CHICAGO — With Maryland in the national spotlight at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Gov. Wes Moore began his address to the crowd with a mention of one of the biggest tragedies to strike his state in recent years: the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.
It's that tragedy that Moore, Maryland's first Black governor, said convinced him Vice President Kamala Harris was the "right person" to fill the Oval Office seat.
In the past, Moore has been a vocal supporter of the Biden-Harris ticket. He officially endorsed Harris on July 22 — a day after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race. Back then, he described her as a champion for fundamental freedoms in America. On Wednesday night in Chicago, Moore doubled down as Democrats pushed their theme: "A Fight for Our Freedoms."
Here is the transcript of Gov. Moore's entire speech:
Thank you.
On March 26th, at 1:30 in the morning, a container ship the length of three football fields slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore – and the bridge collapsed.
A port that drives 13% of our state’s economy was now closed.
Thousands of workers were hours away from waking up without a job.
Six Marylanders who’d been on the bridge in the middle of the night fixing potholes lost their lives.
And one of the first calls I got that morning started with these three words:
“Gov, it’s Kamala.”
She said: “I know you spoke to the President. And I want you to know we are here with you every step of the way.”
I joined the Army when I was seventeen – and led soldiers in combat in Afghanistan.
My training taught me you never learn anything about anybody when times are easy – You learn about them when times are hard.
And America: Kamala Harris is the right one to lead us in this moment.
United, and with God's grace, we brought closure to the families of the six victims –
And while many said it would take 11 months to reopen the Port of Baltimore – we got it done in 11 weeks.
That is the story of America: We are a nation of patriots who serve when the mission is hard and the destination is uncertain.
And I know our history isn’t perfect.
The unevenness of the American journey has made some skeptical.
I’m not asking you to give up your skepticism.
I just want that skepticism to be your companion and not your captor – and I'm asking that you join us in the work!
Because making America great doesn’t mean telling people: "You’re not wanted” –
Making America great means saying: "The ambitions of this country would be incomplete without your help."
It’s the legacy of those six workers, who fixed potholes on a bridge while we slept – who were born in a different country – but knew America was big enough for them too.
It’s the journey of a man raised by an immigrant single mom – a man who felt handcuffs on his wrists at eleven years old – who stands before you as the first Black governor in Maryland history.
It’s the story of a prosecutor who defended our freedoms – and had Maryland’s back when we needed it most.
And now MVP: We’ve got yours!
My fellow veteran, Tim Walz: He knows in the military, you count days toward mission completion.
Guess what?
We’ve got seventy-five days and a wakeup left.
Seventy-five days and a wakeup for us to prove what Americans can do when the pressure is on.
Seventy-five days and a wakeup for us to show that true patriots don’t whine and complain – we put our heads down and get to work.
Seventy-five days and a wakeup to build a future that those who came before us hoped for – and those who come after us deserve.
Seventy-five days and a wakeup to elect a leader who is willing to believe in the best of us – and that leader is Kamala Harris: the next President of the United States!