BALTIMORE — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is showing Maryland that she will not be ignoring the state despite her heated primary race in New York against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Clinton hit Baltimore Sunday and also is nailing down key support among Maryland Democratic leaders. Most notably, she claimed the endorsement of Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Baltimore. It was the last endorsement she needed to have the backing of all of Maryland’s Democratic congressional delegation.
Maryland, with 95 delegates at stake, holds it presidential primary April 26. Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island are voting the same day.
New York’s primary, where 291 delegates are up for grabs, is one week before that.
A Washington Post-University of Maryland Poll released last week showed Clinton leading Sanders 55 percent to 40 percent among likely Maryland Democratic voters.
Clinton picked up the Cummings endorsement in person Sunday, gathering with supporters inside City Garage in Baltimore, a building transformed from an old city bus garage into the home of Under Armour’s innovation division, a move by the company to encourage businesses to stay in the city.
The Democratic frontrunner said she would do anything in her power to break down economic barriers standing in the way of any American, as well as focus on invigorating communities that have been ignored in the past.
“I believe we need to build on the progress that we have made under President (Barack) Obama,” said Clinton. “We need to look for every way possible to create new jobs. We need to be focusing on how we can bring investment to places that need it.”
Video by Peter Eliopoulos
Clinton stated that she will lay out a comprehensive jobs agenda, and that part of that plan would be to direct $20 billion specifically at helping to create jobs for young people. She also said that billions of dollars would be invested in places like West and East Baltimore.
“It is a fact: our economy does better when we have a Democrat in the White House,” Clinton told the crowd. “So what I say we need to be doing is what works.”
Clinton and Cummings were joined onstage by Maryland’s Democratic senators, Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, who had pledged their support to Clinton earlier in her campaign.
“We can take the high road of liberty, justice, and opportunity – the road taken by Bill Clinton, Lyndon B. Johnson, President Barack Obama and the road that Hillary Clinton will take,” Cummings said in his endorsement. “Or we can take the low road – the road of division, of fraction, disruption, bigotry, the road of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.”
“I came here today to ask each of you to join me in taking the high road, to join me in marching with this great lady, Hillary Clinton,” the congressman said.
Clinton praised Cummings’s integrity and character, referring to the 11 hours she spent sitting in front of him and the House committee investigating the Benghazi attacks. Cummings was her clear ally.
“I was so proud to see him leading the Democrats and listening to him make the points that needed to be made,” said Clinton. “I wasn’t surprised because that’s the kind of congressman he is. And I just have to tell you how lucky you are to have him as one of your leaders.”