ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s job approval rating slipped below 50% for the first time since he was elected more than three years ago, according to a UMBC poll released Wednesday.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Institute of Politics polled 804 Maryland residents about their views on the governor’s performance, the state’s economy and their trust in the government. Among the respondents, 48% approved of the job Moore is doing, 42% disapproved and 9% said they weren’t sure.
Many respondents were also concerned about affordability and the state’s economy. Some of those concerns fell on Moore.
“When things are going well, you get the credit,” Mileah Kromer, the institute’s director, told Capital News Service. “Part of being the governor of the state is that you take the blame and you take people’s frustrations when they’re not happy with the way things are going.”
The poll had a margin of error of 3.5% and was conducted March 17-22.
Of those who disapproved of the first-term Democratic governor, 27% cited higher taxes and fees as a top reason. Twenty-four percent attributed their stance to “poor leadership, dishonesty, or personal dislike.” Other top reasons included fiscal mismanagement, the state budget deficit, too much spending and increased cost of living.
Respondents who supported Moore also cited affordability, while 20 percent supported his handling of crises, the state’s economy, jobs and affordability.
Moore is running for reelection this year. Despite speculation from national media and some fellow Democrats, Moore has repeatedly pushed back against suggestions he has ambitions for higher office. Moore said he is focused on Maryland.
Moore’s campaign defended his record.
Carter Elliott IV, senior communications adviser to Moore’s campaign, acknowledged voters’ affordability concerns in a statement Wednesday, but pointed to the impact President Donald Trump’s policies have had on the state. The Trump administration has slashed 25,000 federal jobs in Maryland, cut healthcare and SNAP benefits, and led to higher prices for gas, groceries and utilities, Elliott said.
“Of course Marylanders aren’t happy right now, every single day the president is directly attacking them,” he said.
Elliott added Moore is working tirelessly to combat the “direct hits from Washington” through energy rebates, proposing a budget that doesn’t raise taxes and spurring economic growth. He said Moore has a strong record of lowering costs for Marylanders despite Trump policies that hurt the economy.
He said the campaign is confident Moore will “win big” in November.
But the poll comes amid a difficult session for Moore. The congressional redistricting plan he championed on the national stage stalled in the Senate. He once again had to close a $1 billion projected state budget deficit. And he’s faced the impact of federal changes, including the loss of thousands of federal jobs in Maryland.
Since his election in 2022, Moore’s approval ratings have been mostly stable. In a previous poll from UMBC in October 2024, 54% approved of his job performance. In February 2025, he was at 52%.
But his disapproval rate has steadily increased. Since October 2024, the disapproval rate has increased by about 10%.
The poll results painted a bleak picture for Maryland. Seventy-six percent rated the state’s economic conditions as “poor” or “fair,” with only 30% believing Maryland is on the right track. Fifty-nine percent said the state is heading in the wrong direction.
In the poll, only one group of people had the trust of more than 50% of respondents: neighbors.
“Nobody trusts the federal government,” Kromer said. “Nobody trusts the state government or the local government. Or the Democratic Party. Or the Republican Party … Our poll is a really broad picture of a very frustrated Maryland electorate.”