Primary challenger to Maryland Democrat Gov Wes Moore jumps to GOP to beat political party 'machine'

“There’s no way I could win against Wes Moore with that machine he’s got,” Ed Hale said

Published: August 22, 2025 9:45am

Updated: August 22, 2025 9:47am

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's 2026 Democratic primary opponent said he will switch to the GOP to beat the governor's political party "machine."

Ed Hale, a longtime Democrat and the former chairman and CEO of 1st Mariner Bank, made the announcement Wednesday during a press conference, the Washington Examiner reported.

“There’s no way I could win against Wes Moore with that machine he’s got,” Hale said. “He takes all the money and oxygen out of a room, and I can’t do it. I’m a pragmatist, and I’m a moderate person. That’s just the way I am.” 

“I don’t believe I have a chance, based on the polling that was done, to beat him,” he added. “I had a chance, but it was not as good as I think I would have running as a Republican.” 

Hale said Thursday that while he is not a fan of President Trump, he is willing to work with him. He also mentioned that rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge, after a ship ran into it last year, might need federal funding from Trump.

“If the Key Bridge project comes up short $100 million, and I call Trump, I think he’d be more likely to help me than to help Moore,” Hale said.

He also suggested that Moore's opposition to Trump might have cost the state 50,000 jobs when the president decided to upend the plan to relocate the FBI headquarters to Maryland.

State Sen. Steve Hershey, the chamber's top Republican, says he has “concerns about the "sincerity" of Hale's "conversion to the Republican fold.” 

“Just because he may no longer feel comfortable associating with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party doesn’t mean he now embraces the Republican Party’s long-standing principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, individual liberty and strong public safety,” Hershey said. 

Democratic Governors Association Communications Director Sam Newton denounced Hale’s deflection.

“After quickly realizing running in a Democratic primary was nothing more than a bizarre fantasy, Ed Hale Sr. is showing his true colors as an out-of-touch Republican candidate,” Newton said.

Hale said that he has never viewed himself as a party loyalist, noting that he has voted for Republican governors and fundraised for Democrats. He added that he believes he can win over voters, as his campaign focuses on a business-friendly, pro-police, and anti-crime message.

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