Maryland Gov. Moore, a Fort Liberty vet, returns to Fayetteville to stump for Josh Stein

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a rising star in national politics and a combat veteran who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, dropped by Fayetteville on Tuesday afternoon to campaign for Attorney General Josh Stein in his race for North Carolina governor.

It’s just the beginning of high-profile politicians and others showing up to support candidates in North Carolina, which is shaping up again to be a key battleground in national politics. In a state where Donald Trump edged President Biden by 1.3% in 2020, Trump has visited the state, as has Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden has set up 10 field offices, including one in Fayetteville.

On Tuesday, Stein, who is endorsed by current Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, launched "Veterans for Stein" at the Retired Military Association of NC building off Gillespie Street, just south of downtown.

Moore: ‘Part of something bigger’

Moore, who served as an Army captain stationed at then-Fort Bragg and fought in Afghanistan, said he enlisted at age 17. His mother had to sign for him.

He says he learned in the Army it didn't matter what your background was or whether you were first generation or fourth generation military: “All that matters was you were now part of a unit. You were part of something bigger than yourself.”

A native of Takoma Park, Maryland, Moore has been talked about as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. After his time at Liberty he became a Rhodes Scholar, a best-selling author and served as CEO of a nonprofit that during his tenure raised $600 million to help families escape poverty. He was elected as Maryland's first Black governor in November 2022.

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Moore said certain freedoms were worth fighting for and that Stein as attorney general has fought for them.

He says that freedom means that “our children should be able to have the education that they need that doesn’t just allow them to survive in this century, but to thrive in this century.” He said that meant supporting continuing adult education, too.

“Our job is to invest in their success,” he said. “Our job is to lift up their pathways. Our job is to protect their histories and to remind them every single day that they are not just needed, but they are loved and they are nurtured, and North Carolina needs them to win. And we are going to invest like we need them to win.”

Stein: Keep NC veteran-friendly

Stein, in his remarks, said military installations like Fort Liberty bring tens of thousands people from across America “to this beautiful place.

“They've got skills, motivation, security clearances that enable them to add to our state's economy when they leave the military,” he said, “but we have to make sure that this is a great place for them.”

He talked about his honor in awarding Congressional Gold Medals to the original Montford Point Marines and their families at a ceremony in Jacksonville last August. They were the first Black recruits to serve in the Marines.

“They were trailblazers and true patriots stationed here in North Carolina,” Stein said. “They were such patriots that they went to war to fight for a country that failed to afford them the rights that other citizens had in this country. Unbelievable.”

He said honoring their sacrifices meant ensuring North Carolina retained its status as one of the most veteran-friendly states in the country.

He noted that 1 in 10 small businesses in the state were owned by a veteran. He pledged to support veterans through education and training that would lead others to start businesses or land good-paying jobs.

He noted his advocacy for expanding the PACT Act, which helps veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins, receive timely treatment.

Stein said as attorney general he participated in a national settlement against a jeweler that had targeted and misled veterans and ruined their credit.

“We have secured more than $34 million in relief,” he said to applause, adding that $1 million went to help 5,000 North Carolinians.

Stein said he eliminated the backlog of untested rape kits submitted by sexual assault survivors; he thanked the city of Fayetteville for opening his eyes to the problem. He also advocated for state Medicaid expansion, which happened last December and has since enrolled 450,000 North Carolinians.

“So when they get sick, they can go to the doctor instead of going into bankruptcy,” he said.

Sen. Applewhite: ‘Present and accounted-for’

Other speakers on Tuesday’s roster were state Sen. Val Applewhite; Larry Hall, former secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military & Veterans Affairs; and Brian Graybill, a Fayetteville business owner and veteran who introduced Moore.

Applewhite, a retired Air Force veteran, noted in her opening remarks that she is the only female veteran in the N.C. General Assembly. She asked the female veterans in the room to stand in honor of Women Veterans Recognition Day, which is Wednesday.

Applewhite described the race between Stein and his Republican opponent, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, who has been endorsed by Trump, as a statistical tie. The race for governor is for “the future of this state,” she said. She said Cumberland County Democratic voters had to “overperform,” to put Stein in the governor's mansion.

She said that when she was in military formation, they were taught to say “All present and accounted for.”

She had the room full of veterans and Democrats repeat the call.

Opinion Editor Myron B. Pitts can be reached at [email protected] or 910-486-3559.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Stein touts veteran support in Fayetteville, including Maryland governor