Maryland Gov. Moore announces re-election bid in 2026, touting economic gains and crime reduction

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will seek re-election in 2026, he announced in a campaign video released Tuesday morning.

Talking directly to voters, Moore emphasized that he is not a career politician, reminding residents of his background as an Army combat veteran and former leader of a poverty-fighting organization.

“These career politicians had been telling us that everything was great, when we knew that it wasn’t,” Moore criticized. His first time running for public office was the 2022 gubernatorial election.

He also highlighted his administration’s economic and public safety achievements, while criticizing federal policies implemented by the Trump administration that have impacted Maryland.

What has Moore accomplished in Maryland?

Moore is known nationwide for leading Maryland through the tragic collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. He took a prominent role in securing federal help and bringing the community together.

“When crisis hit and the Key Bridge collapsed, we rallied,” Moore said. “They said it would take 11 months to reopen the port of Baltimore, and we got it done in 11 weeks.”  

In the campaign kick-off video Moore said he’s made significant improvements to Maryland’s economy.

“Our unemployment rate was one of the nation’s highest and now it is one of the nation’s lowest,” Moore said. 

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, when Moore took office in January of 2023, Maryland’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.3%, the 5th lowest in the country. In July of 2025 it was 3.4%, 14th lowest of the 50 states. 

“We inherited a structural budget deficit and turned it into a surplus,” Moore said. 

A “structural” budget deficit, while a valid economic indicator, is different than a budget deficit. It represents how much of the state’s budget deficit would still exist if the economy was in ideal shape. Currently, Maryland faces a $2.7 billion overall budget deficit, which the governor addressed through aggressive cuts announced in January.

“We cut taxes for veterans and cut taxes for the middle class,” Moore added.  

The governor also highlighted public safety improvements, noting a 50-year low in homicides in Baltimore. Homicides across the state dropped more than 30% since 2021 as did overall violent crime.

Moore criticizes federal policies

In the announcement, Moore criticized the Trump administration for recent changes impacting Maryland, including layoffs of federal workers. 

Maryland, which has the nation’s second-highest concentration of federal workers, has been working to help hundreds who have lost their jobs due the Trump administration reducing the size of the federal workforce.

In June, Moore announced a state hiring freeze, voluntary employee buyouts, and the elimination of vacant positions, amid what he called a “historic fiscal challenge.” The state hiring freeze was one of Moore’s efforts to combat a $3 billion statewide budget deficit. 

Moore referred to Maryland’s financial climate as the worst since the Great Depression and cited “a federal administration that continues to harm Maryland’s people and the economy.”

Ed Hale running for governor

Moore will run against longtime Baltimore businessman Ed Hale, Sr. who formally announced his campaign for Maryland Governor in August. Hale switched his party from Democratic to Republican.

Hale was the chairman and CEO of 1st Mariner Bank before he left the struggling company in 2011. 

The 78-year-old Baltimore native ran shipping companies and is credited with developing the Canton Waterfront area after building an office downtown.