Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) will headline the South Carolina Democratic Party’s “Blue Palmetto” dinner later this month as he pushes 2028 presidential rumors aside.
The 46-year-old has drawn speculation about a presidential bid since his rapid rise to becoming Maryland’s governor in 2023 after never holding political office, though he has brushed off suggestions.
The Blue Palmetto dinner is a fundraising event held by the South Carolina Democratic Party, at which any presidential candidates have been featured. Last year’s speakers were Sen. Cory Booker (D-NY) and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
“In this moment, our job is not to simply go into hiding until there’s another election,” he will say, according to an excerpt of his speech shared with the Washington Examiner. “The measure of our success will be how we choose to lead. And Maryland is choosing to lead every day…. We are choosing to lead on fighting child poverty. We are choosing to lead on education. We are choosing to lead on economic growth.”
During his trip south, the governor will also stop at Rep. Jim Clyburn’s (D-SC) annual fish fry. Clyburn’s support was crucial to former President Joe Biden’s primary race in 2020.
“Mr. Clyburn was very insistent on me getting back down there,” Moore told Politico. “I told him I would make it up for him,” Moore added. “And you know, you do not say no to Mr. Clyburn.”
The governor will also visit a pharmaceutical business and an EV business in South Carolina to talk about expansions into Maryland, an official told the Washington Examiner.
Despite all the speculation and growing national attention, Moore has said he’s content to focus on Maryland.
During an appearance on ABC’s The View, Moore said, “I’m not running,” when asked if he would throw his hat in the ring for president in 2028.
The Maryland governor has also said that anyone jockeying for 2028 is “not taking 2025 very seriously.”
“I think that anyone who is, you know, focusing their time and their efforts trying to audition for 2028, to me, what it says is, you’re not taking 2025 very seriously,” he said.
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Actor George Clooney, who routinely donates large sums to Democrats, said that Moore is “levitating” over all other 2028 contenders. “I think he is a guy who has handled this tragedy in Baltimore beautifully. He does two tours of duty in Afghanistan — active duty. He speaks beautifully. He’s smart. He ran a hedge fund — the Robin Hood Foundation. He’s a proper leader,” Clooney said.
“I like him a lot,” he added. “I think he could be someone we could all join in behind.”