Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will be vice chair and then chair of the National Governors Association, the organization announced Saturday.
The association offers a chance for governors from all 55 U.S. states, territories and commonwealths to convene and discuss policy solutions, as well as work through shared challenges and shape federal policy, according to its website. The bipartisan organization offers convenings, programs and task forces for governors, in addition to conducting research and data development.
Moore was elected vice chair for the 2025-2026 cycle and will assume the role of chair for the 2026-2027 term, according to a news release. The chair position rotates annually between the two major political parties, and the vice chair automatically succeeds the chair at the completion of their term, according to the NGA’s website.
The organization meets twice per year, and each meeting’s agenda is set by the chair with consultation from the vice chair. The chair, again with input from the vice chair, also makes all committee and task force assignments.
As vice chair, Moore will oversee the NGA Center for Best Practices, the only research and development office directly serving state governors, where he will work alongside other governors to develop solutions to policy changes nationwide, the release says.
He will also work alongside the chair-elect, Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, in his yearlong chair’s initiative: Reigniting the American Dream, which focuses on economic development, education and the future of artificial intelligence, the release says.
Each chair has the opportunity to highlight an issue throughout their one-year term in order to foster awareness and bipartisan policy solutions, the NGA website says.
Two cycles ago, Moore joined the Disagree Better initiative, which encouraged conversations across differences without being divisive, spearheaded by Gov. Spencer Cox, a Utah Republican. That initiative encompassed several events and created community resources, such as a parenting toolkit and a video starring Moore, titled “Being Different, Not Divisive,” according to its website.
“We all want to create a brighter future for our states, and the nation,” Moore said in the release. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with my fellow governors to build stronger on-ramps to opportunity so every person in our states has a shot at success – no matter how they define it.”
Have a news tip? Contact K. Mauser at kmauser@baltsun.com.
