Maryland Delegates represent at the Democratic National Convention

CHICAGO — Delegates from the Eastern Shore joined thousands of Democrats in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention this week.

At the convention, which ran from Aug. 19 to 22, delegates selected Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee for president and Tim Walz as its nominee for vice president. The Democratic party also made key decisions about the party’s political platform.

Jared Schablein, an Eastern Shore delegate and chair of Shore Progress, said he was more than happy to have Walz as the vice presidental candidate.

“The Eastern Shore delegation is excited to see rural representation on the Harris-Walz ticket with Coach Tim Walz,” he said. “You know, people are excited for a new generation of leadership that is committed to protecting our freedoms and really investing in middle-class families.”

Schablein was there as a delegate from Maryland’s 1st Congressional District, which encompasses the Eastern Shore, as well as Harford and parts of Baltimore counties. He said it was important to support a candidate that focused on issues affecting the Eastern Shore, such as affordable housing, expanding healthcare access and raising the minimum wage.

“This ticket is focused on letting people make their own choices in life, whether that’s their own healthcare choices, whether that is their own choice in who they love, their own choice on when and how to start a family,” Schablein said. “This ticket is about freedom, and I’m excited to go back to the Eastern Shore.”

Schablein said he was happy to represent the Eastern Shore and even brought a plush muskrat named Earl to help bring attention to the area.

Lillia Rose, a delegate from Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties and parts of Frederick and Montgomery counties, also hoped to draw attention to rural communities during the convention.

Rose said she loved the chance to participate in the rural caucuses that were offered at the DNC. She said it was great to learn how similar communities are motivating voters in areas that typically lean red.

Rose said listening to climate change activists representing Appalachia was one of her favorite parts of the convention.

“I was also really excited to hear about climate justice,” Rose said. “That’s an issue we’ve always had and proportionately affected by natural resource extraction, and it can kind of feel hopeless at times. And being a young person, you know, it sounds crazy, but I’m not thinking about myself. I’m thinking about my little cousins and saying ‘what can I do now?’”

Alongside climate justice, a key issue for Rose was rural women’s healthcare accessibility.

“These rural issues, where healthcare accessibility can be a huge challenge, whether that’s because of lack of transportation, or just distances,” Rose said. “… It gives me a lot of hope that people are going to be able to live in the areas they live in, and receive the care they deserve, especially women’s health care.”

At the end of the convention, Schablein said it was a great experience and he is excited to bring what he learned back home.

“The big slogan from this convention has been that we respect our neighbors, to make their own decisions and we disagree with them, even if we wouldn’t make those decisions ourselves,” Schablein said.