House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is endorsing Democrat Wes Moore in the crowded Maryland governor’s race, WTOP has learned.
Hoyer issued a statement Thursday evening, praising Moore, a military veteran and former CEO of a nonprofit.
“While there are many great candidates in this year’s race, Wes stands out as a candidate whose experience, vision and talent can lead Maryland toward a brighter future by inspiring our people — particularly young people — to work together to face our toughest challenges,” Hoyer said.
Hoyer pointed to Moore’s military service, his success as an author, businessman and philanthropist. He also noted that Moore has “given back to his community.”
“I strongly endorse Wes Moore, a native son of Maryland and a visionary and innovative generational leader for our state,” Hoyer said.
Moore said he was humbled by Hoyer’s endorsement and praised the longtime Maryland congressional leader for “delivering results for Maryland families.”
“We will work together to grow our economy and make Maryland a place where we leave no one behind,” Moore said in a statement.
Moore and Hoyer are scheduled to make a joint appearance on Friday in Prince George’s County.
This year’s race features several of the state’s politically prominent Democrats, including former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, state Comptroller Peter Franchot, former state attorney general Doug Gansler and former Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez. Other candidates include former U.S. Education Secretary John B. King Jr., Jon Baron, Ralph Jaffe, Ashwani Jain and Jerry Segal.
The Democratic and Republican primaries are July 19.
Gov. Larry Hogan is only the second Republican in Maryland history to be elected to two terms as governor. The governor is limited to two consecutive terms in Maryland.
Four Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination, including former state secretary of commerce, Kelly Schulz. Others are state lawmaker Dan Cox, anti-tax advocate Robin Ficker and Joe Werner.
Moore launched his campaign for governor last June. He was a Rhodes scholar and served in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. In recent years, he served as the chief executive officer of the Robin Hood Foundation, a nonprofit based in New York that fights poverty.
He is also the author of the book, “The Other Wes Moore,” about his early life and development, which is juxtaposed against the life of another man with the same name who grew up in Baltimore and ended up in prison.
Moore’s story and some of its details have come under scrutiny, following his announced candidacy for governor.
Moore has suggested questions raised about his life story have been politically motivated. He has asked the Maryland State Board of Elections to investigate the release of contents from an opposition research document.
