Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is among the Democrats celebrating big wins for the party after voters largely threw their support behind Democratic candidates during Tuesday’s elections in Virginia, New York and New Jersey.
The states of Virginia and New Jersey elected two women as Democratic governors, including the first woman governor in Virginia, Abigail Spanberger.
A lengthy government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history at 36 days, served as a backdrop during Tuesday night’s elections. President Donald Trump has stated the federal government will restrict SNAP food aid, despite two judges’ rulings to use emergency funds.
Some states, including Maryland and Virginia, have put together plans to temporarily pay for funding gaps in the program.
Moore talked about the developments with WTOP anchors Shawn Anderson and Anne Kramer.
Read and listen to the interview below.
The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
- Anne Kramer :
We have you on as we see such a big blue wave from yesterday’s elections. We want to know what your reaction was to it. What do you think voters said by putting so many Democrats back into office?
- Wes Moore:
Well I’m excited because I think people spoke loud and clear that they are looking for effective governance. I know I saw when I was down campaigning in Virginia on behalf of my friend Abigail Spanberger, who I’m honored to be her colleague, and when I was in New Jersey campaigning for my friend Mikie Sherrill, that I think people have seen how since Donald Trump has come into office, how everything is more expensive, how energy prices have risen. Watching the Constitution being used like it’s a suggestion box.
That we are watching SNAP benefits being pulled illegally away, and it’s the reason why we sued the Trump administration and beat him in court. That we are watching how the hopes that people have are just continually being ripped away by this administration.
And so to have leaders like Abigail, like Mikie, but also seeing the results we saw in Mississippi last night, the results we saw in Georgia last night, that people are ready for something different. They want their voices to be heard, and I think that people spoke loud and clear last night.
- Shawn Anderson:
Let’s move to the topic of congressional redistricting, and you have now set up a commission to advise you on redrawing congressional maps in Maryland, despite the opposition from Democratic Senate President Bill Ferguson. He had written his own letter to lawmakers, saying the Senate is not moving forward with a mid-cycle redistricting. How difficult would this be without Sen. Ferguson’s support? How concerned are you about a legal challenge from the GOP on all this?
- Wes Moore:
Well, I’m clear that we will work with Bill Ferguson. It’s the reason that I asked him to join the governor’s redistricting advisory committee, the commission that I set up. But I also know that is a big body and and I will work with not just him, but I will work with other members of the General Assembly to ensure that we have fair maps come next November.
And the thing that we know is that I don’t think there’s any daylight between me and the president when it comes to understanding the crisis that we are in because of Donald Trump. That Maryland has had more people fired, tens of thousands of Marylanders have been fired or furloughed by Donald Trump since he has taken office. That we have watched federal disaster relief in Western Maryland denied, despite historic floods. That we have seen how billions of dollars have been taken away from the state of Maryland in grants. That we have seen how federal assets, like the FBI building that the President is threatening to take away. That we have seen how the president is using food as a weapon and as a negotiating tool, risking to starve children.
So I think we both understand the crisis that Maryland is under because of Donald Trump. I think where we differ is the urgency that we need to treat it, that the fight that we need to address it with, and also the posture that we need to have when it comes to ensuring that Maryland has fair maps come next November.
- Anne Kramer:
Governor, former Gov. Hogan has put out a statement in regards to redistricting. He’s saying gerrymandering is a cancer on our democracy. He went on to criticize your action and your decision to set up a “partisan” redistricting advisory panel. He called it partisan. He says it puts progress that he did at risk when he was governor, when it came to giving Marylanders the ability to vote for who they wanted, and not politicians. What is your reaction to now him getting into this race, in case he actually decides to run against you for the governor’s mansion?
- Wes Moore:
I have not paid attention to Republican Larry Hogan’s tweets. We’ve been busy over here. But the reason that I even set up the governor’s redistricting advisory commission is because I believe that the maps that we’ve set up before and the process that we went through before, was insufficient. That the maps that we’re working on right now were set up in a matter of days without any real people’s input, that broke up neighborhoods, it broke up communities.
And so the reason that I put together this commission, which by the way, is a bipartisan commission with Democrats and Republicans, to be able to say, ‘We will listen to the people and will come with fair maps that reflect the aspirations and the hopes of the people of the state of Maryland.’ While this process normally takes place at the start of a decade, I also know that we are watching norms being rewritten. And if other states are going to have mid-decade reevaluations of whether or not they have fair maps, there is no way that Maryland should just sit on their hands while other states are doing this.
If other states are going to have mid-decade reevaluation of their maps, then I am crystal clear on this, so will Maryland.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
