As the only Black governor in the United States and one many insiders considers to be part of the future of the Democratic Party, Wes Moore is emerging as a key figure in the party for mobilizing its base: Black voters.
Moore was tapped by Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey in the final days of last week’s elections, resulting in major wins for Democrats up and down the ballot, including both the states’ governorships. The Maryland governor was utilized in Newark, Richmond and Fredericksburg to help turnout Black voters who were crucial for the Nov. 4 victories.
Nicole Cole, a Black veteran and public accountant, stunned in her race for the Virginia House of Delegates by defeating a 35-year Republican incumbent. Virginia also elected Jay Jones as it first Black attorney general. In Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, who brought back Black voters who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, received a larger turnout than any Democratic gubernatorial candidate in more than 20 years.
In 2023, Moore similarly traveled to campaign for elections in battleground districts in Virginia, resulting in Democrats winning the majority of the House of Delegates and Virginia State Senate. The 47-year-old Army veteran and rising Democratic star also traveled to battleground states on behalf of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
“Governor Wes Moore was a key voice in laying out what is at stake for Black voters in this year’s gubernatorial races, and inspiring and motivating Black Virginians and New Jerseyans to make their voices heard at the ballot box,” said Kevin Donohoe, a spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association, in a statement to theGrio.
“At big rallies and in one-on-one conversations, Governor Moore tirelessly did the work to help elect Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill. We are grateful to have him making the case for Democratic gubernatorial candidates — and we cannot wait to see him on the campaign trail next year.”
As the Democratic Party navigates what may appear to be a divided Democratic Party, wrestling over whether it is too “woke,” with Black voters at times feeling taken for granted as the party’s most loyal voting bloc, Moore’s growing influence in the party could prove to be critical as Democrats aim to take back majorities in the United States Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
“If you really want to have a society that benefits on a larger basis, you have to be intentional about being able to deliver to Black communities because, oftentimes, those are communities that have been left behind in a lot of these conversations,” Moore said during a phone interview with theGrio.
As governor of Maryland, Moore has taken actions on racial justice that serve as a model for the Democratic Party as it works toward winning back the White House in 2028, which can’t be done without strong turnout of Black voters. Though his name is often mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in next presidential election, Moore, who is seeking reelection next year, has repeatedly said he is not running for president.
Since taking office in 2023, Moore has issued more than 175,000 pardons for misdemeanor cannabis convictions, which disproportionately effect Black Americans; reformed the state’s procurement system to ensure more contracts for Black-owned businesses; and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars toward building up Black homeownership throughout the state.
Moore told theGrio that when he shares the actions he is taking in Maryland to correct historical harms and close the racial wealth gap, it resonates with Black voters across the country.
“The policy measures that we put in place, they have mattered,” he said. “Whether you’re talking about Detroit or Milwaukee or Richmond or Baltimore, there’s a certain speaking to a community that I think people have seen can get communities excited.”
He also emphasized that intentional actions to improve the economic and social conditions for Black Americans “doesn’t just benefit one group,” explaining, “It’s something that actually turns around and has benefited our entire society.”
This year, Moore also emerged as one of the nation’s top Democrats taking on President Trump, who has threatened to deploy military troops in Baltimore, which he has called a “hellhole.”
Moore’s latest fight has been the issue of redistricting after Trump ordered Republicans in states like Texas and North Carolina to redraw congressional maps in order to give his party a political advantage in next year’s congressional races. Districts with majority or sizable Black voters were almost exclusively targeted.
Earlier this month, Moore established a Redistricting Advisory Commission to recommend new Maryland maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Moore called Trump’s gerrymandering tactic “political redlining,” telling theGrio, “If we now have other states that are choosing to [redraw maps] mid-decade, I don’t know why Maryland would play by a different set of rules than Texas or Florida or Ohio.”
When asked about his thoughts on people seeing him as the future of the Democratic Party, Moore turned the attention back on Maryland, pointing out the state’s declining unemployment rate, drop in violent crime and middle class tax cut that he says turned the state’s deficit into a surplus.
“I’m excited that people are excited about what we’re doing in Maryland and I’m looking forward to going back in front of my people next year for re-election.”
