iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
An Indian American civil engineer and a former Maryland State Delegate have been appointed as the running mate of Democratic candidate for Maryland Governor Wes Moore.
On Thursday, December 9, Moore named Aruna Miller who is a dedicated and progressive thinker who has donned several hats over the years including being an author, entrepreneur and former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation.
Moore said he was looking for a “true partner” who is committed to his plan for closing Maryland’s wealth gap and creating opportunities for economic stability.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic and humbled to go on this journey with Aruna Miller,” Moore said. “She is a seasoned legislator who has fought for families in Montgomery County and across the entire state of Maryland in the House of Delegates.”
“She will make an extraordinary lieutenant governor for the state of Maryland,” he added.
Miller brings legislative and campaign experience to the ticket. Moore, an author and former nonprofit executive, has never held or run for public office. And, as a longtime resident of voter-rich Montgomery County, Miller also brings geographical balance to Moore’s ticket.
Moore, who lives in Baltimore and has built wide support in the city, is trying to make inroads in the Washington region, where six of the eight Democratic candidates hail.
Miller, 57, whose family immigrated to the United States from India when she was 7, would be the first woman of color and the first immigrant elected to statewide office in Maryland.
“I thank Wes Moore for trusting me with the extraordinary honor of serving alongside him as Lieutenant Governor,” Miller said.
“Wes Moore is the transformative leader who deeply understands the urgency of economic and transportation inequities, access to healthcare, education opportunities, climate change, racial and social justice and more, and has the vision and background to address them.”
She said she walked away so convinced that “he is the future of Maryland and that I would do anything I could to help elect him, to make sure he would be the next governor.”
Miller, who served in the General Assembly during the terms of both Govs. Martin O’Malley (D) and Larry Hogan (R), described Moore, who is still trying to introduce himself to voters across the state, as someone who is vastly qualified to lead Maryland, as she ran down a list of career achievements. Earlier this year, Moore, a combat veteran, resigned as the head of the Robin Hood Foundation, a national anti-poverty organization, to launch his bid.
Miller, an engineer by training, immigrated to the United States from India as a child. She has worked as a transportation engineer in California and in Montgomery County. She retired from the county in 2015 to devote time to her legislative work.
As a two-term delegate, she pushed for bills requiring electronic monitoring of domestic violence perpetrators and extending the statute of limitations for sexual offenses against minors.
Moore said he didn’t have any preconceived notions when he began to consider potential running mates. “I walked into this process knowing that there weren’t a series of boxes that I wanted to check,” he said.
But he said Miller’s credentials quickly put her at the top of his wish list, and after a few conversations, it became clear that they could forge a formidable governing partnership if they’re elected.
