Gov. Moore to speak at DNC with many Maryland politicians attending in support of VP Harris

BALTIMORE -- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is expected to speak at this week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago where  Vice President Kamala Harris is set to be officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate.

Many of Maryland's top Democratic politicians are also in Chicago as delegates or to support Harris at the four-day convention which starts Monday, just weeks after President Biden ended his reelection campaign.  The Maryland contingent of delegates and political officials will be 138, according to Capital News Service.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Senate President Bill Ferguson, Attorney General Anthony Brown, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones, U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobooks and U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen are expected to be in attendance.

"I think (Kamala Harris) is the right candidate," Moore told CBS News Baltimore last month. "I think she offers the right vision. I will support her in any way that I can."

"We have a Vice President for a reason and there is no person more ready, more capable, more able to lead this country than Vice President Harris," said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. "Nothing changes. I was a surrogate for the campaign. I will continue to be a surrogate for the vice president because the message is the same."

Steny Hoyer, a U.S. Representative from Maryland who had a mild stroke last week , will also be at the DNC, his spokesperson Margaret Mulkerrin said.

Last month, Maryland's DNC delegates unanimously voted to support Harris as the country's Democratic presidential candidate to challenge Republican candidate Donald Trump in the November election.

"The Maryland Democratic Delegation stands unanimously behind her [Harris's] candidacy, eager to cast our votes for her and campaign vigorously for a historic victory this November," Maryland Democratic Party Chair Ken Ulman said in a statement.

Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

"Gov. Walz is like a real dude and I felt that way from the first time I met him," Moore said. "I think Tim being Tim is going to be good enough for the American people."

What is the Democratic Party platform for 2024?

Democrats unveiled a draft of their platform in July, when Mr. Biden was still running for president, according to CBS News.

CBS News reports the platform mentions Trump dozens of times, seeking to draw a sharp contrast between Democrats' priorities and the positions of the former president and " Project 2025 ," a conservative blueprint for the next Republican president.

It will also propose raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, making the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit permanent, making child care affordable and lowering health care costs, according to CBS News, and proposes a minimum income tax for billionaires, raising the corporate tax rate, banning "junk fees" and ramping up clean energy projects.

On reproductive rights, the platform says Democrats are committed to passing legislation to codify abortion protections, strengthening access to contraception and protecting access to IVF and FDA-approved medication abortion.

Democrats also want to expunge federal marijuana-only convictions, strengthen democracy, secure the border and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

According to CBS News, the platform also mentions support for "a negotiated two-state solution that ensures Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state with recognized borders and upholds the right of Palestinians to live in freedom and security in a viable state of their own."