Politics & Government

Mizeur Picks PG County Pastor as Running Mate

Delman Coates is the senior pastor at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church.

Del. Heather Mizeur, who is running for the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor, has selected Prince George’s County minister Delman Coates as her running mate.

Mizeur’s campaign announced earlier this week that it would be naming a lieutenant governor candidate during a campaign event Wednesday evening in Silver Spring. She was the last of the Democratic candidates to name a running mate.  

Coates is the senior pastor at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, and was an outspoken supporter of same-sex marriage when the issue was on the ballot last year. He appeared in a Marylanders for Marriage Equality ad saying he supported same-sex marriage because it was about fairness.

Find out what's happening in Lutherville-Timoniumwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I would not want someone denying my rights based on their religious views. Therefore I should not deny others based upon mine," Coates said in the ad.  

Mizeur is trying to become the first woman and openly gay or lesbian person elected governor in Maryland.

Find out what's happening in Lutherville-Timoniumwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Mizeur campaign faces a tough task in trying to win the nomination over better known candidates Attorney General Doug Gansler and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown. A recent Goucher College poll reported Mizeur had the lowest name recognition of any candidate in either party. 

The selection of Coates means that barring Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger deciding to run, that none of the Democrats in the race are from Baltimore metro area. A development that has some pundits worried the area is losing relevance in state politics.  


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Lutherville-Timonium