Tom Perez launches bid for Maryland governor

Tom Perez, former secretary of Labor during the Obama administration, announced his campaign for Maryland governor on Wednesday, declaring his intentions of “making government work.”

In a campaign video, a slew of former government officials and family members share their thoughts on why Perez, who also served as chairman of the Democratic National Convention, would make a good governor, including his daughter, Amalia Perez, and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vicki Schultz.

“I was 12 years old when my dad died very suddenly. My mom was hospitalized roughly a month later, and I learned from that experience that time is the most precious asset we have and I want to make sure I use every day of my life to give back,” Tom Perez says in the video.

The video also cuts to an excerpt of former President Obama speaking at a news briefing, calling Perez “one of the best secretaries of Labor in our history.”

“He is tireless. He is wicked smart. I mean, if you look at his body of work on behalf of working people, he has been extraordinary,” Obama says in the video.

“My parents came here as immigrants from the Dominican Republic. I never would have dreamed in a million years that the president of the United States would have given me the opportunity to make such a difference,” Perez says. “We did get a lot done, but there’s so much more to do.”

“I want to build a Maryland where everyone has access to quality education and quality affordable health care. Where ZIP code never determines destiny. A Maryland where everyone has access to a good job, where unions thrive and small businesses succeed,” Perez adds.

Perez will face off against fellow Obama administration alums Ashwani Jain and John King, a former Education secretary, in the Democratic primary. The state’s current Republican governor, Larry Hogan, will be leaving office in 2023, as he is limited to two terms under Maryland law.