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Mixed results for Jamaican candidates in US midterms

Published:Wednesday | November 9, 2022 | 8:36 AM
Democrat Wes Moore, second from left, hugs his daughter, Mia, center, as Moore's mother, Joy Thomas Moore, left, his son, Jamie, second from right, and his wife, Dawn, look on after he spoke to supporters during an election night gathering after he was declared the winner of the Maryland gubernatorial race, Tuesday, November 8, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Wes Moore, an African-American of Jamaican heritage, is the new governor of Maryland, becoming the first black person to be elected to the post.

He defeated Donald Trump-backed Republican candidate, Dan Cox, in last night's midterm elections.

Moore, whose grandparents are Jamaicans, was declared winner early. His running mate, Aruna Miller, who is of Indian heritage, also won becoming the first person of his heritage to be elected statewide in Maryland.

Moore is only the third African American to be elected governor of a state in the United States.

The political newcomer puts the governorship back into the hands of the Democratic party after two terms of Republican rule.  He is a businessman, author, philanthropist, veteran and Rhodes Scholar who was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, President Joe Biden and former president Barack Obama.

Moore said he was seeking to end child poverty in the state.

Other Jamaicans running for Congress did not fare very well.

Karen Green lost to her Republican opponent in Florida's Congressional District 7, while Jackie Gordon also lost to her Republican opponent in New York's 2nd Congressional District and Carla Spalding, who ran in Florida's 25th Congressional District, was also unsuccessful.

Congresswoman, Yvette Clarke retained her Brooklyn 9th Congressional seat. Also retaining her seat was Shelia Jackson Lee of Texas, who also has Jamaican roots.

Stacy Plascette of the US Virgin Islands was also re-elected to the Congress, as well as Sheila Cherfilus McCormick, who is of Haitian descent, as representative of Florida's 20th Congressional District

During the midterm elections all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives were up for grabs while 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate were contested.

With several races still too early to be called, final control of both chambers of Congress were still to be decided.

- Lester Hinds

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