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Former aide to Michelle Obama to run for Maryland governor

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A former aide to Michelle Obama is running for governor of Maryland.

Krish Vignarajah announced Wednesday she is entering the race for the Democratic nomination. She has scheduled an official campaign kick-off for Sept. 19.

She says she's running because she is worried her daughter won't have the same opportunities she has had.

She's the first woman to enter the race. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, wife of Rep. Elijah Cummings, has said she is thinking about running.

Vignarajah was policy director for former first lady Michelle Obama. She also was a senior adviser at the state department.

She joins an increasingly crowded primary field. It includes state Sen. Richard Madaleno, Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker, former NAACP president Ben Jealous, entrepreneur Alec Ross and lawyer Jim Shea.