Margin for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's approval rating is tightening, Gonzales poll shows

The majority of Maryland voters surveyed in the new Gonzales poll approve of the job Gov. Wes Moore is doing and that he is leading the state in the right direction.

However, the gap is closing.

The poll, conducted between December 21, 2025, to January 6, 2026, surveyed 808 Marylanders.

The results of this poll have a margin of error (MOE), per accepted statistical standards, of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, the poll states. Therefore, if the entire population were surveyed, there is a 95% probability that the true numbers would fall within this range, the poll says.

Moore's approval rating drops to 52%

Gov. Moore was elected the state's governor in 2022.

In the current state, the poll shows that 52% of those surveyed approve of the job the governor is doing, while 41% don't approve, and 7% have no opinion.

However, his disapproval rating has increased over the years, from 25% to 41%. And, his approval rating has declined from 64%  in 2024 to now 52%.

"What was once a comfortable margin is now a tightening squeeze," the Gonzales poll stated. 

The poll shows that 47% of Marylanders believe the state is headed in the right direction, but 44% say the state is headed in the wrong direction.

"These numbers suggest an electorate caught in a moment of collective ambivalence, where nearly equal shares of people see progress and decline in the very same landscape," the poll says.

Are Maryland taxes too high?

The majority of Maryland voters polled say they pay too much in taxes. The poll reveals that 58% say they pay too much, and 41% say they pay about the right amount of taxes.

"Much of the 58% majority saying they pay 'too much' likely speaks less to arithmetic than to the deeper question for voters of whether the social contract in the Free State still feels reciprocal," according to the poll.

Would you re-elect Gov. Moore today?

Half of the voters said they would vote to re-elect Gov. Moore if the election were held today, compared to 28% who say they'd vote for the Republican challenger, and 6% said they would vote for a third-party candidate, and 16% are undecided. 

Poli said that among voters who think they pay too much in taxes, a hypothetical Republican candidate bests incumbent Moore by thirteen points, 47% to 34%.