State Of The State: Introductions And Handshakes, Applause Lines And Laugh Lines, Some Unintentional

By William J. Ford, Maryland Matters

February 12, 2026

There was the formal introduction and entrance and the formality of smiles and handshakes between two people at odds over an issue just discussed. There were the applause lines, met dutifully with applause by an audience packed tightly into the House of Delegates chamber.

There was the obligatory roll call and recognition of all the dignitaries in state elected and appointed office who turned out for Gov. Wes Moore’s fourth State of the State address Wednesday. There were nods to supportive family members.

And then there were the shout-outs to the governor’s invited guests, Marylanders who made a difference or were caught up in an issue that was part of Moore’s nearly hourlong speech on a wide range of topics, a fixture of State of the Union speeches now creeping into the State of the State.

They were a couple of intentionally funny lines and a couple of unintentional laughs over mistakes in the delivery.

It was, in other words, a pretty typical State of the State address in terms of crowd and color and content.

Among the invited guests who traveled to Annapolis Wednesday to be packed into the House gallery were people like Daniel Omar Fuentes Espinal, pastor of Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama on the Eastern Shore since 2015.

Daniel Omar Fuentes Espinal receives a standing ovation after Gov. Wes Moore said he was “always welcome” in Maryland. The Eastern Shore pastor was detained last year by federal immigration officials. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters)

Fuentes Espinal, an undocumented immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for decades and who has been working toward citizenship, was detained by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in July and taken to a detention center in Baltimore before being transferred a few days later to a correctional center in New Orleans.

After months of work by friends and family, Fuentes Espinal, a native of Honduras with no criminal record, returned back home to Maryland in September.

On Tuesday, Fuentes Espinal appeared to choke up as the governor praised him and his church, Jesus Te Ama Iglesia del Nazareno [Jesus Loves You Church of the Nazarene] in Easton.

“You are always welcome in Maryland. Now and always. God bless you,” Moore said.

“It’s an honor,” Fuentes Espinal said through a translator about the governor’s remarks. “Everything I do is to the glory of God.”

But Fuentes Espinal said some of his congregants continue to be affected by ICE. He said two brothers from his church were detained last week.

Both the House and Senate are scheduled to grant final approval Thursday on legislation to ban so-called 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities.

“That’s good,” Fuentes said.

‘Feel blessed’

Besides Moore labeling State Superintendent Carey Wright as “the LeBron James of K-12 Education,” the governor also heaped praise on three educators – Danielle Crankfield, ALonna Soward-Puryear and Ryan Durr.

Durr works as a principal at Meade Senior High School in Anne Arundel County, a school the governor visited in August during the first week of the 2025-26 school year.

Crankfield, 42, was the first person from Maryland to be recognized as the American School Counselor Association National Counselor of the Year. Crankfield, who won the award last year, works as a high school counselor at Crofton High School in Anne Arundel County.

Soward-Puryear, 27, garnered the state’s Teacher of the Year award. She works at Monocacy Elementary School in Frederick County where she currently works as an “interventionist” providing instruction to students in reading and math.

During the annual State of the State address, Gov. Wes Moore (D) recognized the 2026 Maryland Teacher of the Year, ALonna Soward-Puryear, left, and the 2026 National School Counselor of the Year Danielle Crankfield/Maryland Matters

“I feel very blessed and grateful. I would have never imagined when I decided to be an educator, I would be here, but I’m really happy to be invited into this space,” Soward-Puryear said after the governor’s address. “This really means a lot to me to sit in this room, to sit in this space, and to be able to have opportunities like this.”

Soward-Puryear and Crankfield chatted for a few minutes on the second floor inside the State House.

“It still hasn’t sunk in yet,” Soward-Puryear said to Crankfield about being invited to Annapolis.

“This is such a big deal. We’re representing for us and others,” Crankfield said.

Ceremonial escort

Prior to the annual speech, a ceremonial escort walks the senators, and then the lieutenant governor and governor into the House chamber in a choreographed process that involves a fair amount of banging and shouting.

First, Dels. Dylan Behler (D-Anne Arundel) and Teresa Reilly (R-Cecil and Harford) escorted members of the Senate across the hall to the House chamber. Before they could enter the chamber, a state trooper banged on the chamber door three times. A trooper inside the chamber announced the Senate is coming, opened the door and the senators strolled inside to their seats for the day.

A few minutes later, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) was escorted by Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Caroll), Sen. Charles Sydnor III (D-Baltimore County), Del. Susan McComas (R-Harford) and Del. Bernice Mireku-North (D-Montgomery).

Same routine with trooper outside the chamber banging on the door. A trooper inside announces Miller’s coming and the door opens.

Finally, Moore was escorted by four legislative leaders: Senate Majority Leader Nancy King (D-Montgomery), Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore), House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (D-Allegany) and Del. N. Scott Phillips (D-Baltimore County).

Same routine as the previous two: bang on the door, announcement from inside the chamber and the door opens.

Although Mireku-North is used to walking on the House floor to conduct daily business, it was both an exciting and humbling experience to escort the lieutenant governor and see presiding officers at the dais and senators all in one room. It was her first time participating in the ceremonial escort.

“I really appreciate the intentionality in that,” she said about the bipartisanship of legislators escorting the state leaders. “As we’re getting ready to walk into the room, the bipartisanship feeling was already there. We respect the process. We respect the institution of the space. It’s good to have those moments to remind us why we’re here and not everything has to be fighting because we’re of a particular party.”