Former Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan famously had unusually high approval numbers as he left office, but the state’s current Democratic Gov. Wes Moore is also pretty popular among voters.
Overall, nearly 60% of Maryland voters approve of the job Moore is doing so far, according to a new poll released by Gonzales Research and Media Services.
“His numbers are staying pretty steady,” said the organization’s president, Patrick Gonzales. “He’s bumped up since the beginning of last year a little, and they’re enviable numbers.”
The poll was conducted from Jan. 23 through Feb. 2.
A total of 815 registered voters in Maryland who vote regularly were contacted through phone interviews on both landlines and cell phones.
The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
According to the poll, 58% of voters overall approve of the job Moore is doing.
By party, 74% of Democrats approve of the job Moore is doing, while 27% of Republicans said they approved.
“That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s way higher than most elected Democrats receive from Republicans,” said Gonzales.
Among independents, 52% said they approve.
When Hogan left office last year, he had a 77% approval rating overall among voters statewide, according to Gonzales.
Moore said during his second State of the State speech last week that Maryland has boundless opportunities but is “leaving too much potential on the table” as he charts a course forward through challenging times that includes a long-term plan for governing.
The address continued a narrative by the governor and others that a state often considered to be one of the nation’s wealthiest, benefiting from proximity to the nation’s capital, has been falling short of its potential.
The governor highlighted efforts to reduce child poverty and to increase jobs during his first year in office. His first year also included big headlines, with Maryland winning the site of a new FBI headquarters and challenging negotiations that resulted in a new lease with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
He underscored initiatives to improve public safety, increase affordable housing and enhance the state’s competitiveness in business this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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