This Wednesday, Maryland lawmakers will elect a new Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. The Speaker of the House sets legislative priorities, appoints committee chairs, and determines which issues will be considered by the state legislature.

The Democratic Caucus will select its candidate on Wednesday before the full House votes. Unfortunately, another candidate for the Speaker role is so determined to win that they are working with Republicans and a breakaway group of conservative corporate Democrats to get elected. Even though Maryland is pervasively Democratic, this legislator has done the numbers and knows that if he works with Republicans, he can become the next Speaker.

But if Republicans choose the next speaker, we all lose. We elect our representatives to do OUR business, not accrue power for themselves at our expense. There are too many issues critical to working families -- like paid family leave, criminal justice reform, funding education, expanding healthcare, and creating an equitable and just Maryland -- to give away our power and voice to the party of Donald Trump. Maryland Republicans have consistently voted as a block to stop progress on protecting immigrants, criminal justice reform, and for higher wages for Marylanders.

Join on May 1st us as we raise our voices to stand up for our democracy.