Maryland Gov.Wes Moore easily won renomination for a second term Tuesday, NBC News projects, bounding over a minor obstacle ahead of a potential 2028 presidential campaign that some expect the Democrat to launch in the next year.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The governor dispatched a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Eric Felber, a Bethesda physician.Moore, 47, has long been mentioned by fellow Democrats as a future presidential or vice presidential candidate, even before he won his first term in 2022.
A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Moore first gained fame when Oprah Winfrey promoted his bestselling 2010 book, “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates.”Winfrey also drew national attention to books that President Barack Obama and Vice President JD Vance wrote before they ran for office.Moore’s frequent national media appearances and a travel schedule that has taken him to South Carolina, which is typically the first state on the calendar where Black voters have a major say in a Democratic presidential primary, have fueled speculation that he might run.His name was bandied about for a possible spot on the Democratic ticket in 2024 after it became clear that President Joe Biden might drop out of the race, which Biden ultimately did.
But Moore was not among the finalists for the vice presidential slot when Vice President Kamala Harris took over the top of the Democratic ticket that year.He has faced criticism from Republicans who see him as a rising star, and possible candidate for national office.They have focused in on Moore’s claim, on a 2006 application for a White House fellowship, that he had won a Bronze Star.
At the time, he had been recommended for the decoration, but he had not won it.He was later awarded the Bronze Star at the end of Biden’s term.While Moore’s fundraising has been prodigious for Maryland — nearly $14 million raised for the current campaign �...