Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has been saying for months that he does not plan to run for president in 2028.

That isn’t stopping persistent talk about his future political plans, though. He's often mentioned as a potential candidate for national office.

While Moore says he’s focusing on being governor, he is still making appearances that get him national attention outside of Maryland.

On Friday, he is set to travel to speak at the Blue Palmetto Dinner in the early primary state of South Carolina.

Moore says he’s keeping focused on being the state’s governor during a challenging time. 

“I’m not running,” Moore told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. He also said when asked that he isn’t trying to get his name in the conversation for a potential vice presidential candidacy, either.

The trip to South Carolina includes meetings with business prospects, Moore said.

“And people should get very used to me going all over the country bringing business back to Maryland, because that's exactly what I plan on doing as long as I'm the governor of the state,” Moore said after a dedication in Annapolis for a memorial to former Rep. Parren Mitchell, the state's first Black congressman.

Moore, 46, is the state’s first Black governor, and the only Black governor currently serving. He is the former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty nonprofit. He also is a Rhodes scholar and a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan.