Democratic governors say their party has a road back to power — but it’s over budget and behind schedule.
Infrastructure issues are taking on new urgency across the country, as energy-hogging AI data centers spike electricity demand faster than new power plants and transmission lines can come online. That’s feeding an old complaint that the government is too slow, especially in blue states where environmental and labor regulations are strongest.
But Democratic governors see political opportunity in those low expectations. And getting big things built that voters care about is emerging as their go-to playbook. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told POLITICO’s E&E News on Thursday that his party is pivoting from “being ‘no and slow’ to being ‘yes and now.’”
The rising Democratic star and potential 2028 contender made those comments before tapping in the final piece of rail on Maryland’s long-beleaguered Purple Line — a project that Moore says he turned around after years of delay and billions of dollars in budget overruns under his predecessor.
