The governor hit every TV camera in Washington. He didn’t mention the Key Bridge contractor crisis, the $1.5 billion deficit, or the fact that his “lower energy bills” claim was already fact-checked as false.
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews
Wes Moore won his primary Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning, he was everywhere — outside the State House, on CNN, announcing a redistricting special session, discussing Trump, discussing democracy, discussing his national profile. He was discussing 2028 before the ink on Tuesday’s results was dry.
Here’s what he didn’t talk about.
The DCCC Stop
Moore wasn’t just doing television. By Wednesday, his own communications director Ammar Moussa posted Moore’s whereabouts on social media: “SPOTTED: Governor Moore stopping by the @dccc and thanking the team that is about to flip the House and make @hakeemjeffries the next Speaker.”
The DCCC is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — the national House Democrats’ campaign arm, headquartered in Washington. Moore was there within 48 hours of his primary win, working on a national congressional majority.
The visit did not go unnoticed. “Nearly 48 hours after the primary, @GovWesMoore is at the @dccc while Marylanders are staring down billions in deficits, fees on everything they own, and a Key Bridge without a contractor,” posted the No Moore MD account. “But the national Democratic caucus is taken care of.”
Moore’s office did not dispute the characterization. His own communications director documented it as a point of pride.
The governor who just won reelection in Maryland spent part of his post-primary window in Washington working on a congressional majority. The Marylanders paying triple what they paid for electricity in 2012 were not at the DCCC.
The Bridge
Moore has called the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild “the fastest-moving large infrastructure project in the United States.” He said it on CNN. He said it standing next to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. He said it at the two-year anniversary commemoration in March.
What he didn’t say after winning his primary is that the rebuild’s Phase 2 contractor — Kiewit Infrastructure — was dropped in late April after its bid came in so far above state estimates the administration called it “unreasonably high.” The project’s estimated cost ballooned from roughly $1.8 billion to more than $5.2 billion. Maryland is now back in the market searching for a new Phase 2 contractor. As of June 18 — five days before the primary — MDTA hosted a second industry procurement forum still looking for a builder.
The “fastest-moving” project is currently without a contractor for its most critical phase. Moore did not mention it in any of his post-primary appearances.
The Energy Bill Claim
Moore’s campaign website says he lowered energy bills. Spotlight on Maryland asked him directly about that claim on June 4 in Salisbury. “Are you being misleading?” a reporter asked. “I’m not being misleading,” Moore responded, pointing to the Utility RELIEF Act and $300 million in energy relief passed last session.
The math tells a different story. The RELIEF Act’s primary benefit is a $150 annual savings — $12.50 per month — for the average Maryland ratepayer. It comes after BGE’s electric distribution rates nearly doubled since 2012. It comes after a PJM capacity auction cleared at a record $329.17 per megawatt-day for the second consecutive year — meaning another round of rate increases was already baked in for Pepco and Delmarva customers starting in August and BGE customers this fall. The RELIEF Act’s savings arrive before those increases land.
Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready said it plainly at the bill signing: “This bill is essentially Democrats admitting Republicans were right about the consequences of the energy policies they spent years putting in place.” Moore did not address any of this in his post-primary victory lap.
The Deficit
Moore signed a $1.6 billion tax increase into law this session to address a $3.3 billion structural deficit. State analysts subsequently projected a new $1.5 billion structural deficit for fiscal year 2027 — driven in part by reduced federal revenue projections. Moore did not discuss the deficit, the tax increase, or the structural budget outlook in his post-primary appearances. He mentioned Trump’s economic policies. He mentioned affordability as a “national problem.” He did not discuss Maryland’s specific fiscal position heading into the general election.
The Moody’s Problem
In May 2025, Moody’s downgraded Maryland’s bond rating from AAA to AA1, citing structural deficits, underperforming economic growth, and “heightened vulnerability to shifting federal policies.” Maryland subsequently ended its relationship with Moody’s entirely, replacing it with the Kroll Bond Rating Agency. Moore did not mention this in his post-primary remarks.
The Military Record
The Baltimore Banner, given access to Moore’s military records by his own staff, found in June that Moore “mischaracterized or inaccurately recounted details about his military record in his public statements and writings.” Moore acknowledged the mischaracterizations but said they should not be construed to undermine his service. On June 22 — the day before the primary — Spotlight on Maryland’s Gary Collins attempted to ask Moore about the discrepancies at a Port of Baltimore ribbon-cutting. Moore walked to his car without answering. The door shut before the question could be completed.
He has not addressed the Banner’s findings substantively since they were published.
What Moore Did Say
He talked about redistricting. He talked about Trump. He talked about democracy. He congratulated Ferguson. He said “inaction is not an option” on congressional maps. He called redistricting an “emergency.” He stopped by the DCCC.
Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey identified what was missing: “If a Special Session is convened, our caucus will be ready to introduce legislation that actually lowers costs — not one that plays into partisan politics. Maryland families are struggling with affordability, and they expect action on the issues that impact their daily lives.”
The governor won 87 percent of his primary vote against a token challenger. He enters the general election with a full campaign war chest, a weakened opponent, and the structural advantages of incumbency in a deep blue state.
He also enters it with a Key Bridge rebuild that lost its Phase 2 contractor, an energy cost crisis his own $150 fix barely touches, a bond downgrade his administration responded to by firing the rating agency, a military record his own staff had to preemptively manage, and a budget heading toward another structural deficit.
Tuesday night, none of that came up.
Sources: Spotlight on Maryland/Fox45, Maryland Matters, WYPR, The Baltimore Banner, Maryland Daily Record, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey statement, Maryland Transportation Authority, MDTA Key Bridge Rebuild site, Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready statement, @ammarmufasa via X.
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