Recently in the House of Representatives, I was preparing to respond to an argument by one of Speaker Gingrich's Republican followers. How different the man's life experience must be from ours, I thought, for him to have such an alien vision of America.

Repelled, I looked away. Across the House Chamber, my eyes fell upon civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, and I smiled. As long as "freedom riders" like John Lewis walk the land, a real American vision lives - the continuing movement of our people toward universal dignity, justice and opportunity.

Now, the struggle between these competing American visions has returned to Maryland.

When I opened my newspapers the following morning, I noticed that Governor Glendening and his Republican challenger had been asked to meet with three hundred advocates for Maryland's poor to discuss the State's future role in helping people lift themselves out of poverty.

Governor Glendening had taken valuable time from his official duties and hectic campaign schedule to participate in the poverty forum, drawing upon the economic hardships of his own childhood as he outlined his anti-poverty initiatives.

With a passion I share, our Governor had talked about our vision of opportunity for everyone. He had mentioned successes - programs such as the expansion of medical insurance coverage to an additional 60,000 poor children and pregnant mothers - while honestly acknowledging that we all must do more to help.

The newspaper article also indicated, however, that despite her promise to participate, Ms. Sauerbrey had not bothered to attend the anti-poverty conference. Her spokesman, Jim Dornan, explained to the press that Ms. Sauerbrey was too busy to concern herself with people in need: "We've got money to raise," he was quoted as saying.

The Maryland governor's race is about a fundamental difference in vision, not about the candidates' personalities, I wrote in my notes for this commentary. Mayor Schmoke was right to put aside his past differences with the Governor after considering our community's priorities.

"...[T]his is a matter now of comparing the record and the vision," the Mayor observed when he endorsed the Governor. "The Governor set forth a positive vision for our state, for our community."

The Mayor and I have reached the same conclusion for the same reason. We must not be distracted from our own interests. The election polling indicates that Baltimore's registered voters will decide who will be our next Governor. Baltimore must vote for Governor Glendening in record numbers for the Governor to be re-elected.

God willing, it will be so. Several years after his famous 1957 speech, "Give us the Ballot," Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., observed that "if we in the South can win the right to vote, it will place in our hands more than an abstract right. It will give us the concrete tool with which we ourselves can correct injustice."

Ms. Sauerbrey would rather raise campaign money from the rich than listen to advocates for poor people. Does anyone think that she would act on our behalf to correct the injustices of poverty and race? Does anyone believe that she would have named the Honorable Robert Bell to be Chief Judge of our highest appellate court?

No. In an unguarded moment, Ms. Sauerbrey revealed her values to be unchanged from the harsh ideology I witnessed when we served together in the General Assembly. At heart, she remains an opponent - against civil rights, against help for the poor, against unions, against environmental protection, against a fair partnership with Baltimore.

Ms. Sauerbrey will not protect our people against injustice. We must use Dr. King's ballot box as the tool by which to do the job ourselves.

Between now and election day, please join me - and Mayor Schmoke - by doing everything within your power to "get out the Baltimore vote." It is within our power to save ourselves. By voting in large numbers, we give our City’s Senators and Delegates in Annapolis more power to demand increased support for Baltimore’s future.

Each of us can magnify our own voting strength, moreover, by encouraging others to join us at the polls. People are most likely to vote when encouraged to do so by their families, friends or coworkers, by members of their church, their union or their lodge.

On November 3rd, we must vote for our own families and future in record numbers. We must walk with dignity into our various voting places and lawfully continue the age-old process of correcting injustice.