Governor-elect Wes Moore broke barriers Nov. 8 as Maryland's first Black governor-elect, one of three in the nation's history.
Aruna Miller, lieutenant governor-elect, also made history as the nation's first South Asian woman elected to the position.
After immigrating from India at 7 years old, Miller was inspired by her classmates' empathy and has since fought social injustices, including systemic racism and healthcare disparities, with empathy as a leading principle.
"I have so much gratitude to this country, and that’s why I want to give back as a public servant," she said to The Washington Post.
Moore's and Miller's were not the only historic victories, with Democrat Brooke Lierman as the first woman elected Maryland comptroller and U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown, a 2014 gubernatorial candidate, to become the state's first Black attorney general, according to the Associated Press.
"The people of this state – they didn't just speak, but they spoke loudly," Moore said on ABC News.
Virginia’s Douglas Wilder, elected in 1989, and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, in 2006, were the only Black governors elected in the United States before Moore.
The governor-elect explained how he plans to "leave no one behind," campaigning on a military slogan matched with the patriotism of his time leading soldiers in Afghanistan as an Army captain, according to the Associated Press.
Economy is a top priority in Moore's vision.
Moore said a participatory economy with equal opportunities in education and employment will help fill Maryland's open jobs, according to ABC News.
"This was a resounding mandate that the people of Maryland gave," Moore said. "And there was a mandate that we were going to move fast, we were going to be bold, but we were going to build a state that's not leaving anyone behind. And so I'm humbled and I'm very excited."
By BEES BEESLEY
Editor in Chief
Featured image courtesy of @iamwesmoore on Twitter