Hogan to leave office with high approval ratings intact, Gonzales Poll finds

BALTIMORE -- A new administration is shaping up in Annapolis as Gov. Larry Hogan says goodbye with his approval ratings intact.

With Maryland one day away from having a new leader, it seems Governor-elect Wes Moore will have some big shoes to fill.

A Gonzales Poll released overnight found Hogan will be leaving the office tomorrow on a high note, departing with the same strong job approval ratings he's enjoyed for most of his time in office.

The telephone poll of about 800 registered voters statewide was taken last week found statewide. The pollsters found 77% of Maryland voters approve of the job Hogan has done as Maryland's governor.

Despite being in an overwhelmingly Democratic state, Hogan - a moderate republican - has remained popular. With 81% approval among democrats.

That's 13 points higher than among republicans.

Equally significant is Hogan's job approval rating among Black voters, which stands at 81% percent, compared to 76% for white voters, according to the poll. 

And it wasn't just local leaders that were subjects of this poll.

Gonzales researchers also wanted to know respondents' thoughts on President Biden and how he's doing as president.

The pollsters said 58% of Maryland voters approve of how the president is doing - and it's pretty divided along partisan and racial lines.

Biden's job approval rating among democrats was equal to Hogan's - 81%, while republicans massively disapprove.

Respondents to the survey were also asked about how they feel about the direction of the country and some key issues moving forward.

The poll found the voters are not pleased with congress, and that seems to be driving their opinion of which way they think the country is headed.

Only 31% of Marylanders say things are moving in the right direction. while 59% say it's going the wrong way.

In Maryland, as a new administration gets ready to settle in at the state house, inflation and crime lead Marylander's concerns, the pollsters found, followed by education and transportation.

Wednesday afternoon-- governor-elect Wes Moore will be sworn into office inside the state house.

WJZ will have live coverage from Annapolis, beginning on our streaming platform CBS News Baltimore at 11:30. At noon the swearing-in ceremony can also be seen on-air on WJZ. 

Read the poll results here: Gonzales Maryland Poll January 2023