Maryland Governor Wes Moore drew strong support from the Indian American and broader Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community at a re-election fundraiser held on 4 September at the Maryland residence of prominent Indian American kidney specialist Dr Arul Vigg. Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, elected officials, entrepreneurs, physicians, and community leaders attended the outdoor event, which unfolded as temperatures hovered near 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Moore's Message on Diversity and Capability

Addressing the gathering outside Dr Vigg's red-brick home, Governor Moore emphasised that his administration's embrace of the AAPI community was rooted in merit as much as inclusion. 'The AAPI community runs deep in this administration,' Moore said. 'And it's not just because we believe in diversity, it's because we believe in working with the best.'

Moore highlighted several Asian American officials serving in senior roles under his administration, naming Susan Lee, Sanjay Rai, Portia Wu, and Meena Seshamani as examples of the talent he said Maryland had drawn from the community.

Spotlight on Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller

Moore reserved particular praise for Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, describing her as a friend, partner, and moral guide. 'When we talk about what is the moral compass of the Moore Miller administration, you do not have to look any further than our Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller,' he said.

Miller, who was born in India and made history as Maryland's first immigrant and first woman of colour to serve as lieutenant governor, echoed the governor's themes of opportunity and civic responsibility. 'As an immigrant, when I look across this room and see our AAPI community, we all believe in the American dream,' she said.

Miller cited Indian American entrepreneur Anil Sharma, who she said arrived in the United States 'with $100 in his pocket' and went on to build 22nd Century Technologies into a billion-dollar company, as an embodiment of that spirit. 'You bring success, you earn success, but you give back to your community,' she said.

Host Dr Arul Vigg and the Community Backdrop

The fundraiser's host, Dr Arul Vigg, a kidney specialist who studied medicine in India before completing his residency in Ohio, noted that his parents had travelled from India to attend the event. He credited their 'love, sacrifice, and lifelong example' with shaping his personal and professional journey — a sentiment that resonated with many in the audience who share similar immigrant narratives.

Moore's Record and Contrast with Federal Policies

Governor Moore used the occasion to draw a sharp contrast between Maryland's governance approach and policies pursued by the administration of President Donald Trump at the federal level. He criticised federal job cuts, immigration enforcement operations, and the deployment of the National Guard in residential neighbourhoods.

'In Maryland, we decided to move different, that in Maryland we decided to move together to work in partnership with local law enforcement and also community groups,' Moore said. He claimed Maryland's violent crime rate had fallen nearly 60 per cent during his tenure. Miller also credited Moore with reopening the shipping channel just 11 weeks after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Moore, who became Maryland's first Black governor in January 2023, closed with a call to action for supporters: 'While there has been progress, we know the job is not done and we are ready to finish the job.' With the Indian American community's civic engagement and donor base increasingly influential in mid-Atlantic politics, the Moore-Miller campaign's outreach signals how central this constituency has become to Democratic electoral strategy.