The Maryland Republican Party took aim at Gov. Wes Moore on Sunday for campaigning out-of-state in favor of President Joe Biden while “problems persist” in Maryland.
Maryland GOP Chairwoman Nicole Beus Harris says Moore has continued to be absent as the state faces historic challenges, according to a news release.
“Gov. Moore has a duty to the citizens of Maryland to spend his time leading our state and fixing our state’s problems,” Harris wrote. “[H]e has made the choice to shirk that responsibility in favor of boosting the presidential campaign of a candidate that is visibly in cognitive decline.”
Moore, a Democrat, flew to Wisconsin for a weekend of campaign stops after announcing on Friday that Baltimore’s Red Line project will be built using light rail. Wisconsin is expected to be a battleground state that may determine if Biden will remain in the White House in November.
Meanwhile, Biden attended two private fundraisers on Saturday in East Hampton, New York, and Red Bank, New Jersey, attempting to alleviate Democratic donors’ concerns that the 81-year-old president will lose to former President Donald Trump.
Moore’s defense of Biden
While the president was with his family at Camp David on Sunday morning, Moore appeared on national television on CBS’ Face the Nation.
The show’s host questioned Moore about why he was making “excuses” for Biden’s poor debate performance on the campaign trail, and how Biden could still attract much-needed younger voters.
“We are going to the people, and we are making our case to people, as to why this kind of partnership matters,” Moore said.
When asked whether Moore would pursue the Democratic nomination if an open-party convention happened or if Biden stepped aside, the freshman governor stated that he did not have any intention to seek the White House.
Moore’s state and campaign offices have not directly responded to questions about the governor’s potential presidential aspirations asked by FOX45 News since Friday. Instead of responding to questions about Moore’s weekend in Wisconsin, the governor’s campaign team said the Maryland GOP’s letter was simply an attack.
“These types of attacks are what people hate most about politics,” Moore’s campaign spokesperson said. “The governor is doing the real work with leaders in both parties inside the state legislature and touting the achievements that he’s been able to do alongside President Biden.”
Potential trouble for Moore at home
Towson University rhetoric professor Richard Vatz disagreed with Moore’s defense.
“Gov. Moore has given lip service to rejecting a national position now, but such promises may present a few problems if the president’s viability changes,” Vatz said. “The ‘Traveling is Us’ governor may cost Marylanders money and stability, but traveling all the time is what political scientist Murray Edelman called ‘symbolic uses of politics;’ it keeps him from being identified as Baltimore’s governor and adds to his mystery.”
Maryland taxpayers are confronting many new or increased taxes and fees effective Monday as the state deals with declining revenue and rising spending needs to support infrastructure projects and the state’s financially demanding Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
Moore’s administration was also struck with a downgrade in the state’s financial outlook in June from “stable” to “negative,” according to Moody’s. Moody’s affirmed the state’s issuer and general obligation bonds would maintain their “Aaa” status despite the downgrade.
Questions sent to the governor’s office Monday about the cost of Moore’s campaign travel were not directly answered.
“Prior to Gov. Moore, Maryland saw the budget increase every year during his predecessor’s time in office,” Carter Elliott, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said. “Gov. Moore is committed to making investments to help working families while being a good steward of taxpayer dollars, because his record actually shows that.”
Vatz said Moore’s national campaigning for Biden could hurt his standing with Marylanders.
“His cost-be-damned approach to governing may be good for him, but it may entail tremendous long-term problems for Maryland,” Vatz added.
