Dawn Moore’s radiant smile lights up the room when she walks in. Confident, energetic, smart and down-to-earth, Maryland’s first lady has, as they say, the whole package.
Moore is committed to balancing her role serving Maryland with nurturing her young family and keeping a sense of normalcy in the household. Gov. Wes Moore has described his wife as his “compass and the family’s heartbeat.”
Like other Maryland governors and their families since 1870, the Moore family lives in the Government House, or as Dawn Moore prefers to call it, the people’s house. The place exudes Maryland’s history. Entering its doors is tantamount to crossing a timeline. Mark Twain and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother are just some of the guests who have graced the State Dining Room, Federal Reception Room and Empire Parlor.
In the Conservatory of this historic home, Moore, dressed in a stylish, striped shirtdress with her hair pinned back, sat down with Baltimore Style. In a wide-ranging interview, she discussed her first year in the Government House, working in public service and more.
After one year in office, what are your thoughts about being first lady of Maryland?
I worked in government many years ago. I would actually staff previous governors in this home, but I never imagined that I would be living in this home, that I would have the same title as many of the first ladies I’ve admired.
Being first lady is a real job. While it is my privilege to be first lady, it is also my commitment to serve Marylanders the way my husband and I promised. I have the ability to be a connector and highlight the great work that so many organizations and individuals are doing. From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, from Baltimore, Prince George’s and everywhere in between, I look at our nonprofits and I see them as one of the great safety nets of our state. They are working hard every day in partnership with government to serve Marylanders. I want to be a person they can turn to for help elevating the work they are doing.
I see Government House as the people’s house. We have the ability to bring people here to gather and deal with issues that are important to Marylanders. I take the responsibility of being a good steward of this home.
I wouldn’t say there are any surprises in this role; this is certainly what we signed up to do. I have a commitment and a job that I am accountable for and that is what I work towards every day. This is certainly the highest form of service I have ever held.
How would you like to make a difference?
I am passionate about children’s mental health. The surgeon general said we are in a crisis. A lot of people are dealing with this issue, and I hope that I can bring some light to this issue and that people would say she helped move the needle around children’s mental health. We are talking about how best to work with people who are living with it. I hope they would say we left no one behind.
Women and children are some of the most neglected groups and important to our community. As a woman, a mother and a wife of the governor, I can help elevate the work that people are doing in our communities and organizations by telling their stories and help organizations make changes on behalf of women and children. Working with government, those are things I have prioritized.
One website describes you as a “political wife.” You are a University of Maryland graduate, majoring in government politics and women’s studies; you’ve held high-level government positions. What are your thoughts when you hear the words “political wife”?
I see myself and my husband as great partners. We had been in public service all our lives when we decided we wanted to serve Maryland in the highest way. It takes a partnership to be able to do that. I was involved in public service and worked in state government before I met my husband. He served in the military. I’m a public servant. Always have been, always will be.
What first ladies, nationally or in Maryland, do you admire the most and why?
I’ve had many opportunities to meet some amazing first ladies—Michelle Obama is fantastic. I admire Jill Biden; she is so active around the country and the world. I’ve gotten to know Abby Cox in Utah—this is bipartisan, she is Republican. Her work with a teacher’s program is phenomenal. Tracey Quillen Carney, first lady of Delaware, is doing great work for children. It’s a small club.
You are Maryland’s first Black first lady. How do you feel about being the groundbreaker?
I feel a sense of responsibility about being first lady to all Marylanders. Any woman who has held this role would say exactly the same thing. Yes, we are the first Black family. My husband is the first Black Maryland governor and only the third in the country, but we didn’t run to be the first. We ran to serve the people of Maryland. He ran with the foundation of leaving no one behind. My hope is that we are not the last.
What issues facing Maryland women do you consider most important, and do you talk with the governor about them?
Economic empowerment for women. Women are starting businesses at rapid rates. Women are still the backbone of our families.
The governor has built a talented and diverse cabinet. He appreciates when I can help to elevate the policies and initiatives that he cares deeply about, but we are husband and wife, and while we do talk about issues, most of the time we are talking about family, our children and the things we can do together. When I can support his initiatives, I do, but he has the best and the brightest around him to serve Marylanders.
How did your life growing up in Queens shape the way you are approaching the role of first lady?
My mother was a teacher in New York public schools. My father was an operating engineer and member of the union. My grandfather helped to put up the World Trade Center, and my father helped clear it after the tragic events on Sept. 11, 2001.
My family understood that you are responsible for your community, and you have to do your part to make a difference. Those principles carried on throughout my life. Through my parent’s work with unions, I saw the importance of participation, of showing up and standing with the people you work with. I remember going to vote with them at the school across the street. My parents would take me inside the booth. Those moments impacted my life.
I understand your mother was a music teacher. Did you inherit her musical talent?
Oh, my mom tried to get me to do so many things! I sing in the shower. A long time ago, I sang in my church choir, but I wouldn’t say I’m a singer. My mother is quite the solo vocalist.
How did you and the governor meet?
We were introduced by family. My aunt and his aunt were very good friends. They knew we both cared deeply about service and thought we had a lot in common. They said, “You two should meet.”
I was really busy at the time; I was running the local portion of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s campaign in Prince George’s County when she ran for governor. When Wes called, we decided to meet for coffee. We both thought, we’ll just “check the box.” Coffee would be quick if it was going sideways. Our quick coffee turned into five hours. That was the best blind date of our lives.
You were married in Las Vegas by an Elvis impersonator. How did you come to that decision?
My husband was in Afghanistan; we were already engaged. He felt if something were to happen to him, the Army would treat a fiancé differently than if we were married. He was thoughtful about that.
Why Elvis?
It’s Vegas! Who else would marry us?
When he returned from Afghanistan, we had our big ceremony and wedding in D.C.
Marylanders fell in love with your adorable children, Mia and James. How are they adjusting to living life in a fishbowl?
It is very important to Wes and I to keep the children’s existence as stable and normal as we can. You will see Wes and Jamie outside tossing a football around. I have a net in front of the house because Jamie has his batting practice out there.
Many times, Mia and Jamie come home, and we walk to the ice cream store. The store knows Jamie has nut allergies, and they know what ice cream flavor Mia likes. We really do those things. They remain in the school they were in when we lived in Baltimore. I ride to school with them every morning just as I did when we lived five minutes away because it feels good and normal and safe to them. It’s stable.
How do you carve out family time together?
I always say public service is like a family business. You get to do so many things together naturally, which is fun, and I know those things aren’t the personal moments, but it is still fun. We are not two ships passing in the night. He knows what is going on in my life. I know what is going on with his life, but we are also very deliberate about protecting our weekends. Doing fun things with the kids, having family dinners. Just like any family, we are intentional about that.
What about first dog Tucker. How is he adjusting?
Tucker is a hit! He gets requests and has his own schedule. He’s visited many places without myself or the governor. He is a true member of the family; he is in our Christmas photo.
You have been open about living with multiple sclerosis. Why did you feel it was important to share your story?
I think for the reason I decided to be quiet about it, I decided to be public about it. At first, I didn’t want to be judged by having this illness. I didn’t want people to treat me differently, but then I thought I have an obligation to tell my story if it can make a difference in people’s lives. If people living with MS can find hope in my story, it would be selfish of me not to share it. I have been so grateful to experience people who come up to me and say, “Thank you, I also have MS and I didn’t tell anybody, but now I am telling people.” There is power in being of service and sharing my story.
You’ve been vocal about fitness being a part of your good health. What is your fitness routine?
I took up tennis at the beginning of the pandemic because it was a sport where I could be social but also social distance. I was always pretty athletic, but I never played tennis. I took a lesson and fell in love with it. There are studies that say it extends your life by 10 years, but it is also social and fun. I feel powerful when I do it. I also go to the gym, but I try to play tennis at least twice a week.
Your political journey as first lady is just beginning. When you and your husband leave this office, how would you like to be remembered?
I would like people to say she worked hard on our behalf and that she was accountable, that she left a legacy at Government House and made people feel very welcome. I’d like them to say we recognized that we were just tenants and that Government House is really their home and that a lot of Marylanders got to see this space while we lived here.
What book is on your bedside now?
“Undelivered: The Never Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History” by Jeff Nussbaum.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?
You belong in every room you are in. You never have to be afraid to walk into any room. My husband says this a lot. Young people have so many fears about how they look and question, “Do I belong in this space?” I would say to my younger self, “Yes, you belong in this space. It would be incomplete without you.”
When you were a little girl, did you ever dream you’d wind up here?
No. As a little girl I thought what little girls think. I’d be a doctor or a lawyer. As I got older, I knew I wanted to be in public service.
How would your friends describe you?
They say I give great advice. They call me wise.
What is the trait you like most about yourself?
I hope people say they can relate to me and that I truly do love to help and serve. I hope that is a trait that comes through.
What quality do you most like about your husband?
In our house, we called him the “minister of fun.” ‘Cause he is that.
I also love that he is so accountable. I call him the “promise keeper.”
Most treasured possession?
My wedding ring.
Favorite place?
More than a place, it’s about who I’m with. Being with my family.
