Maryland Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Democrat Wes Moore has a hefty lead over GOP state Del. Dan Cox in the Maryland governor’s race, per a new poll.
Per the Washington Post-University of Maryland poll, Moore lead Cox 60%-28% among registered voters.
Moore not only performed strongly with Democrats but also attracted the support of 22% of Republicans.
Democratic newcomer Wes Moore has a massive 32-percentage point lead over his challenger, Republican state Del. Dan Cox, in the Maryland governor’s race as the contest heads into its final stretch, according to a newly-released Washington Post-University of Maryland poll.
The survey showed Moore with a 60%-28% edge over Cox; nine percent of respondents were undecided.
The results showed that 86% of Democrats backed Moore, with only 3% crossing over to support Cox.
However, Cox earned a lower share of support among Republicans (71%) — not nearly enough for a GOP candidate to come close to winning in the solidly Democratic state. Moore, on the other hand, has the support of 22% of Republicans.
Moore’s crossover support with Republicans is similar to two-term GOP Gov. Larry Hogan’s support among a substantial bloc of Democrats, which allowed the governor to win in 2014 and 2018 despite the Democratic strength in most other statewide races.
Each candidate attracted the support of 38% of Independents. Yet, there is still time for both candidates to persuade this voting bloc, with 16% stating that they were undecided.
Moore, an author and former nonprofit executive, captured his party’s nomination in a highly-competitive July multicandidate Democratic primary by focusing on kitchen-table economic issues and offering himself as a champion of issues including education reform, the environment, and improvements in public safety.
If elected, Moore would be Maryland’s first Black governor.
Cox, a GOP state lawmaker from Frederick County who entered the race largely because of the state’s COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, is backed by former President Donald Trump.
The Washington Post-University of Maryland polled 810 registered voters from September 22 through 27; the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.