Hoping to tap into voter rich Baltimore City, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, has named a Charm City native to be his running mate. She is 40 year old Elizabeth Embry. The City College, Yale and Columbia Law School graduate attended the public school of Baltimore. She’s a former prosecutor and Deputy State’s Attorney for Baltimore and headed the criminal division in Maryland Attorney General’s office. In 2016 she ran to be mayor of Baltimore, a contest she lost to Catherine Pugh.

County Executive, Rushern L. Baker III chose Elizabeth Embry for his gubernatorial campaign. (Courtesy Photo)

Baker told a crowd of supporters at The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore on Tuesday that Embry stood out among the other candidates he interviewed; noting her like mindedness. Baker said he had seen Embry on television talking about education. “And the more I listened to her,” Baker said, “the more it sounded like the way I talk about changing the education system in Prince George’s County. “

Baker becomes the 5th gubernatorial candidate to select a woman as his Lieutenant Governor. Two years ago, Embry ran for Mayor of Baltimore and did well. A poll conducted four months before April primary had her support at just 5%. However, when all was said and done, she finished third in a very crowded field of 13.

During his two terms as county executive, Baker has focused on education, public safety, health care and economic development, many of the things Embry said she is passionate about. “Within 5 minutes, of hearing her talk, I knew this is the person, not only that I wanted to run with, but this is the person I would vote for. And that was the most important thing to me.”

Embry had high praise for the man she introduced as the next governor of the State of Maryland. “From pushing through meaningful ethics reform, to cutting crime to the lowest levels in 30 years and leading the state in job growth…Rushern Baker as, county executive, has led a transformation Prince George’s County.”

Whether he can replicate those successes across Maryland and the state’s largest city remains to be seen. Burst pipes and busted boilers led to school closures during frigid weather in January. The police department is mired in controversy for a host of misdeeds by members of the elite gun task force. Eight officers now face sentencing for crimes that included selling drugs, making illegal arrests, and stealing guns, cash and jewelry.

The Baker/Embry team will have its work cut out for it. First they have to get past seven other democrats who think they have the right stuff to be Governor. Nonetheless, for team Baker, there is good news. A Gonzales Research & Media Service poll gave him a 10 point edge over his nearest competitors. Then there’s the incumbent, Republican Governor Larry Hogan and the recently conducted Goucher poll which found that 61 percent of Marylanders approve of the job he’s doing.

To that, Baker said, “I don’t need to do a poll, what we need to do is make sure men and women in this city and throughout this state have a great quality of life and that’s we’re going to do and that’s the message we’re going to take around the state.”