More than three-fourths of Marylanders are concerned about the ballooning cost of electricity, according to a new poll by Gonzales Research & Media Services.
Compared to one year ago, 57% of Marylanders said their electric bill is now much higher, while 19% said it is somewhat higher and another 19% said it is about the same.
Nearly four out of five residents expressed concerns about rising electricity costs, including 53% who are very concerned and 25% who said they are somewhat concerned. Only 21% said they are not concerned.
Gov. Wes Moore’s approval rating has dipped over the past two months, with the Maryland leader losing ground among Republican and Independent voters.
The poll found that 55% of Maryland voters approve of Moore’s job as governor, down from 61% in early January.
The governor’s support fell the most among Independents, with only 34% of those voters saying they approve of the job he is doing, compared to 53% in January. The poll also found 17% of Republican voters approve of Moore, down from 33% in January.
Meanwhile, support from Democrats improved slightly compared to two months ago, rising from 79% in January to 83% in this latest poll.
Only about one-third of Marylanders approve of President Donald Trump. While the president’s approval rating ticked up slightly (from 34% in January to 36% now), so did his disapproval rating (from 58% in January to 62% now) as more of the “no response” voters from January firm up their opinions of Trump.
Elon Musk, who has shepherded a series of federal cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency, also is disapproved by two-thirds of Maryland voters.
“Seldom do we see numbers that leave a look of astonishment on our face akin to a child’s on Christmas morning, but such occurred herein…98% of the those who strongly disapprove of the job Donald Trump is doing also strongly disapprove of the job Elon Musk is doing as head of DOGE. Such a lockstep attitude requires a heavy dose of reflexive emotion,” wrote Patrick E. Gonzales, who oversees the poll.
Economic conditions varied widely across those who were polled, though more than half described their family’s economic situation as “fair” (40%) or poor (18%). Meanwhile, 37% rated economic conditions for their family as “good” and 5% said they are “excellent.”
Half of Marylanders feel the state is heading in the wrong direction, while only 41% said it was moving in the right direction.
As Maryland faces a $3 billion deficit, current law mandates the state spend $10 billion on public education over the next 3 years as part of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The poll found 45% of respondents support an increase in their state and local taxes to help pay for the education funding, while 50% oppose raising taxes.
The Gonzales poll surveyed 804 registered Maryland voters likely to vote in the next election. Respondents were reached by phone from March 5-9. The poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
