Wes Moore, the Governor of Maryland, finds his national political aspirations facing unexpected hurdles, not from Republicans but from his fellow Democrats right in his home state.
Moore’s recent endeavor to redraw Maryland’s congressional districts in a bid to secure an additional House seat for the Democrats has garnered him praise from progressive activists and party leaders in Washington, effectively elevating his profile as he considers a 2028 presidential bid. However, the governor has encountered resistance from members of his own party, particularly in the Maryland Senate, where his ambitious gerrymandering initiative is meeting with a rather unceremonious fate.
This redistricting venture marks one of the first significant political challenges Moore has faced, with national implications that could either solidify his standing within the party or expose vulnerabilities as he positions himself as a foil to President Donald Trump.
Critics argue that Moore has not been sufficiently aggressive in employing the cutthroat tactics often necessary to push his agenda through, while his supporters contend that the first-term governor is focused on redistricting because he views it as crucial for his future ambitions on the national stage. National Democrats have expressed doubts about Moore’s ability to lead effectively if he cannot sway lawmakers in a solidly blue state with a Democratic-controlled legislature to support his policy initiatives. POLITICO engaged with nearly two dozen state and federal lawmakers and Democratic strategists to gather insights on this dynamic.
David Turner, Moore’s senior adviser and communications director, insists that the governor’s leadership of Maryland’s redistricting efforts is not a maneuver to advance his political career. “Anyone who thinks this is about national ambitions isn’t paying enough attention to the damage being done in 2026,” Turner remarked. “The Governor has been clear: at a time when other states are discussing mid-decade redistricting, Maryland needs to do so as well.”
However, Moore’s inability to rally sufficient support from Maryland’s Democratic senators for the redrawing of district maps has drawn unfavorable comparisons to California Governor Gavin Newsom, another prospective 2028 contender who successfully navigated a significant redistricting effort in his state. After California voters approved their own redistricting proposal, Newsom encouraged other states, including Maryland, to “contribute a verse” to the party’s gerrymandering chorus.
“If he could have matched Gavin in terms of effectiveness—taking this issue, winning on it, and bolstering his image—it would have been a tremendous opportunity for him,” stated Paul Mitchell, a redistricting expert and architect of California’s newly adopted congressional maps.
Despite Moore’s advocacy for legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage and initiatives aimed at reducing Baltimore’s homicide rate to near 50-year lows, his tenure has not been without setbacks. In December, Maryland Democrats overrode at least 16 of his vetoes, tying him with former Republican Governor Larry Hogan for the most vetoes overridden in a single year during his two terms. This included an override that particularly irked many Black lawmakers due to Moore’s blocking of a commission to study reparations in the state.
In the wake of his reparations veto, Moore traveled to South Carolina—an early presidential primary state—to deliver keynote remarks at the South Carolina Democrats Blue Palmetto Dinner, asserting: “Gone are the days when we are the party of bureaucracy, multi-year studies, panels, and college debate club rules.”
This reflects the ongoing criticism that has accompanied Moore since his sweeping victory in his first-ever election four years ago: that he is using the governorship as a launching pad to Washington rather than diligently cultivating relationships in Annapolis to achieve his legislative goals.
“Truly, Wes Moore is a great candidate… He has the pizzazz and swagger that some folks wish they could have,” commented a Democratic strategist who requested anonymity to provide an honest evaluation of Moore. “But the operations of his political tentacles are weak. His inside political network is fragile.”
Moore addressed some of these criticisms directly last week during a joint address to the General Assembly, where the tension was palpable. “I will not stand here and tell you that I have gotten it all right,” he stated in his State of the State address. “It’s taken time to build relationships. It’s taken time to learn Annapolis. I am an outsider at heart, and I don’t see that changing,” he added, before shifting focus to pressuring Senate Democrats to consider a congressional redistricting bill.
He characterized his protracted public disagreement with Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson as “a very principled disagreement.”
While the Maryland House of Delegates has approved legislation Moore backs to redraw the district of the state’s lone Republican, House Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Andy Harris, the gerrymandering effort remains stalled in the state Senate. Ferguson has stated he will not bring the bill up for a vote, arguing there is insufficient support in his chamber, it presents legal risks, and adopting new maps could jeopardize Maryland’s current 7-1 Democratic advantage.
Many national Democrats, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have pressured Ferguson and other dissenters to act. Jeffries suggested he would even travel to Annapolis to meet with Ferguson in a recent CNN interview.
Two of Moore’s aides, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy, noted that Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee who previously served in the Maryland Senate, recently wrote a letter to state lawmakers deeming it a “clear and present danger” not to act on redistricting. Raskin also challenged Ferguson’s legal rationale for inaction, referencing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that permitted both Texas and California to utilize their redrawn maps ahead of midterms. Yet, Ferguson remains unmoved.
“I think the miscalculation is that a lot of people are being led to believe that it’s only Bill who doesn’t want the map,” remarked one member of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, who also requested anonymity to discuss internal party dynamics.
With Maryland’s candidate filing deadline on February 24 rapidly approaching, Ferguson and his supporters argue that any changes beyond this point will be too disruptive to the state elections calendar. However, Moore’s aides contend that this deadline is arbitrary, pointing to legislation making its way through the Maryland House that seeks to extend the filing deadline to late March.
A December poll from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County revealed that only 27 percent of Maryland residents considered redistricting a top issue, with affordability and quality education ranking higher on the list of concerns.
Maryland-based Democratic strategist Len Foxwell commented that Moore’s efforts to connect with voters have overly centered on cable television and podcast appearances. He asserted that the governor’s redistricting push faltered due to a botched rollout. Rather than engaging in a robust public relations campaign akin to Newsom’s successful messaging, Moore opted to establish an advisory commission for public input, hosting virtually timed meetings that often occurred late on Friday afternoons. The outcome of the commission’s recommendations was seemingly predetermined.
“The work of the commission was a rather dreary exercise in muscle-flexing,” Foxwell observed. “The clear message was that we are doing this because we can do it. And I don’t think that resonated well with the public.”
Unlike Donald Trump, who employed scorched-earth tactics against those who opposed his gerrymandering efforts in Indiana, Moore has not waged similar aggressive campaigns against Ferguson. In January, Jeffries, who could potentially become the first Black Speaker of the House if Democrats reclaim the U.S. House this fall, convened a hastily arranged press conference in the Capitol, where he asserted that Marylanders “deserve an up or down vote.” Moore stood alongside Jeffries as the Democratic congressional leader expressed his disdain for Ferguson, albeit without naming him.
Behind the scenes, Jeffries and other prominent Democrats supporting Moore are attempting to sidestep Ferguson by urging the Black Caucus to employ a rarely used state Senate procedure to discharge the redistricting bill from the chamber’s Rules Committee. If successful, this would compel a floor vote on the House-passed bill. However, only one member of the Black Caucus openly supports this approach, and the prevailing sentiment suggests that the legislation will remain in limbo until the General Assembly session concludes in April.
A member of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus added that while Moore is seen as a burgeoning Democratic star on the national stage, there is considerable groundwork for him to accomplish in Annapolis. “I think it’s that his folks are trying to insulate him from some things,” the lawmaker elaborated. “Because if he starts to build those relationships, he’ll begin to hear that some of his ideas may not be the best, which could pose a challenge for his national ambitions.”
