Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will headline an annual political gathering in Texas next month, marking another high-profile trip for a governor whose national profile is growing.
Moore and former “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd will open the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin and engage in “a wide-ranging conversation on the state of his state, the state of the nation, and the state of his party in this extraordinary moment,” according to a Texas Tribune news release. The event will be held at Austin’s First Baptist Church Sanctuary on the evening of Nov. 13, the outlet reported.
The Texas Tribune Festival, which will run through Nov. 15, will also feature leaders like Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and Aaron Reitz, a 2026 Republican candidate for Texas attorney general. Tickets for the three-day event start at $350 for general admission, with a significant discount for students and educators.
The Baltimore Sun reached out to Moore’s office with questions related to the cost of Moore’s trip for Maryland taxpayers, as well as the governor’s schedule while in Texas. His office didn’t immediately respond to this request.
Moore’s trip to Austin comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Republican lawmakers’ redraw of the state’s congressional maps into law — a move that, while pending legal challenges, could give the GOP five more seats in the House of Representatives next year.
Before Abbott signed the new map in August, Moore responded to Republican redistricting efforts by saying he would “evaluate all options as states around the country make decisions regarding redistricting.” He has not publicly supported a bill proposed by Maryland House Majority Leader David Moon to would automatically start the state’s redistricting process if another state approved new congressional districts.
The Sun also asked Moore’s office if his position on redistricting has changed ahead of his trip to the Lone Star State. His office didn’t immediately respond to those requests.
Where else has Moore been?
Moore’s trip to Texas marks his next stop outside Maryland in what has become a busy year of travel for the governor.
So far in his third year leading the state, Moore has gone abroad to South Korea, Japan and Italy. He’s also made appearances in several states important to presidential politics — such as Michigan, Nevada and South Carolina — and fundraised in both Colorado and Idaho.
Moore, who launched his reelection bid last month, has publicly said he is not running for president in 2028 and remains committed to serving a full second term as governor if reelected.
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