Poll shows Maryland Gov. Wes Moore approval rating rises to 56%

MARYLAND (WBFF) — A new statewide poll shows Gov. Wes Moore’s job approval rating has climbed to 56% as he heads into the final stretch of the gubernatorial campaign.

The Maryland Now poll, conducted by Blended Public Affairs in partnership with Perry Jacobson, found 56% of respondents approve of the job Gov. Moore is doing, while 39% disapprove — a net approval of +17. The poll notes that this is an increase from July 2025, when the same question produced a net approval of +8.

The survey also found that if the election were held today, 58% of respondents said they would vote for Moore, compared with 31% who said they would vote for Republican challenger Dan Cox — a 27-point lead.

Barring something unforeseen happening over the next 85 days, Governor Moore appears to be on a glide path to re-election,” said Adam Carlson, founding partner of Zenith Research, which conducted the poll. “He leads Republican Dan Cox across every gender, age group, race/ethnicity, and income bracket. And he has a much stronger approval rating than the Democratic Party among voters under age 35, those in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, Black voters with a four-year college degree, and progressives.

The poll found Moore’s approval rating is higher than the Democratic Party’s overall standing among respondents. The Democratic Party posted a 50% approval rating, compared with 47% who disapprove, according to the poll.

In a separate statement responding to the poll results, Maryland Democratic Party Chairman Steuart Pittman said, “Marylanders love Wes Moore because he delivers real results for real people, and in November they’re going to send a message by sending him back to Annapolis for another four years.”

Pittman pointed to several metrics he said reflect progress since Moore took office, including business creation, public safety and education outcomes. “Since taking office Maryland has created 60,000 new businesses, homicides have fallen 44%, and nearly every single grade has made improvements in reading and math scores,” Pittman said. He also said Moore has worked “across the aisle to grow our economy, make our communities safer, and strengthen our public schools–all while working to drive down costs for Maryland’s working families.”

Beyond the governor’s numbers, the Maryland Now poll included several issue findings. It found majorities support both building more nuclear power plants (56%) and keeping natural gas plants operating longer (56%) to meet growing electricity demand, including a majority of self-identified Democrats supporting both actions.

The poll also found 79% support allowing the sale of beer and wine in grocery stores, and 58% support using public-private partnerships to address bridges that are structurally deficient.

The Maryland Now survey of 800 likely general election voters was conducted by Zenith Research between July 27, 2026, and Aug. 3, 2026, using a mix of text-to-web and an online opt-in panel.

Read the poll results in full below: