ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Gov. Wes Moore on Wednesday struck a neutral note in his fourth State of the State address, amid an escalated feud with President Donald Trump and brewing tension with Maryland lawmakers on various policy issues, including midcycle redistricting and a looming projected $1.4 billion budget shortfall.

“I cannot stand here and tell you I’ve gotten it all right. I am more self-aware than the president of the United States. I do not give myself an A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus. Many of us met on my first day as governor. It’s taken time to build relationships and to learn Annapolis,” Moore said in his remarks. “I am an outsider at heart — and I don’t see that changing.”

Moore shifted his tone on redistricting. Instead of directly calling on Senate President Bill Ferguson to bring the issue to a floor vote in the Senate — much like he and several lawmakers have done in recent weeks — Moore argued that both leaders have Maryland’s best interests at heart and will work together on the issue despite their staunch disagreement. “I know I haven’t always made life easy for the House or the Senate. I know there are times when you have not made life easy for each other,” Moore continued. “And you know what? That’s OK! That’s democracy. It’s messy. It’s combative. It’s complicated. That’s not a flaw, it’s a feature. It’s what we’re doing right now.”

Moore delivered his speech to a crowd of lawmakers from both chambers of the General Assembly, members of the governor’s Cabinet, and other prominent Maryland leaders such as Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. The governor also invited 10 individuals as his distinguished guests to highlight his administration’s wins, according to Moore’s office, including Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy and several educators and religious leaders from across the state.

Moore also blamed Trump for Maryland’s economic woes and accused him of withholding federal aid to Maryland because a majority of the state voted for Democrats during the 2024 elections — a move he said his administration would counter by continuing to invest in areas of the state with majority Republican voter populations.

About 30 minutes into Moore’s speech, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey published his pre-taped Republican response to the governor’s address. Hershey’s response was simple: The answer to the question of whether Maryland is better off under Moore’s administration is “no.”

“It’s easy to blame Washington, but Marylanders know better,” Hershey said. “Rising costs, energy prices, and structural deficits didn’t appear overnight, and they didn’t start last year. President Trump has been in office for just one year. Marylanders expect their governor to focus on Maryland’s problems and take responsibility for the decisions made right here at home.”

“Governor Moore has said Democrats cannot be the party of slow and no, but must become the party of yes and now. Those are the right words — but four years later, Marylanders are still waiting to see the ‘yes,’ and they’re still waiting for the ‘now.’ Marylanders don’t want headlines. They want results,” Hershey continued. “Marylanders are paying some of the highest electric rates in the country not because of storms or global markets, but because of political decisions made in Annapolis. Reliable, affordable energy was sacrificed, affordability was ignored, and Maryland families are paying the price every single month.

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