Maryland's Gubernatorial Race 2018
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah
Party Affiliation: Democratic
Occupation: Mother
Age: 38
Hometown: Baltimore and Catonsville, Maryland
Current Residence: Gaithersburg, Maryland
Colleges/Degrees: Bachelor’s in molecular, cellular and developmental biology and master’s in political science from Yale College; master’s in international relations from Oxford University
Other Candidates
Bio
Krish Vignarajah, 38, grew up in Baltimore and Catonsville, Maryland. She went to Woodlawn High School. She earned a master’s in political science and a bachelor of science in molecular, cellular and developmental biology from Yale College. She was a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University, where she received a master’s in internal relations, before returning to Yale Law School.
Vignarajah served in the Obama White House as policy director for then-First Lady Michelle Obama. She also worked at the U.S. State Department as a senior adviser to both then-Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. Before joining the White House, she worked at McKinsey & Co., consulting for Fortune 500 companies; practiced law at Jenner & Block in Washington, D.C.; clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; and taught at Georgetown University as an adjunct. She’s volunteered with women’s and girls empowerment organizations and at Bea Gaddy Family Centers.
Vignarajah and her husband, Collin O’Mara, live in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and have one daughter.
Running Mate Sharon Blake
Sharon Blake, 67, was a teacher in Baltimore City Schools for 40 years, retiring in 2017. She was chair of the English department and served for a time as president of the city’s teacher’s union.
Q&A
WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?
I’m running for governor of Maryland because I want all Maryland children, including my 9-month-old daughter, to have every opportunity to live the American Dream. I was my daughter’s age when my parents fled a civil war in Sri Lanka, became Baltimore public school teachers, and provided me with opportunities here in Maryland. These experiences prepared me to go from Woodlawn High to the White House, serving at the highest levels of government as Policy Director for Michelle Obama and Senior Advisor to Secretaries of State Clinton and Kerry.
I want a Maryland that is full of promise and opportunity for all of our children. I want to make our schools the best in the nation again, to build an inclusive economy that works for all Marylanders, to conserve the environment and improve public health, and to ensure Maryland families are supported with the resources and opportunities needed to thrive.
LIST FIVE ISSUES YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS SHOULD YOU BE ELECTED
1. STRENGTHENING PUBLIC SCHOOLS
As the a product of Maryland public schools (K-12), my top priority is fully funding our public schools and implementing the Kirwan Commission’s recommendations. I am also committed to guaranteeing universal pre-K; investing in science, technology, engineering, and math; and providing free community college/training programs.
2. GROWING MARYLAND’S ECONOMY
My priorities are to invest in infrastructure, including public transit and universal broadband, to support small businesses, catalyze Maryland’s innovation economy; and build an inclusive workforce—all of which will help create 250,000 new private sector jobs
3. PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
My administration will lead on climate change, restore the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, secure environmental justice for vulnerable communities, conserve Maryland’s treasured landscapes, and create the strongest outdoor economy on the East Coast.
4. SUPPORTING WORKING FAMILIES
My priorities are ensuring three months of paid family leave, guaranteeing universal, affordable healthcare, increasing the minimum wage, fighting the opioid crisis, reducing gun violence, advancing gender and racial equality, and supporting immigrant rights.
5. ENDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT & VIOLENCE
We will create the first-of-its-kind Office of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence, eliminate sexual harassment in state government through training and audits, certify private employers, and ensuring students learn about what constitutes consent—all to ensure no one has to say #MeToo ever again.
LIST OF RECEIVED ENDORSEMENTS
- Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate
- Meryl Streep, actress
- Ashley Judd, actress
- Robin Chase, Zipcar co-founder & businesswoman
- Federica Marchionni, former CEO of Lands End, businesswoman