Wes Moore, whose vibrant and organized campaign catapulted him from outsider candidate to a rising star in Democratic politics, will be Maryland’s next governor, the first Black person to lead the state and only the third Black elected governor in U.S. history, based on The Associated Press call of Tuesday’s race.
Moore declared victory over Republican Del. Dan Cox, and was congratulated by incumbent GOP Gov. Larry Hogan in a phone call.
“What an amazing night and what an improbable journey,” Moore told a raucous crowd of his supporters gathered at the Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore at 10 p.m. “It’s because you believed that I stand here humbled and grateful to become the 63rd governor of the state of Maryland.”
At 11 p.m., Moore led Cox 60% to 36% with about 1.4 million votes counted. But Cox did not concede the race, telling supporters at his party in Annapolis that he wants all votes to be counted.
“I’m not going to lie to you. This is a difficult race,” Cox said. “We’re not doing as well as I had hoped in places like Baltimore County. So, it’s very, very tough.”
Moore’s victory returns the state capital to full Democratic control after eight years under Hogan, setting the stage for a new progressive era in Annapolis and a potentially bright political future for the ambitious Moore.
Democrats were expected to retain a supermajority in the General Assembly, giving his party significant powers to pass legislation they support. All 188 seats were on ballots across the state Tuesday.
“I could not be more thrilled about what’s happening tonight,” Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson said at the victory party. His counterpart, House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, the first Black leader of either of Maryland’s legislative chambers, said, “We made history.”
Hogan, who refused to endorse Cox, said in a statement Tuesday night that he had spoken to Moore and congratulated him on his victory.
“Our team is committed to ensuring a smooth and orderly transition to the next administration, and I look forward to meeting with the governor-elect in the coming days,” Hogan added.
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Moore, of Baltimore, has traveled a winding path to the peak of state politics.
He is a graduate of Valley Forge Military School in Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins and then Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar. He worked as an investment banker in London and New York City, spent a year at the State Department as a White House fellow, led paratroopers in the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, became a bestselling author, started a production company and a business to help students, and ran one of the country’s largest anti-poverty nonprofits.
After attempts to recruit him for offices such as Baltimore mayor and U.S. representative since he returned to Baltimore a decade ago, Moore has said he felt he could make the largest impact as governor.
His platform has included plans to invest heavily in child care, job retraining and apprenticeship programs, public transportation, education and more. With slogans like “work, wages and wealth” and “leave no one behind,” he sought to appeal to a wide range of voters, who often cited his charisma and energy as reasons they supported him.
He also proved to be a prolific fundraiser, raising and spending millions as he garnered national media attention for his campaign and his potential future in national politics.
Cox, a 48-year-old first-term delegate from Frederick County, offered voters a conservative platform of reducing taxes, giving parents more control over school curriculum and vowing not to restore pandemic protections such as business shutdowns or mask and vaccine requirements. After eight years of Hogan’s brand of moderate conservatism, Cox’s stances and his loyal support of former President Donald Trump made winning statewide — where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 — an unlikely outcome.
Patience Faith Cox, his adult daughter who’s been active in his campaign, addressed his backers before he spoke Tuesday night. She said to cheers that the night was about the media using the moment to prove “fake” polls, referring to polling in the last month that showed Cox significantly behind.
“Don’t believe anything you see on there. It’s just a moment for them to gloat,” she said, referring to the results coming in.
At Moore’s party in Baltimore, a vast ballroom was packed shoulder to shoulder, and hundreds of people erupted in cheers and danced to “Celebrate” when the AP call was announced.
Confetti filled the room after Moore gave his victory speech, in which he referred to the historic nature of the race and thanked his campaign workers and family.
“Tonight we celebrate. But tomorrow, we get to work,” Moore said.
His running mate, Aruna Miller, thanked the campaign’s supporters and said she was excited for the future, “from Western Maryland to Southern Maryland, from Charm City to Pocomoke City to Ocean City from gorgeous Prince George’s County. A Maryland where we leave no one behind, a Maryland where people can feel safe in their communities and their skin.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen — whom AP also dubbed a winner against Republican challenger Chris Chaffee to another six-year term — also spoke to the overjoyed crowd.
“This has been a good, good day for Maryland and all Marylanders and every part of our state,” Van Hollen said.
U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told the crowd, “Millions of Marylanders saw Wes Moore as somebody who will lift us up, someone who will lead us.”
While the final turnout numbers won’t be available for days, roughly 1 in 5 registered active voters used early in-person voting or mail-in ballots before Election Day.
Maryland election officials were planning on a faster ballot-counting process than in the primary, when local election workers were barred from processing mail-in ballots until two days after primary day — delaying results in some races by days or weeks.
A judge’s ruling last month allowed election workers to begin processing those ballots when they received them. Eleven of the state’s 24 voting jurisdictions opted to take advantage of the early processing, including in the large jurisdictions of Baltimore City and the counties of Baltimore, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s.
Results will continue to be updated for weeks as mail-in ballots postmarked by Tuesday can be received until Nov. 18, and the canvassing of provisional ballots will begin Nov. 16. The results cannot be certified before Nov. 18, according to the State Board of Elections.
Baltimore Sun reporters Hannah Gaskill, Lorraine Mirabella and Lee O. Sanderlin contributed to this article.
