below 50% for the first time

A new poll released Wednesday finds Gov. Wes Moore (D) with less than 50% job approval.

The survey by the Institute of Politics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County is the first to show Moore under 50% since he was sworn in three years ago. At the same time, nearly 6 in 10 respondents said the state is moving in the wrong direction.

Mileah Kromer, director of the poll, said the overarching tone of the survey is the concern, frustration and anger over affordability issues. Sooner or later, the governor becomes the focal point.

“That’s the thing about being the governor, you get the credit when things are going great,” Kromer said. “He can’t as an individual fix grocery prices. But people tend to hold the chief executive of the state accountable.”

Overall, 48% of those surveyed said they approve of the job Moore is doing. Another 42% said they disapprove and 9% said they did not know.

“If you compare the numbers, this is a trend, right? I mean, it’s 54% from October 2024 down to 48% now,” Kromer said. “It’s a trend. And it tracks exactly what with everything else. For Wes Moore, the individual, there’s been a downward trend. It’s also a downward trend in the way people think about the economic conditions in Maryland. All these things are trending in the wrong direction if you’re the person in charge of the government.”

Pinched from all sides, Marylanders focus on the costs of everything

The poll surveyed 804 Maryland adults between March 17 and 22. Of those, 731 identified as registered voters. The margin of error for part two of the poll is 3.5%.

Part one of the poll, released Tuesday, covered the economy and affordability issues. Part three is scheduled for Thursday morning.

The new polling comes a week after Moore was booed by some fans attending the home opener of the Baltimore Orioles.

Moore, in an interview with Fox 45, downplayed the jeers. He said “boo gate” was driven by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and its conservative owners.

“The thing that I would say is this: There’s a reason why I still am one of the most popular governors in the country, because I think people continue to believe in the work that we’re doing and people continue to know I fight for our people,” Moore said.

Two Maryland surveys, including the UMBC poll, tell the story of a popular governor who has seen his numbers soften over the last 18 months.

In 2024, Moore’s voter approval was 64%. Just as important was the massive 35-point separation between those who said they approved and disapproved of his job performance.

Since then, polls by both UMBC and by Gonzales Research and Media Services have shown a trend of lower approval numbers. At the same time, the gap between approval and disapproval has narrowed.

In the UMBC poll released Wednesday, that gap stands at 6 points, down from 8 in the previous poll by the college.

A majority of Democrats — 69% — said they approve of Moore’s efforts. That’s down 9 points from the poll released by Kromer in November.

And while the majority of Republicans still disapprove of Moore, the governor saw an improvement. Today, 25% of Republicans, about three times as many as November, said they approve of Moore’s performance while 73% disapprove — a number that is down from 89%.

Even so, Moore is still considered the odds-on favorite to win a second term.

Republicans in the race face a series of challenges including funding, positions more in line with an unpopular Republican president, lack of experience in statewide campaigns, and in one case previously losing to Moore in historic fashion.

The winner of the Republican primary will face a well-funded Democrat incumbent who has no primary challenge and continues to earn national media attention.

A growing number of Marylanders are increasingly pessimistic about the direction of the state.

Nearly 6 in 10 surveyed said the state is on the wrong track. That’s up 12 points from the November survey.

Additionally, 76% rated the state’s economic condition as poor or fair. The percentage of Marylanders in the UMBC survey that rated the economic conditions as poor or fair has increased in three previous UMBC polls dating to October 2024 when 66% had a dim view of the state’s economy.

“Overwhelmingly, Marylanders are saying the cost of living across all these indicators is higher than it was last year,” Kromer said. “They don’t think things are going well. They’re mad.”

Marylanders are not just unhappy with their governor.

The survey also found that Marylanders are increasingly distrustful of local, state and federal government as well as the major political parties.

“It’s not just a Wes Moore thing,” Kromer said. “It’s a general gloomy, gloomy picture.”

The survey found 53% of those who responded said they trust their neighbors “just about always” or “most of the time.”

Second best was the Democratic Party at 30% followed by local and state government.

One in 5 surveyed said the Republican Party.

Dead last was the federal government at 15%.