The Upcoming Gubernatorial Election

In Maryland the Democrats are pushing for different nominees to challenge sitting Governor Larry Hogan. Although Maryland is a consistently majority blue state, Governor Hogan is Republican.

It has nearly been three years since Larry Hogan was elected to serve as the governor of Maryland. He is running once again for re-election as his second term as governor. The election will be occurring on November 6, 2018.

In this race, the polls are being overshadowed by more than 50 percent popularity of Governor Hogan. Nevertheless, one candidate, Ben Jealous has established a sizable voter support bloc. His background as the former President and CEO of NAACP positions him with a unique advantage in rallying constituent votes.

A Washington Post- University of Maryland poll indicates the number of voters that would vote for a specific gubernatorial candidate if the Democratic primary elections were to be held at this time. Ben Jealous remains in the lead by a five-point percentage margin above Rushern Baker. Baker was elected county executive of Prince George’s County, Maryland in 2010 and won re-election in 2014.

By contrast, Baker leads Jealous 32 percent to 12 percent among likely Democratic voters in the Washington suburbs, where Baker is known for serving as the top elected official in Prince George's County for seven years. Hogan, on the other hand, has an approval rating that is up six points from last year. It excels the approval ratings for any of the past three governors since the late 1900s. Within the registered voters, the amount of ratings inches higher, hitting 74 percent.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats approve of Hogan's overall performance as the governor. He leads each Democratic opponent by at least ten

Regardless of the months full of advertising and campaigning, none of the seven Democratic contenders have been able to successfully differentiate amongst one another. Nevertheless, some have occupied more of the public eye than other candidates.

A quarter of voters polled by The Washington Post stated that they would vote for Jealous or Baker in a general-election matchup against Governor Hogan. Despite the increasingly partisan climate of our national politics, the Maryland gubernatorial race heavily favors the incumbent Republican governor.

Written by Pelin Altintas

Photo Courtesy of MCPS

Published by PR Department