Gov. Wes Moore talks what's next for Maryland after winning second term
Maryland Democrat Gov. Wes Moore is now focused on the task ahead after he defeated Republican Dan Cox for a second term on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the reelected governor spoke about his victory and his goals for the next four years.
"Hey everybody, we had a really good night last night," Moore said.
Moore became Maryland's first Black governor in 2023 after winning the November election. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, just as the polls closed at 8 p.m., CBS News projected Moore as the winner.
"Four years ago, we wanted to rethink the way the Democratic Party moves," Moore said.
Moore's main campaign focus was pushing for voters to vote yes on Question 3, which would allow Maryland lawmakers to redraw the state's congressional maps in an effort to fight back against Republicans' effort to redraw congressional districts across the country.
The measure passed convincingly.
"Despite two weeks ago when everyone said that Question 3 was done and Question 3 was over," Moore said. "I am very proud to say that in a loud and resounding fashion that Question 3 passed. Maryland made the moment."
Moore went on to talk about what he plans to do for Maryland in the next four years, including growing small businesses and lowering energy costs.
"The state plans on being active and involved because people need a break and people need relief," Moore said. "From a state perspective, we've been able to do things like the Utility Relief Act which puts hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of Marylanders which does things like making sure we're investing in local energy generation of energy because I want Maryland to be an importer of energy and not an exporter."
Moore goes on to say that includes investing in solar, wind and battery storage.
Moore expressed that he was happy to see Black county executives like Julian Jones, Vanessa Atterbeary, and Will Jawando win their races.
"I was proud to see them give their acceptance speeches last night," Moore said. "I wanted to be the last person to ever say that I'm the only Black governor in this country and it worked."