On Bill Maher’s HBO show last week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore took aim at closed primary systems, saying the process “has run its course” and noted that the fastest growing segment of the US electorate are independent voters. 

“Here’s the problem. Independents cannot vote until November,” he said.

He added that because of the mid-cycle gerrymandering happening across the country, 92% of elections are not competitive in 2026. This means independents are barred from participating in the most meaningful taxpayer-funded contests.

Moore’s remarks were praised by primary reform advocates. 

“Governor Moore said the right thing. Now Maryland has an opportunity to do the right thing,” said former Maryland Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford in a statement. 

“Nearly one million Marylanders are shut out from voting despite the express language of the Maryland Constitution and the Declaration of Rights. That is not a partisan issue. It is an issue of voting rights.”

Rutherford works as legal counsel at Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny, LLC, (DARS) which filed a lawsuit in Maryland in conjunction with the Open Primaries Education Fund (OPEF) challenging Maryland’s use of closed primaries. 

DARS filed the lawsuit on behalf of 5 unaffiliated voters. Their complaint alleges that Maryland’s closed primary system violates Article 1, Section 1 of the Maryland Constitution by denying them and other independent voters their fundamental right to vote in elections they fund.

Now, DARS and OPEF are calling on Moore to help them resolve this dispute. They have suggested some immediate remedies like an executive order that prohibits the use of state funds for primary elections that deny independent voters their right to participate.

“Governor Moore’s comments show that he understands the problem,” said Jeremy Gruber, senior vice president of Open Primaries. “The next step is to stop defending that problem in court and work with us to find a resolution that allows all Maryland voters to vote.”

Taking the governor's words at face value, it is not unreasonable to assume it is an endorsement of open primary reform. After all, he called closed primaries a “system where more and more people are disenfranchised” and said the idea of closed primaries “has to be re-evaluated.”

“Because if you believe in democracy then let people's voices be heard,” he remarked.

Except, according to Moore’s office, he does not advocate for changing his state’s primary rules. “The governor supports the state's current closed primary system and believes in working within it to expand participation,” a spokesperson for his office said.

The only way to expand participation in a closed primary system is to adopt open primary rules, even if it is a semi-open system that allows independent voters to pick a party ballot.

Prior to his appearance on Maher’s show, Moore had not been widely identified as an open primary supporter. Neither he nor his office have made statements calling for Maryland to change its primary rules.

If sincere, his comments would mark a notable rhetorical shift – or at least an expression of sympathy for millions of disenfranchised independent voters. But since his office quickly walked back his words, voters are left with a mixed message.

“I think it was more for show than for actual sincerity,” remarked political analyst John Dedie.

“I think the reason he floated it out there is...you're trying to reach moderate middle voters and a lot of voters who are looking at candidates might see an idea like that and say 'that's a good idea'...Moore's appealing now.”

Moore caught the attention of reformers. He has gained national prominence over the last few years. Odds are high that he will run for president in 2028. But more importantly, he is the governor of a closed primary state.

Surely, this means he will help change the rules in Maryland. Unless it isn’t politically convenient for him to do so. Closed primaries are a problem – just in other states. The same with gerrymandering. Condemn it when it is the “other side.” Encourage it when it is his.

Notably, Moore called on Maryland to redraw its congressional districts after Prop 50 passed in California. And yet, he clearly sees the problem. The combination of closed primaries and partisan gerrymandering has disenfranchised millions.

It has left independent voters without a voice, without representation, and wanting change. It has created incentives for candidates to appeal only to the most partisan and ideological extremes because they know they only need to win a low-turnout partisan primary.

This process is convenient for Democrats in Maryland, just as it is convenient for Republicans in a state like Florida. And while Moore’s office was quick to clarify that the governor did not support open primaries in Maryland, Democrats in Florida have floated the idea.

Imagine that.

Open primaries in states in the South have become inconvenient for Republicans which is why GOP leaders now seek to close them. The same can be said of Democratic leaders in California. Both spin a narrative of the other side manipulating election outcomes to scare and enrage voters.

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And while some will say, “Don’t ‘both sides’ the election issue,” it is a bipartisan problem.

Was Wes Moore being sincere on Bill Maher’s show or was he pandering? It is clear he understands the systemic problems at root in US elections. But will he back up his words or is he merely using the disenfranchisement of independent voters to boost his own ambitions?