Gov. Wes Moore invites Sean Brown and sons to Annapolis after visit

Surprise Annapolis Invitation Follows Impromptu Barber Shop Visit in Cumberland

When Sean Brown and his two sons walked into Cuttz Of Encouragement for routine Saturday haircuts, they certainly did not expect a personal audience with the state’s chief executive. On a Tuesday visit reported by the Times-News, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore walked into the Rosenbaum building shop on Baltimore Street, turning a standard errand into an unexpected statehouse invitation.

The encounter unfolded as Moore campaigned near the close of his bid for a second term, stopping in Cumberland on a tour aimed at engaging voters across Allegany and Garrett counties. Inside the shop, the governor bantered with patrons and staff alike.

Gov. Wes Moore joked about his own lack of hair, stating, “If I needed a haircut, I’d get in line. But, you know.”

The remark drew laughter from the shop floor, given Moore’s famously clean-shaven head. Moving past the jokes, the governor struck up a conversation with Brown and his sons, 12-year-old Naheem and 7-year-old Sean, asking the boys about their interests, including sports, before extending the impromptu invitation to visit Government House in Annapolis.

Brown, who noted that he and his wife relocated to Allegany County in 2018, said he was eager to take the governor up on the offer. His children, he added, would undoubtedly be talking about the encounter for quite some time.

Local Reaction to the Governor’s Stop

For shop owner Kenny Weedon, who typically prefers to keep politics outside the doors of his business, the visit proved a welcome exception. Barber Cory McCarty echoed that sentiment, noting the value of state officials making direct contact with residents in Maryland’s westernmost communities.

“I thought it was really cool,” McCarty said of the surprise visit. “I like his effort to connect with Allegany County.”