Moore launches 2026 reelection bid in Baltimore, touts city gains
Moore launched his 2026 reelection bid at the B&O Railroad Museum as Baltimore logged four homicides in April, the city’s lowest monthly total in at least 50 years.
With Baltimore reporting just four homicides in April, the lowest monthly total the city has seen since at least 1970, Gov. Wes Moore chose the B&O Railroad Museum to open his 2026 reelection campaign and cast the city’s recent gains as proof of his record.
Moore said his administration had broken fundraising records for Maryland, raising $7 million and entering the race with more than $8 million in cash on hand. That financial edge gives Moore-Miller for Maryland a sizable advantage as the primary approaches on June 23 and the general election follows on Nov. 3.
The Baltimore rally marked Moore’s formal in-person kickoff after he had already announced his reelection bid in a campaign video. Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller were also set to hold a second kickoff event in Prince George’s County, underscoring that the campaign is opening with a two-stop regional rollout rather than a single-city celebration.
In Baltimore, Moore tied his reelection case to crime, schools and economic development, telling the crowd that he sees record drops in crime, gains in public school literacy and an economic boost. He said his administration had brought more resources to Baltimore City than any governor before him, and framed the race around standing up for the middle class and “leaving no one behind.” Moore also told supporters, “if you remember who you are fighting for, you will keep fighting.”
The public-safety message comes as city officials say Baltimore finished 2025 with its lowest homicide totals in more than 50 years, and as Mayor Brandon M. Scott has continued to point to historic reductions in violent crime. Moore has also leaned heavily on state budget and law-enforcement spending, including a January proposal for $124.1 million in law-enforcement funding and a campaign statement saying Baltimore had received more than $50 million in local law-enforcement support and $10.8 million for the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office.
The launch arrives with Moore’s approval rating at 48% in an April poll from the University of Maryland Baltimore County Institute of Politics, with 42% disapproving and 9% unsure. That mix of strong fundraising, improving crime numbers and softer approval sets up a long campaign in which Baltimore is not just a backdrop, but a test of whether Moore’s record still matches the city’s unresolved needs.
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