occasions since he broke into public consciousness with his 2010 bestseller, \u201cThe Other Wes Moore,\u201d and he also hosted a show on The Oprah Winfrey Network. Winfrey is certainly responsible for spreading the word about Moore\u2019s up-from-the-bootstraps personal journey.<\/p>\n
But as CNN reported<\/a> when it took a hard look at Moore\u2019s biography<\/a> earlier this spring, Winfrey may have contributed to the impression that Moore grew up on the rough-and-tumble streets of Baltimore City, which was not the case.<\/p>\n A campaign appearance with Winfrey could be a double-edged sword for Moore: It will undoubtedly create buzz, add to a sense of momentum, and reinforce the unspoken argument by Moore fans that he is the closest thing to Barack Obama that Maryland politics has produced (and Obama was aided by a well-timed Oprah endorsement when he was first running for president in 2008). On the other hand, it\u2019s a celebrity lending her celebrity to a candidate with an air of celebrity already.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m grateful for Oprah\u2019s friendship and I\u2019m grateful for her lifetime of leadership,\u201d Moore said. \u201cI\u2019m excited to come together with her for this important conversation about the leadership required to face head on the challenges that families in Maryland face, the role of governors, and the path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Schulz sees a winner in crimefighting<\/strong><\/p>\n Former Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz, a Republican candidate for governor, leaned into two of her top campaign themes on Tuesday \u2014 crimefighting and the record of her top GOP primary opponent, Del. Dan Cox.<\/p>\n The Schulz campaign launched a 30-second digital ad<\/a> Tuesday spotlighting a case Cox handled in 2020 and 2021 as a defense attorney representing an Eastern Shore man who was jailed on charges that he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl. It then seeks to contrast Cox\u2019s legal work with the views of his running mate, attorney Gordana Schifanelli.<\/p>\n \u201cDan Cox fought to get a client charged with child rape out of jail because of COVID,\u201d a female narrator says at the top of the ad. \u201cBut his running mate wants the death penalty.\u201d<\/p>\n The ad goes on to show footage of a TV appearance Schifanelli made.<\/p>\n \u201cI am for death penalty for violent criminals who go and rape 5-year-olds,\u201d she says in the clip.<\/p>\n Cox\u2019s client, the ad continues, is considered \u201ca Tier 3 sex offender\u2026and now he lives less than half a mile from a school.\u201d<\/p>\n The ad concludes: \u201cRepublicans \u2014 even his own running mate \u2014 can\u2019t trust Dan Cox.\u201d<\/p>\n Also on Tuesday, the Schulz campaign announced the formation of a group called the Law Enforcement for Kelly Coalition.<\/p>\n