Wes Moore to give commencement addresses in 2028 battleground states
CBSN
Maryland Gov. Wes More is planning a series of upcoming commencement addresses in presidential battleground states in May, a lineup that quietly broadens his national profile as the first-term Democratic governor continues to draw party attention as a potential presidential contender in 2028, CBS News has learned.
Maryland Gov. Wes More is planning a series of upcoming commencement addresses in presidential battleground states in May, a lineup that quietly broadens his national profile as the first-term Democratic governor continues to draw party attention as a potential presidential contender in 2028, CBS News has learned.
According to Democratic sources familiar with his planning, Moore is expected to deliver a commencement address in May at Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Pennsylvania, his alma mater. The appearance returns Moore to a key swing state and to an institution closely tied to his personal story and early military training. Moore, a Rhodes scholar, later went on to graduate from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom before serving as an officer in the U.S. Army, deploying to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division.
Moore is also expected to speak at Johnson C. Smith University , a historically Black college and university in North Carolina, as well as at Frostburg State University in western Maryland.
The mix of campuses, which span two battleground states, is likely to increase speculation that Moore is weighing a White House run after the midterms. As the country's only sitting Black governor, Moore's appearance at an HBCU could also resonate with key Democratic constituencies in the Tar Steel State, a potential swing state with a high-profile Senate race. Black voters make up the largest share of registered Democrats in North Carolina, accounting for about 46%, according to research from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
In a statement, Ryhan Lake, a spokesperson for Moore, said "Governor Moore is honored to be invited to celebrate the Class of 2026—including graduates from Maryland, one of our nation's historic HBCUs, and his own alma mater."
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