Moore’s announcement of Wiedefeld as transportation secretary comes with extra muscle

Gov. Wes Moore (D) began rolling out cabinet appointments a week after his election, and he’s picked more than 20 individuals to head state agencies over the past 2 1/2 months, along with dozens of staffers to play key roles in his new administration. Moore’s State House news conference Tuesday nominating Paul Wiedefeld, a veteran transportation administrator, to run the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), was the first time that he was accompanied at such an announcement by validators who sang his nominee’s praises. The optics spotlighted the importance of transportation in the Moore administration’s overall agenda — and served as a reminder that Wiedefeld, though well-respected by many local leaders, has endured rocky periods during his management of vital regional transportation agencies and may not be universally beloved.