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CBS News
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Baltimore's Ed Hale announces run for Maryland governor in 2026 election
Baltimore native Ed Hale Sr. announced his run for Maryland governor Thursday. The retired banker and businessman will challenge Gov. Wes Moore for the Democratic nomination in the 2026 gubernatorial primaries. Who is Ed Hale Sr? Hale, 78, is a self-proclaimed lifelong Democrat. He was the chairman and CEO of 1st Mariner Bank. He left the struggling bank in 2011 but remained its biggest shareholder until it was acquired by another company. Hale also ran shipping companies and was credited with developing the Canton Waterfront after building an office in downtown Baltimore. He served as chairman of Baltimore's tourism agency, Visit Baltimore. Now, he owns the Baltimore Blast, the city's championship indoor soccer team. His life was detailed in a biography by author Kevin Cowherd. In an exclusive 2012 interview with WJZ, Hale talked about moving on from the bank and transitioning to a slower-paced lifestyle. He also talked about his covert role with the CIA. "I was the perfect cover because I was all over the world with my vessels and trucking here in America, so I was the perfect person to take somebody and send them out to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan," Hale said. During his role as an NOC, or non-official cover, between 1991 and 2001, Hale was part of the early search for terrorist Osama Bin Laden. He left the agency just after 9/11. According to our partners at the Baltimore Banner, Hale was charged with packing a loaded gun in his carry-on luggage at BWI Airport in 2011. He was ordered to pay and fine and granted probation. Ed Hale announces campaign for Maryland governor Hale announced his run for governor on Thursday in the Baltimore neighborhood where he lived until he joined the military. He said he had been thinking about moving out of the state because of high taxes and the way the government is run. "I did not want to leave because I am all in for Maryland," Hale said. Hale said he believes Maryland can be a little better and more business-friendly. He highlighted several recent announcements of businesses leaving the state, including the closure of Six Flags America, the FBI headquarters moving and the Washington Commanders heading back to Washington, D.C.'s RFK Stadium. Hale also criticized the state's juvenile justice system, saying that kids getting released after committing crimes is a major problem. "It's a problem that can't exist," Hale said. "We have to do something with the punishment of the kids that do these things, because right now, there's no deterrent. We need to have something that can be done." He also stated that Maryland's tax system has gotten worse and needs some changes. "Instead of raising taxes, look for a way to cut it 5%, 6%, whatever it takes to cover the shortfall that's about to come," he said. In an interview with the Baltimore Banner, Hale criticised Gov. Wes Moore, saying he thinks the governor is distracted by ambitions of running for president. Gov. Moore has repeatedly denied that he will run for president. "I think the general consensus is that he's going to run for president and that makes him, I guess, someone that is not fully invested in Maryland," Hale said. "I'm going to be that person." Hale also said he thinks Moore is not creating enough jobs or boosting the economy. Gov. Moore's approval rating drops after 2025 legislative session Gov. Moore's approval rating dropped from 61% in a January Gonzales poll to 55% in a March poll. In March, the poll revealed that 36% of participants disapproved of Moore's actions as governor. According to the poll, 83% of surveyed Democrats approved of Moore, but his rating dropped among Independents. "Things have taken a turn for the worse, however, with independents, among whom he's now underwater - 34% approve of the job Governor Moore is doing and 42% disapprove," the Gonzales Poll said. "In our January poll, 53% of independents approved."
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Banker, Blast owner Ed Hale preparing a 2026 challenge to Wes Moore
Government House, the official name for the governor's mansion, sits just across the street from the State House in Annapolis. (Photo by Danielle E. Gaines/Maryland Matters) As far as Ed Hale is concerned, it's all over but the paperwork. Hale, the current owner of the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team and a longtime city banker and business owner, said he is committed to mounting a Democratic primary challenge in 2026 to Gov. Wes Moore (D), at the urging of friends who he said are worried about the future of the state. It's just talk for the moment, but Hale said Thursday that he is pulling together all the paperwork and disclosure forms that will be needed to make it official. 'I'm getting everything together … and that's it, and I hope to file it on Monday or Tuesday after working through the weekend to get it all done,' said Hale, 78. 'When I'm done, you know, I will have some sort of press announcement,' he said. The primary election is not until June 30, 2026, but Hale might need all that time to mount a challenge to Moore, a formidable candidate despite some recent bumps in the road. While recent polls have shown Moore's job approval slipped a bit, as state officials juggled new taxes and program cuts to close a $3 billion gap in next year's budget, his ratings were still above 50% three years into his first term, with 52% of voters in a February poll saying they approved of the job he is doing. Among Democrats, who would be voting in the 2026 primary, 79% said they approve of Moore. Early GOP candidate for governor taps former delegate as running mate Moore is a prodigious fundraiser who reportedly has $4 million in the bank already. He will be 47 next summer to Hale's 79. And the governor frequently makes appearances on national stages and is often talked about as a possible presidential contender in 2028 — speculation he rejected repeatedly during an appearance Thursday on 'The View.' Moore's office declined to comment Thursday on the possibility of a primary challenge from Hale. Even in a decidedly blue state like Maryland, the winner of the primary will have to face general election challengers, and the GOP already has one ticket in the race. Republican John Myrick filed for governor in February, the earliest possible date to do so, and he announced his running mate on Wednesday, former Washington County Del. Brenda Thiam. More daunting would be a race against former Gov. Larry Hogan (R), whose popularity numbers rivaled Moore's through his two terms in office and who is repeatedly mentioned as a possible 2026 candidate for his old job. Hale said his decision to run came after discussions with many friends, who were lamenting the direction of the state, particularly its fiscal situation and business climate. 'I talked to [former Maryland Insurance Commissioner] Al Redmer and some other guys, and this is terrible, what's happening in the state,' Hale said, describing their discussions. ''Can't you come up with anybody?' We were goose hunting on my farm. And finally, people started calling me, why don't you consider doing it? 'So I just thought about and thought about it, and just decided to do it,' Hale said. He stresses his business background, noting that he built his businesses from the ground up, with no family money and no college education. Hale waxes poetic about the natural beauty of the state and its many cultural and economic advantages, but said he worries about its future. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE He said he is most concerned about the state's financial future. 'I hear about the budget, and I hear it's going to get worse, not better,' Hale said. 'I'm not here to criticize the problem. I'm just coming in trying to be part of the solution.' Hale concedes that Moore would be a formidable opponent who will run a well-organized and well-funded race for reelection. But he said he is not worried by the prospect of raising the money and building the organization that will be needed to challenge a popular incumbent. 'I'll give it the old East Baltimore Irish try,' he said.
