BALTIMORE โ€“ Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Shea welcomed Valerie Ervin to the race with the following statement, after she announced today that she will run in Kevin Kamenetzโ€™s place.

โ€œWe have all suffered a tremendous loss, and my thoughts continue to be with the Kamenetz family, as well as Valerie Ervin. I would like to welcome Valerie to the gubernatorial race. I know that we all share a dedication to making progress in our state, and I look forward to seeing Valerie on the campaign trail.โ€