Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD), a rising star in a Democratic Party desperate for fresh leadership, insists he is not running for president in 2028.
But on Sunday, he will speak at the NAACP’s 70th Annual Fight for Freedom Fund dinner, which just so happens to be held in Michigan, a battleground state that Democrats will need to flip after it voted for President Donald Trump in 2024.
And last month, he traveled to South Carolina, an early voting state that will help the party choose the next nominee for the White House, to attend the 2025 Blue Palmetto Dinner, hosted by Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC). Clyburn was instrumental in securing former President Joe Biden the Democratic ticket in 2020.
“If he’s not running for president, he’s just putting in a lot of miles for something,” said one Democrat who attended the Blue Palmetto Dinner. “If he’s not running for president, he is certainly working very hard at some other goal that is unannounced.”
“Having been there in South Carolina, I think it’s clear that he’s at least considering running for president, if not this time, sometime in the future,” the Democrat continued.
Over the last two years, beginning just after he was sworn in as governor, Moore has repeatedly claimed he wasn’t running for president in 2024 or in 2028. In January, Moore told Bloomberg when asked about his running in 2028: “No, I got the best job.”
Douglas Wilson, a Democratic strategist based in North Carolina, claimed that Moore’s repeated insistence that he’s not seeking higher office is a wise move that prevents harsh scrutiny of the governor.
“I think, by him saying that he’s not running, it gives him some breathing room and some leverage in governing Maryland,” Wilson said before comparing Moore to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
“Remember, DeSantis did that, and it hurt him on the Republican side because he kept saying: ‘Oh, look how I’m running Florida, look how I’m running Florida. And then folks started looking at how he was running Florida,” Wilson continued.
DeSantis long signaled his interest in running for president in 2024 through the policies, particularly against the “woke” Left, he championed in Florida. However, it failed to propel him to victory over Trump during the GOP primary.
Democrats are in the midst of an identity crisis after Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris failed to defeat Trump. The party is split over how to counter Trump best, as some senior-level Democrats who clung to power died in office, and younger Democrats have pressured leaders to promote the next generation.
The mayoral race in New York is one of the most stark illustrations of the problems Democrats are facing. On Tuesday evening, Democratic New Yorkers selected the socialist Zohran Mamdani as their nominee over the establishment-backed and disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
But leaders such as Moore could bridge the warring factions within his party.
“He’s a very attractive candidate. He’s dynamic. He’s young. He’s not a creature of Washington. All those things recommend him as a potential presidential candidate,” said Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist.
The charismatic, 46-year-old Moore would be a welcome respite for a party still bedeviled by Biden’s legacy-defining decision to seek reelection despite mental and physical acuity problems.
Moore has emphasized his ability to connect with men, a key segment that favored Trump in 2024, by donning a helmet and jersey to practice with the University of Maryland football team during training. It also helps that the governor played wide receiver for the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays football team for two seasons in college and is an Army combat veteran.
Moore gave a prime-time speech on Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention last summer and was one of the most in-demand speakers at the gathering in Chicago.
As a black man and Maryland’s first black governor, Moore could likely appeal to male voters of color who have complained about the Democratic Party failing to prioritize their needs. Similar to former President Barack Obama, Moore has an aura of credibility with voters, particularly black voters, who could boost him during the early primary field if he decided to run.
“He’s probably going to make a national play at some point. But he’s also a first-term governor,” said Christopher Galdieri, a political scientist at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. “He needs to get reelected next year. He doesn’t want to find himself in that position of being attacked for spending more time in South Carolina than he does in Maryland and that sort of thing.”
Galdieri also said he wouldn’t be surprised if Moore traveled to New Hampshire, another early primary state.
“I would be shocked if he didn’t,” he said before pointing to several other Democratic governors who have appeared in the state. “[Gov.] JB Pritzker (D-IL) was up here a few months ago. [Gov.] Gavin Newsom (D-CA) was out here last summer on behalf of Biden … [Gov.] Josh Shapiro (D-PA) was campaigning up here with the Democratic candidate for governor last year.”
All three governors could be possible rivals to Moore if they decide to enter the race, although Pritzker announced he would seek a third term, possibly putting a presidential run on the back burner. Newsom spent much of 2024 stumping for Biden and even appealing to Republicans by debating DeSantis and attending GOP primary debates.
The California governor is now in a feud with Trump over the Los Angeles protests against immigration officials, which is likely raising his profile with the public. Pritzker was among a trio of Democratic governors who testified before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee over sanctuary laws as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration.
“Democrats are leaderless. They have nobody,” said Mikel Norris, a professor of political science at Coastal Carolina University. “It doesn’t matter what President Trump does or what big mistakes he might [make], there’s nobody that is standing up and taking the mantle.”
Moore opted against public spats with the president at the beginning of his second administration, but after a meeting at the White House with the National Governors Association, the governor’s tune changed.
“I come back from Washington with no illusion about what kind of partnership that this administration is trying to forge with our nation’s governors,” he said.
Although Moore is seen as a possible leader to direct his party out of the post-Biden wilderness, he must still raise his name ID among the public, making the trips to early voting and battleground states of even more importance.
“Whether Wes Moore wants to run for president or not, I think him getting around the country, being inspiring, having great conversations with up-and-coming leaders in all these different states who really do see him as their hero, is only helpful,” said the Democratic strategist who appeared in South Carolina. “So, regardless of his aim, I think his efforts are fruitful and worthy of his time.”
A May poll from Echelon Insights showed Moore only pulling 1% of participants who were asked which candidate they would support in a 2028 Democratic primary. Harris received 32% and Pete Buttigieg, former transportation secretary in the Biden administration, received 10% of the vote.
“If I was Moore and I had presidential aspirations, right, you do want to put up trial balloons to see if people recognize you and know who you are,” Norris said. “Half the battle is getting voters to even know you exist.”
Michael Ceraso, a Democrat with experience working on presidential campaigns, cautioned Moore against tiptoeing around a presidential campaign.
“I do think Wes Moore is brilliant, and I think he’s charming, and I think he’s fantastic,” he said. But he also claimed that Moore should consider whether “the Democratic electorate, which is more affluent, more highbrow, more engaged, feels comfortable with someone who’s doing double speak in an era of Trump.”
Similarly, Norris said that if Moore is engaging in an invisible presidential primary campaign, it could work to his disadvantage.
“I don’t think doing it quietly this time around is a good choice, because, again, Democrats are leaderless,” he said. “The only way for somebody to grab that mantle is to reach out and grab it. Doing it quietly and waiting, I don’t see that benefiting anybody.”