How Wes Moore and Kari Lake could redefine America’s political future

Midterm elections often produce candidates who later become important players in national politics. In 1978, Bill Clinton was elected the nation’s youngest governor at age 32. Although he lost his reelection bid in 1980, Clinton returned to the governor’s mansion two years later and held that office for a decade before running for president.

In 1994, George W. Bush won an uphill race for the Texas governorship, defeating incumbent Gov. Ann Richards. Bush, who made his mark as an owner of the Texas Rangers, was not expected to win. Even Bush’s parents doubted their son could win, and were much more confident that his younger sibling, Jeb, would be the next governor of Florida. Of course, George W. won, and Jeb lost (though he would later win). Four years later, Bush was reelected by the largest margin ever accorded to a Texas Republican and was next-in-line to win his party’s presidential nomination. The 1990s and the 2000s were the Clinton and Bush eras, respectively, as these two outsized personalities dominated politics.

This year, two stars have emerged who seem destined to play important roles in the next chapter of our political life: Wes Moore and Kari Lake. Both are seeking to occupy the governor’s mansions of their respective states, Maryland and Arizona. Of the two, Moore is projected to win by a landslide, while Lake is marginally favored. But both have compelling personas and are likely to become fixtures in our living rooms.

Start with Moore. He won a very competitive primary to become the Democratic nominee for governor. His principal opponent, Tom Perez, entered the race with a resume tailored-made to be that state’s chief executive. Perez served as president of Montgomery County Council, was state secretary of labor under Gov. Martin O’Malley, became assistant attorney general and Labor secretary under President Obama and in 2017 was elected chair of the Democratic National Committee. Perez emphasized his ability to “get stuff done,” and his advertisements featured Obama highlighting his credentials. In many ways, Perez’s campaign was like Hillary Clinton’s 2008 run against Barack Obama with her emphasis on experience. But like Clinton, Perez ran into a buzzsaw of charisma embodied by Wes Moore, who was a Rhodes Scholar, had served in Afghanistan and is the former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, which focused on creating jobs and opportunities for persons from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The similarities between Moore and Obama are striking. Both were raised by singles mother and grandparents — in Moore’s case, his father died unexpectedly when he was three years old. Both have written best-selling books, with Moore’s autobiography contrasting his life with another person named Wes Moore who is serving a life sentence for murder. Like Obama, Moore is a gifted speaker with an uncanny ability to channel the hopes and aspirations of his listeners. At a rally in August, President Biden called Moore “the real deal.” Obama praises Moore as someone who is “working to bring people together and lift them up.”  

Moore is running against Republican Dan Cox, a 2020 election denier who organized buses filled with Trump supporters who attended the “stop the seal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021. That day, as rioters stormed the Capitol, Cox tweeted that Vice President Pence should be tried for treason.

He easily won his primary against an opponent backed by popular Republican governor Larry Hogan. With his win, former President Trump gloated that “RINO Larry Hogan’s Endorsement doesn’t seem to be working well for his heavily favored candidate.”

Hogan, who wants to move the Republican Party into a more moderate, post-Trump era, refuses to endorse Cox, calling him a “QAnon whack job.” Polling shows Moore 32 points ahead and on track to become Maryland’s first African American governor. Given the state’s proximity to the Washington, D.C., media market, he is somebody to watch.

Kari Lake faces a more contested race. Like Moore, Lake defeated an establishment candidate who was endorsed by party leaders, in Lake’s case former Vice President Mike Pence. For 22 years, Lake was a fixture in local television news. Having once supported Barack Obama for president, she became a full-throated defender of Donald Trump. As a television personality, she had a powerful on-camera presence that has translated on the campaign trail. Some have even called her “Donald Trump in heels.”

Lake’s unusual campaign resembles a modern-day version of the Jim Carrey movie “The Truman Show.” Like the Truman character, Lake is always on camera and on message, thanks to a crew led by her husband that never stops filming. Like Trump, Lake says she will accept the outcome of the election only if she wins. But unlike Trump, Lake’s more appealing personality makes her someone more likely to be invited inside people’s homes.  

Lake’s opponent, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, recognizes the power of her on-camera persona and has refused to debate. Local commentators, and even Biden’s 2020 Arizona co-chair, have criticized Hobbs for refusing a joint appearance. Adding to her woes, Hobbs is getting little help from Arizona’s two Democratic senators, Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema. Kelly is keeping his distance from Lake as he wages his own campaign for reelection, and Sinema will not say whether she plans to vote for Hobbs.

Both Moore and Lake want to occupy executive positions. Should they win, their successes or failures will determine their political fates. But these two candidates – one Democrat, one Republican – have emerged as stars of the 2022 midterm elections.

John Kenneth White is a professor of politics at The Catholic University of America. His latest book, co-authored with Matthew Kerbel, is titled “American Political Parties: Why They Formed, How They Function, and Where They’re Headed.”