BETHESDA, Md. - In nearly two weeks, Maryland voters will head to the polls to decide who will serve in Annapolis for the next four years. The race will be a do-over between Republican Dan Cox and incumbent Democratic Governor Wes Moore.
What we know:
Moore is ahead in the polls, but it’s a race that has taken a bit of a backseat this year.
The congressional mid-term elections will decide which party controls Congress and will include a congressional redistricting ballot question, which has pushed Maryland’s gubernatorial race out of the spotlight.
A poll by the Institute of Politics at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) has Gov. Moore leading Cox 51% to 24%. Early voting starts in the state of Maryland on Thursday, Oct. 22.
With Gov. Moore ahead by a two-to-one margin, and other political races taking up oxygen, the governor insists he’s not taking this race, or his re-election, for granted.
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"Well, I think that we had a lot of people who chose not to run against us, shows the strength of our administration, and it continues to show that we’ve delivered results for people," Gov. Moore said. "When people said we have to address violent crime, we’ve had among the fastest drop in violent crime in America, and we know there’s more work to be done."
Defending Maryland ballot question
Gov. Moore has been running two races; one for re-election and another to get a yes vote on Ballot Question 3. If approved, it may lead to Maryland redrawing congressional districts and possibly eliminating the state’s only Republican congressman.
UMBC’s poll found 53% oppose the move. However, the governor continues to defend the effort.
"What this is basically saying, a yes to question three is a no to Donald Trump, because what Donald Trump has been doing for over a year is trying to manipulate elections where he’s telling Republican states that they should be mid-district state; they should do midterm redistricting, but telling Democratic states that they should sit on their hands," the governor said.
READ MORE | 53% of likely Maryland voters oppose congressional redistricting amendment
Election security
Gov. Moore also told FOX 5 DC that he is taking election security seriously in Maryland.
He currently serves as the Chairman of the Bipartisan National Governor’s Association, which he says is focused on insuring the 2026 elections are "fair and safe" and that every vote is counted.
When asked if he is concerned that some of his supporters might be taking re-election for granted, Gov. Moore said, "I don’t pay attention to polls."
"There is only one number that matters, and that is on Election Day, so we are going to run hard," the governor said. "We are going to make our case, and we are going to keep reminding people how, for the past three years, we’ve seen how Maryland’s seen the fastest drop in violent crime anywhere in the United States of America."
The Source: Information in this article is from a one-on-one interview with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and a UMBC poll.