Gov. Wes Moore and President Joe Biden saw boosts to their approval ratings, and Marylanders weighed in on issues like whether teens accused of committing violent crimes should no longer be charged as adults, in a new poll released Tuesday by Gonzales Research.
Gonzales Research & Media Services surveyed 818 registered Maryland voters by phone from Sept. 19-28. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
The poll found that 60% of Maryland voters approve of the job Moore is doing as governor, up from 55% in a Gonzales poll in June.
Support for the Maryland governor saw significant increases among Republicans – with 30% of those voters approving of Moore’s job, compared to 19% in June. His support also grew among independent voters – 53% in the latest poll, compared to 47% – and remained fairly level among Democrats – with 78% approving of his job as of September, compared to 77% in June.
“Governor Moore’s 30% approval rating among his Maryland “Grand Old Party”
constituents is one of the best marks we’ve seen a Republican voter bloc confer
on an elected Democrat officeholder in a long time,” according to the poll results.
Biden also saw his approval rating increase by 5 percentage points in Maryland, from 52% in June to 57% now.
The president’s rating was split along party lines, with 87% of Democrats approving of his job and 90% of Republicans disapproving. For independent voters, 42% approve while 55% disapprove.
The poll also asked voters their thoughts on former President Donald Trump’s job as president. In Maryland, 37% of voters approve, while 61% disapprove – including 52% who indicated strong disapproval.
Again, the former president’s rating showed a divide along party lines, with 83% of Republicans approving of his job as president and 87% of Democrats disapproving.
Voters were also asked to weigh in on guns, crime, and the justice system in Maryland.
On the question of whether a 12-year-old should be criminally charged for bringing a loaded gun to school, 66% of Marylanders agreed they should be criminally charged, while 31% disagreed. Republicans were more in agreement with criminal charging in this scenario (81% agree), while only 57% of Democrats agreed. Among independents, 69% agree.
