Martin O'Malley, sworn in as the state's 61st governor yesterday as a 19-gun salute echoed in wintry air, promised "a new day in Maryland" marked by bipartisan respect and a fresh resolve to improve the lives of state residents.
"For too long in the capitals of our nation and our states, we've acted as if our people have somehow lost the capacity to sacrifice and to make tough choices, but, my friends, to govern is to choose," O'Malley said from a podium outside the historic State House.
"In our Maryland, in our one Maryland, progress is always possible. And together we can make real progress, with respect for one another, with truth about ourselves, and the problems that we face, and faith in our ideals as a people."
O'Malley's 13-minute speech was delivered from the sunny steps of the State House after he took his official oath of office in a joint session of the General Assembly - launching a return to Democratic rule in Annapolis.
O'Malley, who had been Baltimore's mayor since 1999, defeated one-term Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in November, putting to rest - at least for now - speculation that the state political climate might have been shifting to the right.
Ehrlich was the first GOP governor in three decades in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans roughly 2 to 1.
Maryland Democrats displayed their renewed power yesterday, welcoming some of the state's most influential national leaders, including U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native, and House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, who represents Southern Maryland in Congress.
"I come here with a pledge to work with the new leadership in Maryland, across state lines ... across city and district lines as well, and across party lines to find common ground for the common good, to work together for all Americans," Pelosi said.
O'Malley was joined by his wife, Baltimore District Court Judge Catherine Curran O'Malley, and their four children yesterday as he strolled between a private morning meeting of dignitaries on the upper floor of the State House to the Senate chamber below to take the oath just after noon. He then moved to the outdoor podium for the nearly hourlong inaugural ceremony, where he repeated his pledge.
Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, a former Prince George's County delegate, was also sworn in during the brief Senate session. Brown's wife, Patricia, and their two children, Rebecca and Jonathan, joined him. Jonathan Brown, 6, placed his right hand on the Bible next to his father's while the lieutenant governor took his oath.
