Anthony Brown picked a Jewish guy, so that could be tokenism. It might be more for balance though.
Jews are 4.3% of Maryland's population, so I don't know how much religion played a factor. It could be possible that Brown was trying to avoid accusations of antisemitism as his top primary rival, the state Attorney General, was Jewish. In Maryland, tickets run together in the primaries.
Tokenism isn't a problem if a candidate for Governor picks a female State Senator over a male State Senator. It is a problem if there's clearly a better choice for someone who could be a heartbeat from the Governor's mansion. The county executive of a sixth of the population of a state seems to be a valid contender for a less prestigious statewide office.
