Miller on the Ticket as Moore Files for 2026 Re-Election
Gov. Wes Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna miller filed their candidacy paperwork at the Maryland State Board of Elections in Annapolis on Monday afternoon, the second-to-last day before the 9 p. m. Tuesday filing deadline. The filing cements the Moore-Miller ticket for the 2026 Democratic primary while the campaign prepares to defend its record on audits, agency money management and rising energy costs.
Wes Moore and Aruna Miller File in Annapolis
Moore and Aruna Miller made the trip to the State Board of Elections headquarters in Annapolis on Monday afternoon and signed the paperwork to enter the 2026 Democratic primary. The walk-in filing came with cheering supporters outside and questions from reporters inside the elections office; FOX45 News questioned the governor directly while a FOX45 Spotlight on Maryland segment captured a farmer saying, “I don’t know if he has left us behind or if he has really even considered us. We’re not in his preview, I don’t think. ”
Campaign Launch and September 9, 2025 Announcement
Moore launched his re-election bid last fall with a September 9, 2025 video release in which he said, “Marylanders need a governor who will continue to look out for them and stand up for our jobs, our health care, and our rights. ” The video criticized federal policy choices—saying the president was “bending over backwards for billionaires and big corporations, firing federal workers, gutting Medicaid, raising prices on everything from electricity to groceries”—and outlined Moore’s personal background as an Army combat veteran who ran a major poverty-fighting organization. Moore said the administration inherited a structural budget deficit and turned it into a surplus, and that unemployment had moved from among the nation’s highest to among the nation’s lowest.
Primary Opponents: Eric Felber and Ralph Jaffe
Moore will first face voters in a June Democratic primary. His only confirmed intra-party opponent so far is Eric Felber, a physician from Montgomery County whose medical license is suspended. Perennial candidate Ralph Jaffe had filed as a Democrat but died this month.
Campaign Terrain: Dan Cox, Ed Hale Sr. and Other Republicans
The Republican primary is crowded, with recognizable names including Dan Cox, a lawyer and former state delegate who lost to Moore in a landslide in 2022, and Ed Hale Sr., a retired banker who has changed his party affiliation for this election. Other Republicans who filed are Carl Brunner Jr., L. D. Burkindine, John Myrick, Michael Oakes, Nancy Jane Taylor and Kurt Wedekind. Andy Ellis of the Green Party has also filed and is seeking that party’s nomination. Former Gov. Larry Hogan opted not to run, saying a new generation of Republicans needs to step up.
Policy Critiques: Energy Bills, Audits and Retiree Coverage
Moore’s filing arrives amid persistent criticism over rising energy costs and agency oversight. One resident told reporters that an electric bill had risen to close to $1, 800 a month despite no new equipment. Political analyst John Dedie warned that energy costs and the overall cost of living could be central campaign issues, and noted that some retired state employees “lost their prescription drug coverage under the governor who chose not to fund that. ” Dedie added that the question for voters will be which challenger can not only listen but “close the deal” with a clear plan; he suggested the difficulty Moore might face would vary depending on whether the Republican nominee is Ed Hale or Dan Cox.
Staff Change: Lester Davis Named Incoming Chief of Staff
On Monday Moore announced that Lester Davis will join the administration as incoming chief of staff following the departure of Chief Fagan Harris at the end of this year. Moore said Lester Davis is a “known problem-solver” whose commitment to partnerships, uplifting communities and data-driven results will build on administration progress; a related administration statement referenced work “over the past two and a half years. ”
Moore has pointed to achievements from his first three years in office—cutting crime rates, attracting businesses and lowering teacher vacancy rates—as the foundation of his re-election argument. He has also repeatedly rejected the idea that he will run for president in 2028.
The campaign will proceed with a financial head start: Moore enters the contest with more than $8 million in campaign funds, high name recognition and solid approval ratings. With less than 48 hours before the filing deadline, the ticket’s formal registration locks the race in as Republicans sort their field and as voters focus on tangible concerns such as audits, energy bills and retiree benefits.
An entry noting the filing was posted on February 24, 2026 at 9: 59 am and was filed under All News, Anne Arundel News, Business, Calvert News, Charles News, Community, County, More News, Politics, Press Releases, Prince George's News, St. Mary's News, z 600X120 Top Ad Bottom and z 600X120 Top Ad Top. The quoted line “The games of Washington are exhausting, and worse, they’re hurting people. I’m not from that world. ” is unclear in the provided context as to who spoke it.
