Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced Tuesday that he will run for reelection in 2026, seeking a second term in a deep-blue state even as the rising Democratic star sparks speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid.
“While we stand up for middle-class Marylanders, the president of the United States is bending over backwards for billionaires and big corporations, firing federal workers, gutting Medicaid, raising prices on everything from electricity to groceries,” Moore said in a video announcing his reelection campaign.
“I’m asking you to reelect me governor,” Moore said in the video.
Moore, a former Army officer and celebrated author, has downplayed talk about his future plans while steadily elevating his national profile since his election in 2022. He is among several high-profile Democrats up for reelection next year who could find themselves quickly pivoting to a presidential run — a list that includes Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
In an interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press” over the weekend, Moore faced repeated questions about his plans for the future, saying he’s “not running” in 2028 and emphasizing his focus on reelection. “I’m really excited about going back in front of the people in my state and asking for another term,” Moore said. During an appearance on “The View” over the summer, Moore faced a similar line of questioning and also insisted he was “not running” in 2028.
Moore continued to deflect questions about the 2028 White House race on Tuesday evening, emphasizing his commitment to his reelection campaign in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett.
“I think the people of our states have seen how we are laser-focused on the results for them. You know, I say it’s easy for me to rule something out that I never ruled in,” he said on “OutFront.” “I am not running for president. I am excited about running for reelection.”
Moore’s demurrals, however, could still place him in a long line of potential presidential contenders who insisted they would not run, only to subsequently enter the race. Then-Sen. Barack Obama famously said in 2006 that “I will not” run when pressed on the subject during an interview, also on “Meet The Press.” And Moore’s movements this year have hinted at national ambitions.
The Maryland governor traveled to Lincoln University, a historically Black college in Pennsylvania, in May to deliver a commencement address in which he urged young graduates to embrace “real patriotism” and be part of the country’s “betterment” — echoing the rhetoric of his appearance at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Weeks later, Moore raised eyebrows when he traveled to the critical early presidential primary state of South Carolina. There, the Maryland governor highlighted his family ties to the Palmetto State and detailed the lessons he’s learned watching the Trump administration.
”We can and we must condemn Donald Trump’s reckless actions. But we would also be foolish not to learn from his impatience,” Moore remarked.
Moore has also made a steady stream of appearances on Fox News, pursuing the network’s conservative audience to push back on the Trump administration. Moore took to the network last month to criticize the administration as it considered broadening its crime and immigration crackdown to Baltimore.
And speaking to CNN on Tuesday, Moore continued challenging the administration’s enforcement operations.
“What we are seeing from the president of the United States is not a crime fighting strategy. It is a performative strategy,” Moore said. “I want to be very clear to the president, we do not need the National Guard in our cities. We need a serious approach to crime fighting. And that is not that.”
This story has been updated with additional remarks from Gov. Wes Moore.
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