Wes Moore’s patriotic message might be just what Democrats need

• Maryland Governor Wes Moore campaigned for North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein.
• Moore’s visit to North Carolina coincided with the launch of Stein’s veterans coalition.
• Moore’s message of patriotism could help Democrats gain ground with voters who have drifted away.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore campaigned last week for Josh Stein, the Democratic nominee for governor of North Carolina, rallying veterans to support his fellow Democrat in one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the country.

For gubernatorial candidates, having a show of support from a sitting governor is essential, especially in a close race.

Moore’s visit to the Tar Heel State came as Stein, who is now attorney general, launched his “Veterans for Stein” campaign coalition.

North Carolina has one of the largest active duty military populations in the country and is home to nearly 800,000 veterans. It is therefore natural for politicians to engage with the military community. His influence within the state is profound.

For Moore, who served in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and was deployed to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2006, patriotism and service should not be relegated to any particular political party or ideology.

Since Moore’s successful campaign for governor in 2022, he has spread this disconcerting message to candidates across the country. And, in doing so, he has sought to keep Democrats in the conversations where they need to be if they are to be a viable party in every corner of the United States.

It’s an effort that Moore believes will resonate.

“There are some things worth fighting for, and we risked our own security for freedoms,” Moore recently told Business Insider. “Certain freedoms are now on the line, including the freedom to know that reproductive health should be a matter between a woman and her doctor.”

Last November, Moore came to Virginia to research Democratic legislative candidates, visiting the military-heavy Hampton Roads region and supporting veterans like Michael Feggans of Virginia Beach — who was elected to the House of Delegates that month.

“(We) are fighting against a lot of these individual forces that are trying to claim this mantle of patriotism and are actually restricting rights in the name of patriotism,” Moore told BI at the time.

As political polarization in the country hardens by the day, Democrats have a major opportunity in states like North Carolina, where there is still a significant level of vote splitting.

Even though former President Donald Trump won North Carolina in 2016 and 2020, Stein won his run for attorney general in the same general election.

Moore is happy with Stein’s chances this fall. He said the attorney general shares the values ​​veterans seek, particularly on issues such as health care and housing affordability.

“He always stood up for veterans as attorney general,” the governor told BI last week. “And he will do it as governor.”