Transcript: Statehouse Leadership with Maryland Governor-Elect Wes Moore

Governor‑elect, welcome again to Washington Submit Reside.

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: It’s nice to be with you, and good afternoon.

MR. CAPEHART: Good afternoon. So how’d you do it? How’d you win? Why did you win?

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: [Laughs] Properly, I feel we gained as a result of we went in every single place, and, you already know, it was fascinating as a result of there are individuals who would inform us, you already know, nicely, you want to go to this a part of the state or to go to that a part of the state. You want X proportion of votes out of Baltimore Metropolis. You realize, my reply was all the time easy. Once they mentioned who do you want to win, I mentioned everybody, and that is precisely how we‑‑not simply how we deliberate on profitable. That is how we gained.

Should you take a look at the vote margin, we gained by the biggest vote margin that we have seen in Maryland gubernatorial elections in 40 years. We ended up profitable not solely in Baltimore Metropolis, in Prince George’s County, however we ended up profitable in western Maryland. We ended up profitable within the Jap Shore. We gained not simply profitable with Democrats but additionally independents and taking an excellent‑‑an enormous swath of Republicans.

And so I feel we had been in a position to present that this was not only a marketing campaign philosophy. The entire concept of go away nobody behind, which I realized after I was‑‑after I was within the Military‑‑after I was 17 years previous and I first joined the Military, we realized this phrase, “Depart nobody behind,” and it did not simply develop into a mantra. It grew to become a worth assertion, and it grew to become not simply how we campaigned but additionally how we plan on governing as we head to Annapolis in January.

MR. CAPEHART: So let’s speak extra about this, the the way you gained, and also you went in every single place. You talked to all people, irrespective of their political affiliation, however I am simply questioning, was your resounding victory, as a result of it was resounding‑‑was it a rejection of Donald Trump’s candidate, Dan Cox, as a lot because it was assist for you?

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: Properly, you already know, I used to be very deliberate after I was campaigning the place I mentioned I am not going to spend my treasured time speaking to voters in Maryland and asking them to be afraid of one thing, proper? I used to be going to spend my time speaking to voters and asking them to consider in one thing, asking them to consider that we truly might create an setting the place we will give attention to financial development for everyone, that the North Star for our state must be pathways for work, wages, and wealth for all Marylanders and never just a few, and creating a really detailed plan as to how we plan on getting there, that we mentioned that we will give attention to public security and ensuring that every one individuals have a proper to really feel secure in their very own communities, in their very own houses, and in their very own pores and skin. And we will work in partnership with native jurisdictions, work in partnership with the police unions, the place I acquired the endorsement of the police union on this marketing campaign, as a result of they understood that we will work in partnership to guarantee that individuals have a proper to really feel secure, and kids ought to by no means should really feel‑‑develop up in worry of the neighborhood that they name dwelling, and ensuring that we are able to give attention to financial development, that we as a state are going to be a spot the place individuals‑‑the place as a state, we will be each extra aggressive and extra equitable, and that is not a selection. We’re going to do each. And so I feel the factor that we noticed round this marketing campaign path was that‑‑and this resounding, resounding victory was that folks didn’t come out to assist us in a two‑to‑one vogue. They did not come out to assist us as a result of they had been afraid of the choice. They got here out to assist us as a result of they genuinely consider that on this second, Marylanders can transfer ahead collectively. And, as I mentioned on the path and I consider in deeply, that if we stand divided as a state, we will not win. But when we stand united as a state, we will not lose. And I feel Marylanders noticed that.

MR. CAPEHART: So I wish to tick by way of a number of the issues, key belongings you talked about in that response, however total, what’s your‑‑did you simply lay on the market these issues that had been a part of your marketing campaign, are in addition they a part of your‑‑particularly of your 100‑day plan? Do you have got a 100‑day plan?

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: Sure, they’re. I imply, one factor I used to be telling individuals on the marketing campaign path is you’ll see how we plan on governing by how we campaigned. There’s not going to be daylight. You are not going to see a distinct particular person approaching board, and so you are going to see us shifting. Once I speak about a way of partnership, it means working in partnership with native jurisdictions.

It additionally means, only for instance, final night time, you already know, I used to be‑‑I had telephone calls and conversations with the brand new Minority head of the Senate, a Republican, and the brand new Minority Whip within the Senate, a Republican, and already beginning to create pathways with them as to how we will create laws that we all know that simply to get issues handed, I might simply go to the Democrats. There is a veto‑proof majority that now we have in each the Home and the Senate on the Democratic aspect within the Maryland Statehouse, however the actuality is I am not simply frightened about do I’ve sufficient votes for passage. I wish to guarantee that we’re constructing the coalitions so that each single Marylander can profit from the insurance policies we’re pushing ahead.

But it surely additionally implies that there are going to make sure issues that we’re going to prioritize in our first hundred days, and which means issues like making Maryland a state of service. And in order that’s why we’re going to push in our first legislative session to make sure that Maryland goes to have a service‑12 months choice for each single highschool graduate, that each highschool graduate could have an opportunity to have a paid 12 months of service to the state of Maryland, they usually can select nevertheless they wish to do it. It is as a result of service just isn’t solely going to assist to handle the school affordability disaster. It is not simply because I am an enormous believer in experiential studying, nevertheless it’s additionally as a result of service is sticky. Those that serve collectively usually keep collectively. On this time a political divisiveness and vitriol, it’s service that can assist to save lots of us.

And it additionally means we will assist to rebuild state authorities. Proper now, now we have huge quantities of vacancies and an atrophy that now we have for a lot of state businesses, and so that is about how can we create Maryland and make Maryland a state of service the place we are able to give attention to issues like every little thing from our academics to legislation enforcement officers to individuals within the Nationwide Guard to having‑‑ensuring that folks know that we’d like individuals to serve in our state to ensure that our state to develop and to ensure that our state to thrive.

MR. CAPEHART: So your mantra through the marketing campaign‑‑as a result of we talked many occasions through the marketing campaign, and in each interview, together with this one, you talked about work, wages, and wealth. So let’s focus in on wealth. You made‑‑your prime precedence is to eradicate the racial wealth hole. How are you going to do this in Maryland, and is that a part of your‑‑are you going to start out doing that in your first 100 days?

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: Completely, we’re. And it is not only a precedence as a result of it is vital for a gaggle. It is vital for all the state to grasp why having a racial wealth hole within the state of Maryland of eight to at least one is so harmful.

And now we have seen stories. Only in the near past, nationwide stories have proven that the racial wealth hole has value this nation $16 trillion over the previous 20 years in GDP. That is not development for a gaggle. That is not GDP of a demographic. That is GDP, and so we have to have the ability to tackle the problem of the racial wealth hole if we will watch lengthy‑time period financial development that is going to happen and be sustainable in the remainder of the state of Maryland.

So, to do this, which means issues like guaranteeing that we are able to give attention to unfair appraisal values in traditionally redlined neighborhoods, as a result of one of many primary drivers that now we have of wealth in our society is appraisal values of neighborhoods, appraisal values of actual property. And if in case you have such a such a‑‑such a schism between how that racial wealth hole and the way that appraisal worth works and appears, it has a major affect on the wealth hole. It means we have to give attention to getting individuals again to work and ensuring they’re getting paid a good wage for the work that they’re doing. So which means with the ability to speed up how we’re desirous about the minimal wage within the state of Maryland, the place proper now within the state of Maryland, the minimal wage is ready to extend to $15 an hour by 2025. We have to speed up that, notably figuring out now that now we have so many individuals who basically are the ALICE inhabitants, the asset and constrained, earnings restricted, and likewise however employed, so the people who find themselves working, in some circumstances, working a number of jobs, and nonetheless dwelling at or beneath a poverty line. We have to handle that group.

And it additionally means we have to give attention to entrepreneurship. Educating our youngsters by way of our training system how not simply to be staff however to be employers, ensuring we’re specializing in an possession society the place we’re rising liquidity for our small companies and particularly for our minority‑owned companies, our ladies‑owned companies, our veteran‑owned companies, as a result of in case you can improve liquidity to our entrepreneurs, in case you can create entry to capital to our entrepreneurs‑‑and which means supporting issues like our Black‑owned banks and our MDIs, our minority deposit establishments, our CDFIs, we will do a a lot better job of making ranges in measurements of financial development, which results in lengthy‑time period wealth. And so these are all issues that we have got to give attention to, and if we are able to try this, if we are able to lower the racial wealth hole, improve financial exercise, make our state extra aggressive whereas additionally making it extra equitable, that is going to be Maryland’s decade as a result of we’re going to give attention to economics.

MR. CAPEHART: So now let’s give attention to crime. How do you propose to handle crime, notably in Baltimore, which has develop into, sadly, a nationwide image of crime within the nation?

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: And this subject is private. I am a really proud Baltimorean, and I am somebody who has seen the impacts of this from up shut and private. You realize, I take into consideration simply very not too long ago the place I needed to come off the marketing campaign path, and I went to go converse on the vigil of a 69‑12 months‑previous grandmother who was a member of my church in East Baltimore, who was working as a custodian in that church. And she or he was killed within the church lavatory, and I bought off the path to go converse at her vigil.

So this subject is actual. It’s‑‑it is private, and a part of the largest problem now we have of it, it is not even a piercing ache anymore for many individuals in Baltimore and across the state. It is extra of a continual ache. Like, persons are so used to it, and there is a drawback with the truth that we have now gone on eight straight years of 300‑plus homicides with no response, a concentrated statewide response, which is what our administration goes to deliver. And that can embody issues like with the ability to have intelligence sharing between native jurisdictions and the state‑‑and state police and state authorities the place now we have info and now we have information that is coming in about how the crimes are occurring, when they’re occurring. But when you do not have information‑sharing mechanisms in place, you might be by no means going to have the ability to translate that into safer streets.

It means now we have to repair our damaged parole and probation system, the place a 3rd of all violent crimes which can be going down proper now are being finished by people who find themselves in violation of parole and probation. So, i.e., we all know who they’re. We all know who the set off pullers are, they usually proceed to get again into our neighborhoods and our communities and wreak havoc. We have to repair a damaged parole and probation system, the place proper now within the state of Maryland, now we have over 150 vacancies in parole and probation. If persons are not within the seats, they can not do the job.

It means we have to spend money on our violent interruption packages which can be all within the streets doing the work. You realize, myself and my working mate, Delegate Aruna Miller, we consider deeply in the concept people who find themselves closest to the problem are those closest to the options. They’re simply rarely on the desk, and so if in case you have violence interruption teams, teams like We Are Us, that are on the bottom and really ensuring that we’re addressing the truth that a lot of the violence that we’re seeing in Baltimore and across the state is retaliatory violence, proper? You get me. Now my particular person goes to get three of your individuals. You’ve gotten teams on the bottom which can be truly combating that work, however they oftentimes are both underfund or fully unfunded. These are issues that the state can take distinctive management roles on to have the ability to tackle the violence, as a result of if we‑‑as a result of the primary precedence of any chief govt is ensuring your persons are secure. It’s one thing that I take very, very significantly, and it is one thing that our administration goes to lean in on.

MR. CAPEHART: This can be a nice segue right into a query from a fellow Marylander, somebody who could have voted for you, possibly not. Editha Smith from Maryland, she asks this query: Is tighter gun management coverage amongst your priorities?

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: Sure. You must take into consideration the truth that now we have‑‑and first, thanks a lot for that query. However you must take into consideration the truth that now we have these unlawful weapons that proceed to flood into our neighborhoods and into our communities, basically unabated.

I am actually grateful for the truth that our legislator‑‑our legislature final 12 months handed a ban on ghost weapons, and mainly, what ghost weapons are, ghost weapons are weapons you may make out of 3D printers, and they’re untraceable. They’re untracked, and they’re committing vital injury and affect on our‑‑in our communities and our society. And so the legislature, with out the assist of the governor, however the legislature handed a invoice final 12 months banning ghost weapons. That’s one thing that in our administration, we’ll assist, and we’ll guarantee that we’re working with our federal companions to have the ability to not simply get ghost weapons out of our streets and neighborhoods but additionally this flood of unlawful weapons which can be coming in from different states and ending up in our communities and in our houses. That’s one thing I feel has bought to be a precedence as we’re speaking about what does it imply to make individuals really feel secure. It means getting these unlawful weapons out of our neighborhoods.

MR. CAPEHART: All proper. Let’s swap gears and speak about one thing I do know nothing about actually. Sports activities. I am kidding.

MR. CAPEHART: However this has to do with the Washington Commanders. They play their dwelling video games in Maryland, nevertheless it appears as if they’re searching for a brand new dwelling within the space. How vital is it to you to maintain the Commanders taking part in in Maryland?

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: You realize, it is a laborious one, Jonathan, as a result of I come from a household of loads of Commanders’ followers and have been supporting Washington soccer for the reason that days of, you already know, Joe Theismann and Doug Williams and all this type of stuff, and so I am unsure if that is going to make me the most well-liked particular person at Thanksgiving. However I consider that the Commanders ought to keep. I would like them to remain, however we‑‑I cannot permit us to mortgage our future for a soccer workforce if it doesn’t imply we’re doing‑‑if we’re not going to be doing group funding round it as nicely.

If we’re not going to guarantee that all the group is uplifted, if we’re not going to guarantee that there’s going to be financial development with small companies and our MBEs and our WBEs, if we’re not going to give attention to ensuring that that may develop into an financial attraction to all the area, then protecting a soccer workforce just isn’t value mortgaging your future.

And so I would like them to remain. I’d love to have the ability to, you already know, proceed to go all the way down to beautiful Prince George’s County and carry on rooting for the Commanders, however there must be an understanding about how all the neighborhood and the way all the group can profit from having them there in a method that, frankly, that dialog has not taken place traditionally.

MR. CAPEHART: So it sounds to me such as you and outgoing Governor Larry Hogan, Republican, are sort of on the identical web page right here, as a result of from what I perceive, he is grown annoyed coping with the Commanders, and he mentioned that they have been making an attempt to play Virginia and D.C. and Maryland all towards one another, and that he would not need taxpayers, Maryland taxpayers to foot the invoice for a brand new stadium. Is that sort of what you are saying, or in case you all what a brand new stadium, this is what’s on my checklist of issues you want to‑‑you want to present if Maryland taxpayers are going to provide you cash for a stadium?

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: Yeah. I imply, the place I’m is I would like the Commanders to remain. I would like the Commanders to be right here in Maryland, however what we’re not going to do is to permit taxpayer {dollars} to basically proceed to underwrite the enterprise, however taxpayers usually are not getting the return on that funding apart from with the ability to watch a sport on Sundays. That is not going to be sufficient.

And so I do wish to, and I am excited to enter into‑‑enter into this dialog and enter into this negotiation, as a result of I would like the Commanders to be right here. And I feel they play an important position within the state of Maryland, in our long run, lengthy‑time period recruitment, success, well being, et cetera. However they should be half of a bigger dialog about financial development, and that goes nicely previous simply how was the workforce acting on Sundays. If that is the place the dialog ends, then sure, I feel that there are in all probability different areas that they’ll look to go to.

MR. CAPEHART: Properly, let’s have a bigger dialog and speak concerning the political temper of the nation. What did the November elections say concerning the political temper of the nation? I imply, you had‑‑your night time was spectacular in comparison with another of us’ night time, however Democrats did not have as dangerous an evening as was as soon as feared.

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: Yeah. You realize, I feel one factor in case you take a look at‑‑even in case you separate‑‑in case you separate political occasion and also you simply take a look at what the person campaigns had been speaking about, I feel it was an excellent night time for democracy. I feel it was an excellent night time for individuals who truly talked about points that mattered to individuals, and I feel that was the development that we proceed to see all through this whole midterm, midterm election, the place we had individuals who throughout the nation had been actually saying, you already know, that we’re bored with being at one another’s throats on issues like who gained the 2020 election. I feel persons are drained, and I feel they’re exhausted.

And I feel that folks within the state of Maryland, in case you take a look at the info from the exit polls that come out of the state of Maryland, we noticed very clearly. The message that I bought and the explanation that we gained in such a powerful vogue is we have been very clear that I would like us to be a state that cares extra about is it a good suggestion than the place does the concept come from, proper? I would like us to be a state that is going to say we will drive and take into consideration the long run and never proceed to deliberate the previous.

And I feel for all these candidates who attempt to make their platform, as we noticed within the state of Maryland, for these candidates who attempt to make their platform on points like whether or not or not January sixth was justified, I feel you noticed a core rejection of that across the nation, the place, you already know, we weren’t going to spend our time debating whether or not or not January sixth was an revolt. It was, you already know, and I am very, very clear after I speak about patriotism. And I take that phrase very personally and really significantly, and I like and I’ve defended this nation, and I’d do it over and again and again. However the concept of difficult democracy and debating democracy was not one thing that we had been going to do after we’re speaking concerning the future for the state of Maryland.

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: And I feel we noticed each within the state of Maryland and across the nation that that is the place voters had been.

MR. CAPEHART: Properly, let me get you on this, your ideas on Donald Trump’s dinner with Ye, the artist previously generally known as Kanye West, and a identified white supremacist, Nick Fuentes, at Donald Trump’s dwelling at Mar‑a‑Lago.

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: Yeah. It is, you already know, I‑‑the very fact‑‑the truth that President Trump had dinner with a‑‑somebody who has a historical past of anti‑Semitic feedback and a historical past of white nationalist beliefs and Nick Fuentes, it says quite a bit. It is also not information. You realize, that is one thing that‑‑

MR. CAPEHART: I caught that.

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: ‑‑I feel that‑‑

MR. CAPEHART: I caught that, Governor‑elect. I caught that, however go on. Proceed.

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: However, I imply‑‑however that is one thing that I feel is extra par for the course that we proceed to see, and I feel it is one thing that is additionally simply remarkably harmful, that after we’re speaking concerning the views of the place persons are within the state of Maryland and past, I feel individuals understand and perceive that conversations and beliefs about anti‑Semitism and white nationalism, they don’t have any place in our dialogue, and they’ll don’t have any place in our dialogue. And I feel that, you already know, individuals proceed to see that after we’re speaking about loving your nation and what does it imply to like your nation, loving your nation doesn’t imply hating half of the individuals in it, proper? Loving your nation doesn’t imply specializing in taking down the democratic basis that the nation is constructed on. Loving your nation doesn’t imply honoring elections so long as it goes your method, that after we speak about loving our nation, it implies that understanding that our historical past, flaws and all, has nonetheless allowed us the chance to get to a greater place. And so‑‑and I give it some thought the place with my circle of relatives, the place my very own‑‑I come from a household of patriots individuals who have‑‑individuals who have served in lecture rooms, individuals who have served within the army, individuals who have served within the ministry, individuals who have cherished this nation even when the nation didn’t love them again. And so they saved on preventing, they usually saved on loving this nation. And so the concept you could have dinners in Mar‑a‑Lago or in West Hollywood amongst people who find themselves speaking about this nation as if our democracy just isn’t fragile is amazingly harmful.

And so I feel it is completely applicable that we now are watching not simply Democrats however Republicans who’re calling this out, and I additionally suppose the factor that we’re going to proceed to do is specializing in exhibiting individuals‑‑Democrats, independents, and Republicans‑‑to indicate them here’s what good governance appears like, this is what democracy appears like, and why it may possibly profit all individuals so long as we truly select to work collectively and never decide and select who’re our neighbors after which who’re our fellow residents and never.

MR. CAPEHART: We will go extra time, however I can not have you ever right here and never simply ask you this one final query, particularly after your lovely phrases about loving our nation and patriots in your loved ones, and a type of patriots, we have talked about this earlier than, your grandfather whose household fled the Klan within the states again to Jamaica, however your‑‑when he was a baby, your grandfather got here again when he was older. And paraphrasing right here, he got here again as a result of he mentioned, “America can be incomplete with out me.”

MR. CAPEHART: And so having shared that, you are going to develop into Maryland’s 63rd governor, and as we have mentioned many occasions, you’re the first African American‑elected governor of the state of Maryland, solely the third in United States historical past. Actual rapidly, speak concerning the significance of that to you personally.

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: Yeah. It exhibits me that progress is feasible, nevertheless it’s not inevitable. And this bigger experiment of democracy is one thing that all of us should proceed engaged on and dealing by way of, and, you already know, I bear in mind saying throughout election night time, whereas I am happy with the truth that I’m the primary, I additionally know that I wasn’t the primary to attempt, that the explanation that I can see increased is as a result of I perceive that there are vital shoulders that I stand on, to incorporate‑‑you already know, to incorporate my relations and folks like my grandfather who ended up turning into the primary Black minister within the historical past of the Dutch Reformed Church, an individual who when he handed away at 87 years old–I used to be in Afghanistan when he died–and it is a man who had a deep Jamaican accent, his total life, and was possibly essentially the most patriotic American that I’ve ever met. He cherished this nation, and he believed in her so deeply.

And I bear in mind having conversations with him about what it meant to be the primary, the primary Black minister within the historical past of the Dutch Reformed Church, and he would say to me‑‑he mentioned whereas he understood that it was vital and the historical past‑making element of it, he would say, “However that is not the task.” And that wasn’t the task.

And the factor that I do take into consideration now on this second is I am honored and I am humbled by the truth that I’m the primary Black governor within the historical past of this state, solely the third on this nation. I am honored that the individuals of this state of Maryland gave me that, gave me that‑‑gave me that, that title and that privilege. However I additionally know that is not the task, and I additionally know that is not why they voted for me.

They did not vote for me as a result of they needed me to make historical past. They voted for me as a result of they needed me to handle the problems that had been impacting their lives. They voted for me as a result of they needed me to handle the truth that we nonetheless have‑‑I used to be speaking with a mother or father who instructed me that her little one is at the moment studying at an eighth‑grade studying stage, and final 12 months, he was studying at an eighth‑grade studying stage, and she or he’s unsure what to do.

I am working as a result of we’re addressing the truth that now we have a‑‑I used to be talking with a with a store proprietor who’s now engaged on their third retailer that they are opening, that they’re proudly in Montgomery County, however this third retailer that they are opening is in Virginia as a result of he says that he can now not develop within the state of Maryland‑‑or the one who I do know, who I met two weeks earlier than Election Day in Baltimore, who was working two completely different jobs and nonetheless dwelling beneath the poverty line.

I did not win as a result of they needed me to make historical past. I gained as a result of they needed me to make the challenges of their religion seen of their lives historical past, and so within the phrases of my grandfather, that is the task, and that is the task that I am taking significantly.

MR. CAPEHART: Governor‑elect Wes Moore, quickly to be the 63rd governor of Maryland, thanks a lot for coming to “Capehart” on Washington Submit Reside, and congratulations.

GOV‑ELECT MOORE: It is so good to be with you. Thanks a lot.

MR. CAPEHART: And thanks for becoming a member of us. To take a look at what interviews now we have arising, go to WashingtonPostLive.com.

As soon as once more, I am Jonathan Capehart, affiliate editor at The Washington Submit. Thanks for watching “Capehart” on Washington Submit Reside.