Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D)in a 2025 file photo when they appeared before the House of Delegates. Moore and Miller officially announced their reelection bid over the weekend. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)
By Ian Crawford
Gov. Wes Moore formally launched his campaign for a second term Saturday, pitching a record he said will deliver safer communities, a stronger economy and better schools.
Speaking before supporters at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Moore promised a “public safety turnaround,” along with continued efforts to grow the state’s economy, improve public education and rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Later in the day, Moore addressed backers at Prince George’s Community College, where chants of “four more years” echoed through the crowd.
Moore, a Democrat first elected in 2022, has made public safety, economic development and infrastructure central themes of his reelection bid as he seeks to extend his tenure in office.
The themes were familiar and the message little changed from September — when Moore also announced in a video that he was running for reelection, the only apparent difference being that this announcement was made before friendly crowds as opposed to just a video drop.
Both times he has touted his history as a first-time candidate in 2022, talked about the drop in Baltimore homicides and a drop in unemployment from COVID-era highs. The governor pointed to improved reading scores and graduation rates, his service year program for high school graduates and repeated his “leave no one behind” slogan.
Both times he included swipes at the administration of President Donald Trump and his cuts to the federal workforce, which has always been an important part of the state’s economy.
Moore and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, face only token opposition in the June 23 Democratic primary.
The campaign enters the race with more than $8 million in its war chest, giving Moore a sizable financial advantage as the election season ramps up.
Still, recent polling suggests potential headwinds. Moore’s approval rating dipped below 50% in March, according to a survey by the University of Maryland Baltimore County’s Institute of Politics.
Much of the potential drama surrounding the race evaporated in January, when former Gov. Larry Hogan, the first Republican governor to won consecutive terms in 60 years, announced that he was done with politics and would not challenge Moore this fall.
Republicans will have a crowded field to choose from, with nine slates on the ballot for the June 23 primary. The most prominent names are Dan Cox, the party’s 2022 nominee whom Moore beat by a 2-to-1 margin, and Ed Hale, a Baltimore businessman and lifelong Democrat who switched parties to run as a Republican after conceding that he could not beat Moore in a Democratic primary.
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Originally published at Marylandmatters.Org