ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — New questions are emerging about how Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has presented his personal and political identity, after a 1998 yearbook photo from Valley Forge Military College identified him as a member of the school’s “College Republicans” chapter — a detail his office has declined to explain.
The listing, confirmed this week by the college, adds to a growing body of unanswered questions about Moore’s public biography, including past discrepancies involving his upbringing, academic record and military honors. Together, they are fueling hundreds of negative responses across the governor’s social media accounts, questioning whether Moore has been fully transparent about his background.
While the picture of Moore in his college military dress uniform has circulated for years, the bottom half, which appears to list the honors, awards, and club affiliations, was missing.
Moore, a Democrat widely viewed as a rising figure on the national stage and potential 2028 candidate, graduated from Valley Forge in 1998, then attended Johns Hopkins University and later earned a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford.
The governor’s office has neither acknowledged nor answered repeated emailed questions about the image since last Wednesday.
According to public records obtained by Spotlight on Maryland from the Maryland Board of Elections on Tuesday, Moore crossed out the Democratic Party on his first voter registration application, which he filed with the state on Dec. 13, 1999, and selected “decline to join a political party.”
Maryland Voter Registration Application for ‘Westley Watende Omari Moore,’ signed on December 13, 1999. Spotlight on Maryland redacted the street address on the public record obtained. (Maryland State Board of Elections)
Moore, 21 at the time, also wrote on his initial application that he was born in “D.C.”
Contextually, Moore would have been attending Johns Hopkins at the time of his voter registration. The first presidential election he would have voted in was the 2000 contest between then-Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Democrat Vice President Al Gore.
The first recorded voter registration application in which Moore chose the Democratic Party affiliation was on Sept. 18, 2009, according to state voting records. This change took place after Moore finished his White House Fellowship with then-President Bush and while former President Barack Obama was in his first term.
Moore flirted with both parties earlier in his career.
In a 2006 interview with The Baltimore Sun, Moore described himself as “probably one of the more independent people that you’ll ever find.”
“I have a little bit of Democrat in me, I have a little bit of Republican in me, but fundamentally, I’m me, the entire way through,” he said.
Campaign finance records from that time show he had donated $1,000 to John Kerry’s presidential campaign, though he told The Sun he did not want to be part of “the label game.”
The Sun described him as “similarly noncommital” on then-President George W. Bush.
“I sincerely believe he acts on his convictions, and whether people agree with his convictions or not is another issue,” Moore said of Bush at the time. “I believe in people who stand by convictions.”
Minutes before Moore entered the Governor’s Reception Room on Monday, the final day of Maryland’s 90-day legislative session, Spotlight on Maryland received confirmation from his undergraduate college that he had been a member of the College Republicans.
Despite attempting to ask Moore about the yearbook photo directly during his news conference, a spokesperson tightly controlled press access, refusing to call on Spotlight on Maryland.
After a few questions from reporters who were called on, Moore’s spokesperson abruptly ended the news conference.
“Sorry, we have to go, guys,” said Moore’s spokesperson. “Follow up if you have any other questions.”
After Moore’s remarks concluded, Spotlight on Maryland attempted to speak with the governor’s senior advisor and communications director, David Turner.
When a reporter tried to ask about Moore’s yearbook photo, among several other unanswered questions about his biography, Turner said he is not doing interviews and that his last was Dec. 31 with Spotlight on Maryland.
“Thank you. Have a good day,” Turner said.
Spotlight on Maryland has submitted public records requests to multiple states for the governor’s voting record and party affiliation details.
Republican lawmakers quickly pointed to the resurfaced image on Monday as part of what they say is a broader credibility issue.
Del.Mark Fisher, a Republican representing Calvert County,said the matter is less about partisan affiliation and more about public trust, calling Moore a “chameleon.” This theme was also repeated by Del. Ryan Nawrocki, a Republican representing Baltimore County.
“This is a story that continues to be told of who is the real Wes Moore here?” said Nawrocki.
Nawrocki said that voters likely would not care whether Moore had once identified as a Republican but would care if information about his past were being obscured.
Party shifts are not uncommon in American politics. Prominent figures including Ronald Reagan, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump changed party affiliations over time, while others like Arlen Specter switched while in office.
“I think people just want you to be honest,” Nawrocki said.
That line of criticism echoes earlier questions about Moore’s biography, including disputes over where he grew up, aspects of his education, and his failure to correct interviewers for two decades who said he had the Bronze Star.
Eventually, Moore was awarded the Bronze Star in December 2024, during the final weeks of former President Joe Biden’s administration.
The extended yearbook photo image arrives at a politically sensitive moment for the governor.
Moore has emerged as one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent governors and is frequently mentioned in national conversations about the party’s future leadership, including as a possible presidential contender for his party’s nomination.
For that reason, Fisher and Nawrocki said any questions about inconsistencies in his biography could carry implications beyond Maryland, especially given what they call inconsistencies about where Moore stands on key issues within the state.
Whether the yearbook listing reflects a genuine political affiliation, a club membership of convenience, or a simple administrative entry remains unanswered by the governor’s office.
Send news tips about this story or others to gmcollins@sbgtv.com or contact Spotlight on Maryland’s hotline at (410) 467-4670.
Follow Gary Collins on X and Instagram. Spotlight on Maryland is a collaboration between FOX45 News, WJLA in Washington, D.C., and The Baltimore Sun.
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