Maryland voters weigh in on presidential election, governor's approval in new Gonzales Poll

BALTIMORE - With a little more than two months until election day, the majority of Marylanders surveyed in the new Gonzales Poll would vote for Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump for president.

A total of 820 registered voters in Maryland who indicated they are likely to vote in the 2024 general election were queried for the poll by live telephone interviews, utilizing both landline and cellphone numbers between August 24 and August 30. 

A cross-section of interviews was conducted throughout the state, reflecting Maryland's general election voting patterns, the pollster said. 

The Gonzales Poll stated that "the margin of error, per accepted statistical standards, is a range of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points and if the entire population was surveyed, there is a 95% probability that the true numbers would fall within this range."

Presidential survey

According to the latest Gonzales Poll, 56% of Marylanders surveyed said they would vote for Harris over Trump for president.

The poll says 84% of Democrats support the Harris/Tim Walz ticket and 80% of Republicans support the Trump/JD Vance ticket. Also, 83% of Black voters polled would vote for Harris/Walz.

Among the independents, 38% favor Harris/Walz and 36% prefer Trump/Vance, according to the poll.  

Gov. Moore's approval gets a bump

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who led the state's response to the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March, has the approval of 64% of Marylanders surveyed. Moore has a 35% "mostly soft approval" among Republicans who were surveyed (7% strongly approve, 28% somewhat approve)," the poll shows.

His approval rating increased by 33% since the last Gonzales Poll in the winter.

Last month, the governor spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Harris, who was nominated as the party's presidential candidate.

He framed Harris' candidacy as "the story of a prosecutor who defended our freedoms and had Maryland's back when we needed it most. And now MVP: We've got yours."   

President Biden's approval

The Gonzales Poll shows that 53% of Maryland voters surveyed approve of the job President Joe Biden is doing, while 45% disapprove. Seventy-six percent of the Democrats believe Biden is doing a good job in office, and 84% of Republicans disagree.

State transportation and juvenile reform

According to the poll, 95% of Marylanders think it is "important for the State to invest in improving its transportation infrastructure."

And, when it comes to juvenile crime, voters were asked, "What type of laws, in your opinion, ultimately better help our children under 18 who commit crimes - Laws that are strict, which include things such as juvenile detention and boot camps. This hold individuals responsible and accountable for their behavior; or Laws that are lenient, which include social programs and counseling. This recognizes that society is responsible for much of this behavior?"

The poll shows that 58% of Marylanders are in favor of strict laws, which holds juveniles responsible and accountable for their behavior, and only 34% desire laws that are lenient. 

"A majority of nearly every demographic group backs strict laws to inspire a sense of personal responsibility and to best assist our juvenile offenders ultimately realize at least a chance at a successful, happy life," the poll said.  

Is the country going in the right direction?

Fifty percent of Marylanders polled say the country is headed in the right direction, while 45% say the country is headed in the wrong direction.

According to the poll, 93% of Maryland voters who think the country is moving in the right direction are voting for Harris/Walz, and 70% of Maryland voters who think the country is moving in the wrong direction are voting for Trump/Vance.  

In the previous poll, 41% of voters said the country was headed in the right direction.

"The mood of voters in Maryland vis-à-vis how they perceive things overall going in the country is a tad less grumpy than it was in winter," the Gonzales Poll said.