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Summary
Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American politician, businessman, author, and former U.S. Army officer, serving as the 63rd governor of Maryland since January 18, 2023. He is Maryland's first Black governor and only the third Black person elected governor in U.S. history. Moore is a Rhodes Scholar who earned degrees from Johns Hopkins University and Oxford University. He served as a combat veteran with the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan and later led the Robin Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty nonprofit that distributed over $600 million during his tenure.
Before becoming governor, Moore had a long and eclectic career as an investment banker with Deutsche Bank in London and Citigroup in New York, a bestselling author (The Other Wes Moore), CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation (2017-2021), founder of BridgeEdU, and a television producer. During his 2022 gubernatorial campaign, he entered office with no prior political experience but with a clear vision focused on his 'Leave No One Behind' agenda.
During his first term as governor, Moore has prioritized reducing child poverty, supporting the middle class, and investing in education. His administration has achieved measurable results including reducing violent crime (44% statewide reduction, homicides in Baltimore at 50-year lows), creating nearly 100,000 jobs, turning a projected budget deficit into a surplus, making historic investments in education, and bringing billions in private investment to the state.
Background
Westley Watende Omari Moore was born October 15, 1978, in Takoma Park, Maryland, to William Westley Moore Jr., a broadcast journalist, and Joy Thomas Moore, a media professional. His father died of acute epiglottitis when Moore was three years old, leading his mother to move the family to the Bronx, New York. Moore attended Riverdale Country School in the Bronx and became involved in petty crime, prompting his mother to enroll him in Valley Forge Military College and College in Pennsylvania (1991-1998). At Valley Forge, Moore found his footing and excelled athletically and academically. Moore graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University in 2001 with a degree in international relations and economics, where he also played wide receiver on the football team and served as chair of the Men of the NAACP branch. He was selected as a Rhodes Scholar and earned a master's degree in international relations from Oxford University in 2004. Moore served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve from 1998-2014, retiring after 16 years of service with the rank of captain. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2005-2006 as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, where he earned a Bronze Star for meritorious achievement. He also served as a White House Fellow advising on national security and international relations. After military service, Moore became an investment banker with Deutsche Bank in London and Citigroup in New York (2007-2012), while contributing to publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, The Baltimore Sun, and The New York Times. He authored The Other Wes Moore (2010, bestseller), Discovering Wes Moore (2013), and other works on race, equity, and opportunity. Moore founded BridgeEdU (2014), a company providing college transition services to underserved students. BridgeEdU was acquired by Edquity in 2019 for its client database. From 2017-2021, Moore served as CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, one of the nation's largest anti-poverty organizations headquartered in New York City. During his tenure, the foundation distributed over $600 million toward lifting families out of poverty, including in Maryland. Moore lived in Baltimore throughout his tenure at Robin Hood. In June 2021, Moore announced his candidacy for governor of Maryland in his first political campaign. Running with lieutenant governor candidate Aruna Miller on a 'Leave No One Behind' ticket, Moore won the Democratic primary with 33.8% of the vote and defeated Republican Dan Cox 64.5% to 32.1% in the general election, becoming Maryland's first Black governor and the third elected governor of color in U.S. history. Moore is married to Dawn Chanté Flythe and has two children, Mia and James.