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Gov. Wes Moore (D) fist-pumps Wednesday for a crowd of his supporters at the J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/ Maryland Matters)
They came to Crisfield by boat and by car, moving in packs with bused-in entourages, or in quiet solitude.
Pulled by tradition and strict electoral calendar observance, candidates for governor — the announced, the filed and the explorers — arrived at a patch of marina blacktop Wednesday that is home to the J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake. The annual event draws locals for a day of crabs, corn and beer and it draws the political class from far-flung corners of the state who come to crack crabs, kibitz and talk political smack.
That started with Gov. Wes Moore (D), who name-checked a growing list of potential Republican challengers to his 2026 reelection before dismissing them for refusing to speak out against President Donald Trump (R) and his policies.
“We’ve heard nothing from them,” Moore told reporters. “So, to be honest, it kind of doesn’t matter to me who gets in the race, whether it’s Andy Harris or [John] Myrick or [Steve] Hershey or [Larry] Hogan … because they’re all saying the same things when it comes to lifting up the people of Maryland and defending the people of Maryland, which is absolutely nothing.”
Hogan was the only one on Moore’s list who was not in attendance Wednesday. For more than a decade, the two-term former governor was a mainstay at the event, a consummate retail politician. But not this year, despite talk that he might make an appearance in the tent of Annapolis power lobbyist and Tawes booster Bruce Bereano.
But Hogan was still part of the Tawes conversation.
Sen. Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore), who is exploring a run for governor, said he has “had a number of people ask about it and ask me how the exploratory aspect of it is going.”
Sen. Stephen S. Hershey (R-Upper Shore), left, talks with former Del. Carl Anderton, now a state employee, who was on a list of Republicans endorsing Gov. Wes Moore (D). (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
“You know, we’re doing well. We’re getting a lot of people interested,” he said, before adding, “I think a lot of people are still waiting to hear what Gov. Hogan wants to do.”
When asked if he was among that group waiting on Hogan, Hershey said: “Yes.”
Hershey entered Somers Cove Marina through a back entrance, and did not bring a campaign with him. Not so Moore, who arrived at the event by boat, fresh off a tour of Smith Island.
The governor, who announced his re-election bid two weeks ago, was joined by Lt. Gov Aruna Miller, who did not join her running mate on the boat but quietly mixed in with the throng following Moore. That included several dozen not-so-quiet supporters decked out in campaign shirts and signs, chanting in support of Moore.
“This is grassroots,” Moore said of the supporters, some of whom said they were bused to the event from Prince George’s County and Baltimore City.
The crab feast – in its 48th year — is named for J. Millard Tawes, a former governor and state comptroller who hailed from Crisfield. Once a fundraiser for Tawes, the event has since morphed into a fundraiser for the Crisfield Chamber of Commerce.
For decades it has been a popular destination for political leaders — especially in election years — and regular folks. This year’s event is the last before the 2026 primary next June.
Before arriving Wednesday, Moore sought to bolster his bipartisan credibility by releasing a list of Republicans who support him.
“We actually have a series of Republican lawmakers who represented over 200,000 Marylanders and who are coming out and saying that despite the fact that I happen to be a Democrat, and they happen to be a Republican, that they are coming out to support our re-election,” Moore said. “And it is because we have kept to our word to leave no one behind.”
Washington County Commission President John Barr and Rising Sun Mayor Travis Marion are on the list of Republicans endorsing Moore, along with two Allegany County officials, Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton and Lonaconing Mayor Jack Coburn.
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Also on the list were former Del. Carl Anderton and former Carroll County Commissioner Ed Rothstein. Moore’s release did not mention that both now have jobs within his administration: Anderton was named director of rural strategy in the Maryland Department of Commerce last year and Rothstein was named secretary of the Department of Veterans and Military Families in July.
“So, in other words, a paid political announcement by employees of Wes Moore,” Hershey said.
Moore dismissed the critique as “ridiculous.”
“I understand that there are people with fledgling campaigns they are trying to get off the ground. It’s not my job to try to lift them up. My job is to support the people of this state,” he said. “So, when I hear ridiculous comments and I’m asked for comment, my comment is I don’t have a comment.”
Anderton said his support rose from Moore’s efforts to assist a regional airport and medical center.
“That was enough for me right there,” Anderton said. “A friend in need is a friend indeed. He’s never denied us. To me, that’s value.”
Moore dissent
As Moore’s crowd chanted — clad in their matching T-shirts, with their matching signs — a few counterprotesters emerged from the tents nearby, including Don Howell, a bearded Eastern Shore resident wearing a “Jesus” T-shirt, with a sticker for Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st) attached.
Don Howell, who supports GOP gubernatorial candidate John Myrick, yells back at a chanting crowd of Moore supporters at the Tawes crab feast. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/ Maryland Matters)
The “We want Moore” chants, he said, were interrupting his time feasting on steamed crabs and talking with friends.
“He’s already taken all my money,” Howell said of the governor. “Now he wants to take my conversations?”
The 68-year-old, who lives in the Eastern Shore’s Mount Vernon, near Princess Anne, said he supports Republican John Myrick in next year’s gubernatorial contest, in part because of Myrick’s “commonsense” approach to pocketbook issues. He pointed to Myrick’s proposals for property tax credits for retirees.
“I’m a senior citizen, and I’m trying to survive on Social Security. My wife still works, but it’s hard,” Howell said. “Our electric bills are going sky high.”
Howell argued that Moore has funneled money to “illegal aliens” and energy affordability programs, wasting a surplus handed down by Hogan. He decried recent increases in government fees, including for car registrations and hunting licenses.
“You’re a thief!” he shouted as the governor passed by. “You’re a criminal! You don’t belong in government, you belong in jail!”
He also yelled “Go back to Prince George’s County” at Moore’s chanting supporters.
Myrick came to Tawes for the chance to take shots at Moore, as he angles for a general election face-off. He brushed off concerns about a potential primary challenge from Hogan.
“I entered this race for a general election race. That man is my opponent,” he said, pointing toward the governor, who was close by. “I really don’t care about what Gov. Hogan does.”
Myrick, a Prince George’s County resident who grew up in Harford County, said he is canvassing around the state, including stops on the Eastern Shore.
John Myrick, a Republican candidate for governor, came to Crisfield as part of a campaign visit to the Eastern Shore. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
“The people that I’m hearing on the lower Eastern Shore have been forgotten about for a long, long time. The only time the politicians seem to come down here is the Tawes event,” Myrick said.
Even though Moore included Harris on his list of potential opponents, the eight-term congressman from the Eastern Shore said Wednesday at Tawes that he will not be jumping into the fray.
“We do need a governor — not a presidential candidate — to run the state,” Harris said, poking Moore over persistent gossip that he wants to run for president. “But I’m not going to run for governor.”
Harris said he is taking his time when it comes to deciding who to endorse in the governor’s race, in part because Maryland has two former Republican governors who would be eligible to run again: Hogan and Robert Ehrlich. The filing deadline for the race is not until Feb. 24.
“There’s obviously at least one or two very high-profile former governors who don’t need to file early,” Harris said. “So, look, I’m waiting until February to see what happens.”
Harris, a staunch supporter of Trump, backed the president on several issues Wednesday. He said the administration raised “valid concerns” that the effort to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge with federal dollars will follow state law requiring minority-owned business participation.
He also said he stands by Trump’s effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy, though it has meant some 15,100 Marylanders have lost federal jobs since January. Harris pointed to the Moore administration’s voluntary separation offers for state employees in response to the state’s budget crunch.
“I don’t understand why he’s criticizing the president. He’s doing exactly the same thing in the state for state employees,” Harris said.
Harris also attacked the Moore administration for fee increases engineered to address the state’s budget crisis.
“The governor can go around saying he provided some minuscule tax break on income taxes, whereas every Marylander who opens up their car registration renewal understands that the fees are out of control,” Harris said.
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