October Recap + Why Qualifying For Public Financing Is A Top Goal
October was the first full month of the campaign since we announced Owen Silverman Andrews was joining the ticket as the lieutenant governor candidate (announcement speeches here) and officially filed for office (Baltimore Sun and Baltimore Banner coverage).
Our campaign is working on four specific, measurable goals and we made significant progress on each of them this month. Those four goals are:
- Win the Green Party Primary in July 2026.
- Qualify for public financing by August 2026.
- Appear on the Maryland Public Television debate stage in the fall 2026.
- Earn 100,000 votes in the November 2026 election.
The first part of this newsletter is a recap of what happened in October. The second half will focus on the importance of attempting to be the first small party gubernatorial campaign in Maryland to qualify for public financing in a general election.
October Recap
In the News
- On the Eastern Shore: The Talbot Spy ran a piece on how our campaign is redefining what success looks like in a multiparty democracy—and why our goals (public financing, open debates, and a strong Green vote) matter for Maryland’s future.
- On energy policy: Baltimore’s FOX45 included us in a roundup of gubernatorial positions on Maryland energy. We made it clear: utilities shouldn’t profit while everyday Marylanders see bills go up and the Public Service Commission should put residents first, not utility companies.
- In the politics newsletters: The Maryland Wire wrote a blog post about our campaign goals with a focus on what 4% or 100,000 votes would mean. It compared our race to a history of outside challengers in the governor's race and what a strong third party performance could look like in the 2026 race for governor.
In the Polls
- Details: The first poll that we know of to include a Green Party option in this year's election shows us at a solid 2% among Anne Arundel County residents.
- Analysis: This is a good poll for us, especially in a county like Anne Arundel that leans more purple or moderate. Two things stand out to me:
- I think that our campaign will be stronger than generic "Green Party candidate," especially when it comes to unaffiliated voters who value our critique of the two-party system and the solid steps we outline to build a more responsive, more representative multiparty system. I think we can do better than 4% with this group of unaffiliated voters who said they'd vote for us in this poll.
- Former Governor Larry Hogan is likely the only Republican that could beat Governor Moore. If Hogan does not run, and the risk of "spoiler" concerns are lessened, many progressive Democrats might be more likely to vote for us as a protest against many of Wes Moore's disappointing decisions, pushing up the 2% who said they'd vote for us among Dems in this poll.
Events
- Takoma Park Street Festival: I joined the Montgomery County Green Party to table at the Takoma Park Street Festival.
- Forward Together: Owen and I joined the leadership of the Maryland Forward Party to host a wide-ranging and fun conversation about multiparty democracy in Maryland. This one was in Baltimore, but we hope to take them around the state!
- Elkridge Community Meeting: We hosted another community meeting at a public library in Elkridge. It was a great discussion about how the Green Party can help bring about a multiparty democracy, why Palestine is relevant to elections in Maryland, and how our votes can be part of our broader organizing. We also heard from representatives from campaigns to:
Stay up to date on campaign events through our events page
Education & Labor
- Maryland State Education Association - The Maryland State Education Association told us that we could not participate in their endorsement process because they have designed their system to favor "friendly incumbents." Undeterred, Owen went to their annual convention in Ocean City and organized with rank and file members instead.
- Baltimore Teachers Union - The Baltimore Teachers Union did invite us to participate in their endorsement process. In late October, I was interviewed by a panel of their COPE Committee members. My message was that they should use the power of their endorsement to let all candidates for governor know the Blueprint must be fully funded, teacher safety should be paramount, jobs should be protected from privatization, and teachers and not central offices know best about what they need in their schools.
Debate Inclusion
- There are no public details to share yet, but we have made significant organizing process in this area. We aim to use the upcoming 2026 Maryland General Assembly session as part of a serious push for all ballot qualified candidates to be on the Maryland Public Television debate stage next fall.
- Stay tuned for more details of how you will be able to get involved with advocacy for open and inclusive debates. If you have not already done so, please sign our petition to open up the debates!
Public Financing
I am excited that as of this month we are officially participating in Maryland's Fair Campaign Financing Fund Program. While Maryland has had some form of public financing for gubernatorial races since the 1970's, but the program was redesigned before the 2022 election. We are only the second campaign to participate in this version of the program and the first small party and first general election candidates to do so.
The program requires campaigns to only take small dollar donations from individuals. In turn, it offers qualifying campaigns significant matches.
To qualify for the matching funds, by the end of July, our campaign must have:
- At least 1,500 individual Maryland donors;
- Who contribute no more than $250 each;
- For a total of at least $120,000.
If we do that, we are eligible for significant matching fund in advance of the general election:
Even at the low end, these matches would infuse hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash into our campaign next fall. At the high end, we could be looking at nearly a million dollars.
The campaign put out an announcement about this historic occasion. In it, we outlined three key arguments:
- Public financing is an essential antidote to unchecked money in politics. It ensures that campaigns powered by ordinary people can contend on more equal ground with traditional campaigns that accept $6,000 checks from PACs and the wealthy.
- Public financing is a check against party bosses and incumbents. By empowering small-dollar donors, it helps break the stranglehold of entrenched political machines.
- Public financing is key to breaking down the two-party system. It gives independent and small party candidates the resources to compete, broadening the political choices available to Maryland voters.
Maryland residents, your donation helps us reach our goal of becoming the first publicly financed small party campaign in Maryland.
Residents of other states can donate too, it just doesn't count for matching.
Coming in November
October was an incredibly busy month and November will be as well! We are hoping to start Season 3 of my podcast, publish several newsletters, launch a livestream, and continue our travels across the state.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel in order to get notifications about the livestream and follow us on social media in order to keep up to date with what we are saying and where we will be!
Thank you for your support! Together we can build a better Maryland.