ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore this evening addressed the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Winter Conference in Cambridge, charting a course for 2026 focused on the “ABCs” of good governing: affordability, budgets, and competitiveness. The governor championed the state's successes despite unprecedented headwinds from the federal government, including delivering a tax cut for Maryland’s middle class families and attracting more than $10 billion in private investment in Maryland’s economy.
Preceding his remarks, Governor Moore installed the 2025-2026 Maryland Association of Counties board of directors and officers. Frederick County Councilmember M.C. Keegan-Ayer was installed as the board’s president, succeeding Queen Anne's County Commissioner Jack Wilson.
Excerpts from Governor Moore’s remarks as prepared:
“The Trump-Vance Administration has made our work harder. [...] But I don’t want to spend my time tonight listing the bad things Washington has done to our state—because I know who I’m here with. [...] I am here with people who do not have the luxury of complaining when there’s a problem, but who feel a deep obligation to figure out the solution. And because of that abiding spirit of public service, we end this year not from a position of weakness, but from a position of strength.”
“Together, we will continue our work to build a state where everyone has the opportunity to succeed—no matter their background or family lineage. And to meet that mission, we need to focus on our ABCs: affordability, budgets, and competitiveness.”
“This year, we worked with the General Assembly to deliver energy rebates to Marylanders facing financial hardship. But there is still more to do. We will not wait until 2027 to move the needle on energy. We are also accelerating housing production across the state, to strengthen the housing market and bring down costs.”
“Last year, we turned an inherited deficit into a surplus, gave the middle class a tax cut, and asked those of us who have done especially well financially to give a little more so we can have the best schools in the nation. We’re proud of that achievement. It took a lot of hard work. And I want to thank our partners in the Maryland General Assembly for their collaboration. But there is still more to do.”
“We cannot—and will not—balance our budget on the backs of Marylanders. At the same time, we must right-size programs that need to be made more sustainable. The budget decisions in front of us won’t be easy or simple. But in Maryland, we don’t shy away from what’s complicated or difficult. We lean in.”
“It’s not lost on me that many of the people in this room will be going before the voters at the end of next year. We will ask for the support of the people who first put us in these seats. Yes, they want to know that we are standing between them and the White House. But they also want to know that we stand for something more than resistance—that we are guided by our own aspirations for the future of the state.”
“A future where you can get a good-paying job with benefits, regardless of whether you went to a four-year college or not. A future where all Marylanders have a shot at success, no matter how much money you have or where you live. A future where everyone can access work, wages, and wealth and claim their slice of prosperity.”
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