Gov. Wes Moore says second term is about getting the job done for Marylanders

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says that getting a second term is about taking care of unfinished business.

The governor is coming in as the incumbent in the 2026 gubernatorial election, facing off against Republican challenger Dan Cox.

Moore defeated Cox in the 2022 election to become Maryland's 67th governor and first Black governor. He wants to bolster the work he put into his first term.

In an interview with CBS News Baltimore, the governor talked about what a second term would look like.

Moore also reaffirmed his commitment to the state, "I wouldn't be running for reelection if I wasn't exclusively focused on the people of Maryland."

Affordability

A big focus for Moore in his reelection campaign is making the state affordable for Marylanders.

He especially wants to crack down on energy bills. His solution is to set Maryland up to produce more of its own energy.

To do that, Moore wants to streamline the permitting processes for this infrastructure, whether it be for solar, wind or nuclear energy.

"Right now we still import more energy than we export as a state. We got to be able to reverse that trend because that will also help bring energy prices down."

Controlling state spending and jumpstarting the economy

The governor wants to continue to bring more businesses and investments to Maryland to diversify the state's economy.

He points to the recent announcement that Anduril Industries is investing $3.7 billion in a new high-tech shipyard in Baltimore County's Tradepoint Atlantic industrial center.

It's expected to create 3,100 new jobs.

Moore said his first term focused on bringing in industries of the future, and that work will continue should he win four more years.

"We were working for a year on this deal," he said. "That comes on the heels of things like AstraZeneca [expanding its manufacturing in the state], that comes on the heels of Samsung Biologics picking Maryland for its first U.S. manufacturing facility."

Jumpstarting the economy, as the governor puts it, has been necessary given the structural issues with the state's budget, which has a projected gap of roughly $3 billion next fiscal year.

Moore will continue to cut spending.

"I do not want to hand off to my successor what I was handed, which was a multi-billion dollar structural deficit," he said. "We've got to get this spending under control and we've got to grow the economy. That's how we're going to address this."

Keeping Maryland in the spotlight

Moore said he wants to continue to wean off of the state's reliance on Washington.

Aside from finding different revenue streams, it also means continuing to be outspoken against President Trump.

Trump is the primary reason Moore has been pushing for mid-cycle redistricting, which has resulted in Ballot Question 3 on the November ballot.

For him, the question isn't just about protecting the country's democracy -- it's about keeping Maryland in the national conversation.

"There will be a post-Trump moment and we all have got to make sure we are preserving our democracy," Moore said. "I'm committed to making sure that Maryland does not sit out of that conversation."