Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser met Thursday with the governors of Virginia and Maryland for their first official three-way meeting, signaling a renewed push for regional collaboration across the national capital area.
The closed-door meeting, held at the Wilson Building, brought together Bowser, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Local outlet 7News was the only media organization present as Spanberger and Moore arrived for the session, which lasted roughly an hour and a half in the mayor’s office.
Officials described the gathering as an effort to reset and strengthen cooperation among the three jurisdictions on shared priorities, including transportation, economic development, housing, and energy. The region’s leaders emphasized that many of the most pressing challenges facing their residents cross state and district lines and require coordinated solutions.
Spanberger, who arrived first and departed shortly after the meeting concluded, offered limited remarks as she headed to her car. “It was very productive,” she said, noting that much of the conversation centered on transportation and “how we can work together as a region.”
Moore credited Spanberger with helping organize the meeting and Bowser for hosting it. He also pointed to the political significance of the gathering, noting that no comparable meeting took place during the tenure of former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican.
“We had a great meeting and [a chance] to work with our partners in Virginia and the District on issues from energy to housing to transportation,” Moore said. “We know we’ve got to work together because so many of the opportunities and the challenges we are facing are regional. They’re not just about our individual jurisdiction. So knowing we have real partners in this work, it feels different.”
Following the meeting, Bowser, Spanberger, and Moore released a joint statement underscoring the importance of sustained regional coordination. “Today’s meeting reaffirmed what we know to be true: the future of this region depends on our ability to work together during a time of significant challenges and opportunities,” the statement read.
The leaders highlighted the region’s interconnected economies, its reliance on a shared and mobile workforce, and the critical role of a strong transit network. “Our competitiveness as a region and our ability to deliver for our residents rests on how well we coordinate and invest in shared priorities,” the statement said, pointing to job creation, workforce training, and the need for a world-class transit system that allows people to live, work, and move freely throughout the national capital region.
