Maryland Governor Says Black Voters Are Not ‘Monolithic,’ Urges Democrats To Earn Support

Moore made clear that Black voters are not "monolithic" and their support must be earned by politicians.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore thinks Democrats should do more to earn the vote of diverse Americans. In comments on Sept. 6, he emphasized that Black voters are not “monolithic.”

Moore shared his thoughts with Fox News Digital at the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival, stating that Black voters are not a guarantee for Democrats. This concern stemmed from a new New York Times/Siena poll. It detailed that Trump had a 10-point increase in Black voter support since September 2020.

“I think you got to go earn support from every voter. And I think that is especially true amongst Black voters,” Moore told the news outlet. “Black voters and in our groups are not monolithic. They’re not going to go with a person because of their political affiliation. They’re not gonna go with somebody because of what they look like. You got to go earn their support.”

Moore continued, noting that Democrats should address concerns of hot-button issues that are especially relevant to Black voters.

“And I think it becomes really important that we stress on issues of importance to members of the Black community when you’re talking about things like access to work and wages and wealth,” the governor added.

In the discussion, Moore also noted that Black and other voters of color have to be inspired to vote. Building that enthusiasm could sway the election.

“I do think it’s really important that the way we’re engaging voters is not taking voters for granted,” he stated. “I think you have a lot of voters who right now are up for grabs…This election will be determined by not necessarily where people go when it comes to Democrat to Republican or Republican to Democrat. This election will be determined by those who choose to vote and those who choose not to. And that’s why I think there’s a lot of work to be done.”

On the other hand, an NAACP poll also surveyed Black voters across 12 priority states. Newsweek found that 78% of respondents felt the “same or more excitement” about voting than during Barack Obama’s first presidential run in 2008.

However, gender gaps in Harris’s support persist. Of the respondents, 79% of Black women over 50 stated their support for the Democratic nominee, as opposed to 66% of Black men in the same age group.

Moore also discussed the issue of supporting women in leadership, stating he “deeply” advocates for more female elected officials. He further detailed that uplifting women in these roles should not equate to emasculating men.

“I am a person who is also deeply supportive of supporting growth of women in elected leadership. I don’t think that we put ourselves in boxes in these things,” he added. “As we are thinking about ways to support our young boys, as they’re growing into men, I think it’s important that we do not dehumanize their growth or emasculate their growth. Being able to say, ‘We support women in leadership roles,’ does not make us any less manly. Women saying, ‘We support men in roles,’ does not make them any less womanly.”

As the election nears, eyes are geared toward Black voters as both candidates seek to secure the voting bloc.