Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will hit the campaign trail this weekend, but not in the state you might think.
A campaign flyer Moore posted to X on Wednesday shows the governor will be in Newark, New Jersey, on Sunday to knock doors for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Chigozie Onyema — a candidate for New Jersey’s General Assembly — will also be going door to door, according to the flyer.
Looking forward to joining my friends @MikieSherrill, @rasjbaraka, and Chigozie Onyema in Newark as we hit the doors to reelect Democrats up and down the ballot in New Jersey. Come out and join us!https://t.co/4osTqpfiTl pic.twitter.com/Fu41RAh0ao
— Wes Moore (@iamwesmoore) October 15, 2025
In a statement to The Baltimore Sun, Moore campaign spokesman Carter Elliott said the governor is “thrilled” to “campaign for a fellow veteran.” A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Sherrill flew helicopters while serving in the Navy and has represented parts of northern New Jersey in Congress since 2019.
“It is imperative that Governor Moore has a partner in New Jersey that continues collaborative efforts on issues like lowering energy costs, healthcare, and I-95 infrastructure. And, like every trip the governor takes, it is important to tout the successes of Maryland everywhere to attract visitors, businesses, and new investments,” Elliott said, noting that Moore’s campaign will pay for his trip.
Sherrill’s campaign has also been rocked by two scandals concerning her relationship with the Naval Academy.
In September, Sherrill told The New Jersey Globe she was not allowed to walk at her 1994 graduation because she “didn’t turn in some of my classmates” amid a cheating scandal at the academy. She has also faced allegations of nepotism, as her two children were admitted to the competitive military school when applications require a nomination from a member of Congress.
Elliott said that, during the event in Newark’s West Ward, Moore will discuss Maryland’s ENOUGH Act with voters. Passed in 2024, this legislation required that $15 million be set aside annually for “neighborhood implementation grants” in areas where at least 20% of children live in poverty.
Moore will also meet with veterans and attend a church service in New Jersey on Sunday, Elliott told The Sun. His door-knocking event with Sherrill is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m., according to the flyer.
Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Mary’s College, told The Baltimore Sun that Moore’s trip is “not that unusual” for a sitting governor.
“Democratic governors right now, they see [each other] as the sort of the first line of defense against [President] Donald Trump and the Republican majority in Congress,” Eberly said. “But psychologically, it would also be a huge hit to Democrats if they were to lose a state like New Jersey in an off-year election. They want Democrats to win, win comfortably, and sort of [set up] a narrative going into 2026 that Democrats are motivated to vote, and that Trump is unpopular.”
While this is Moore’s first out-of-state campaign appearance this cycle, the governor has recently visited other states important to American politics as his national profile grows.
So far in 2025, Moore’s travels include Nevada, South Carolina, and Michigan. He’s also traveled internationally, to Asia for business development and to Lake Como, Italy, for a personal vacation.
Sherrill is locked in an increasingly tight race against GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli as both vie to succeed incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited. A Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday showed Sherrill with a 6-point lead on Ciattarelli, though the Republican holds the edge on voter enthusiasm in the solidly blue state.
While he expects Sherrill to win by a margin “closer than they’d like it to be,” Eberly said Moore helping his Garden State counterpart could benefit him down the road.
“If [Sherrill] wins, Moore can put that as a feather in his cap. It was a close race, he went there to help her out,” Eberly said. “The fact that she’s expected to win sort of makes it a win-win for Moore to go there, not a lot of risk.”
The New Jersey gubernatorial election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
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