By Joe Wicke
Capital News Service
ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Wes Moore and Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox will face off Tuesday in a televised debate four weeks ahead of Election Day.
The one-hour debate will air at 7 p.m. on Maryland Public Television. C-SPAN, WBAL-TV 11 and WBAL News Radio in Baltimore, NBC4 Washington and public media stations WHUT and WETA will also show the debate.
The debate will be recorded live earlier Tuesday.
It is the only scheduled debate between the two leading gubernatorial candidates before the Nov. 3 election. The race is the second time Moore, a Democrat, and Cox have run against each other for the governor’s seat. They were both candidates in 2022.
Other gubernatorial candidates on the ballot are Andy Ellis of the Green Party and Cathy White of the Working Class Party.
Some key issues likely to be debated include affordability, loss of jobs, redistricting and data centers, experts say.
Moore has made affordability one of his priority issues in his reelection bid. A vocal critic of the Trump administration, Moore has criticized the president’s policies, saying they contribute to a higher cost of living.
Moore has frequently tied Cox’s policies to the Trump administration.
“In four years, Maryland has created nearly 60,000 new businesses, crime has fallen to record lows, and math and reading scores have hit a five year high…,” Moore said in a statement Thursday. “Marylanders know our record, and the MAGA agenda my opponent threatens to bring to Maryland.”
Cox argues that Moore’s policies have made Maryland more expensive. In a Sept. 4 Facebook post, he said the average Maryland family of four is paying $7,800 a year more in cost of living expenses since Moore took office.
Matthew Burger, an assistant professor of political science at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, said that, in addition to concerns about affordability, there are also worries that business development and the economy have become “sluggish.” He cited examples such as the closure of Six Flags America in Bowie and the temporary plans to halt relocation of the FBI headquarters in Greenbelt.
Data centers a debate issue
Moore and Cox also differ on regulations and the development of data centers.
Moore signed an executive order Sept. 23 to create strict guardrails for data center development in Maryland. The order includes the establishment of a Maryland Data Center Task Force, which oversees data center projects.
Among Cox’s campaign promises is a statewide moratorium on data centers.
Burger also said redistricting will likely come up in the debate. Moore has been outspoken about redrawing Maryland’s congressional map after President Donald Trump called for some states in 2025 to alter their U.S. House district lines.
While it does not directly impact the gubernatorial race, Burger said Cox may use the opportunity to paint Moore as a radical.
“I think Cox will bring this up to challenge [Moore’s] credibility as a moderate — somebody that’s in it for all Marylanders rather than being highly partisan,” Burger said.
Moore defeated Cox 64.5% to 32.15% in 2022.
Polling sites will be open Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting will run Oct. 22 to Oct. 29.
