Maryland Gov. Wes Moore Wins Democratic Nomination for Second Term, Eyes Potential 2028 Presidential Run

Maryland Governor Wes Moore secured the Democratic nomination for a second term on June 23, 2026, defeating challenger Eric Felber. Alongside Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, Moore will face Republican Dan Cox in a November rematch. Despite raising nearly $14 million and drawing national attention as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, Moore has publicly denied plans to run, though his national travel and high-profile donors continue to fuel speculation.

Moore Democratic primary victory

• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore won the Democratic nomination for a second term in the primary election on June 23, 2026
• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore defeated Democratic primary challenger Eric Felber, a Bethesda physician, in the June 23, 2026 primary
• ▪The administration of Maryland Governor Wes Moore made a $10.2 billion investment into K-12 public schools in 2026
• ▪Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller will run alongside Maryland Governor Wes Moore as the Democratic candidate in the November 2026 election
• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller will face Republican nominees Dan Cox and Rob Krop in the November 2026 election
• ▪Under Maryland Governor Wes Moore's leadership, Maryland experienced a 44% drop in homicides and a 40% drop in non-fatal shootings between 2023 and early 2026

Potential 2028 presidential campaign

• ▪Speculation regarding Maryland Governor Wes Moore's potential 2028 presidential campaign has been driven by his national media appearances and travel to South Carolina
• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore stated in a 2025 interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that he would not run for president in 2028

Bronze Star controversy

• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore was recommended for the Bronze Star in 2006 but was not officially awarded the decoration until the end of President Joe Biden's term
• ▪Republicans have criticized Maryland Governor Wes Moore for claiming on a 2006 White House fellowship application that he had won a Bronze Star

Campaign fundraising totals

• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore raised nearly $14 million for his current gubernatorial re-election campaign
• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore's campaign fundraising totals are lower than those of other prospective presidential hopefuls across the United States

National donor network

• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore lacks the extensive national donor network typically expected of a presidential candidate in waiting
• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore's campaign donors include notable national Democratic fundraisers Reid Hoffman, Ben Barnes, and Jonathan Tisch

Historical candidate denials

• ▪Barack Obama subsequently ran in the 2008 presidential election and won the first of his two terms
• ▪In a January 2006 interview on "Meet the Press," then-Senator Barack Obama stated that he would not run for president in 2008