BALTIMORE — Wes Moore, the Democratic nominee for Maryland governor, has widened his lead over his Republican counterpart Dan Cox, according to a new poll by The Washington Post and the University of Maryland.
Moore leads with 60% support in comparison to Cox at 28%, the statewide poll of 810 Maryland registered voters found. Pollsters conducted the survey by phone from Sept. 22 – 27.
A Goucher College Poll had Moore with a 22-point lead earlier in September, but the latest poll bumps him 10 percentage points higher with five weeks left until election day.
Moore’s support peaks in Prince George’s County at 78%, and he has 60% support in Baltimore. In more rural areas of the state like southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore, Cox leads by 15 points.
The Democrat’s campaign said the results of the poll show voters won’t support Cox’s hard-right positions, but that they won’t become complacent.
“The data is clear, Marylanders understand the stakes of this election and know that Dan Cox is far too extreme for Maryland,” a campaign spokesperson said. “Wes Moore has the momentum, but we can’t take our foot off the gas for even a second. If elected, Wes will build up Maryland’s education system, boost the economy, and make Maryland’s communities safer—he’s the clear choice in November.”
Dan Cox’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Moore took the crowded Democratic primary by leading former U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez by about 10 points and Comptroller Peter Franchot by about 17 points.
An author, military veteran, Rhodes Scholar and nonprofit CEO, Moore first gained recognition for his 2010 bestselling memoir, “The Other Wes Moore.”
In the GOP primary, Cox, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, defeated Kelly Schulz, who was endorsed by popular Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who is term-limited.
Cox, an election denier who has taken a series of hard-line conservative positions, faces disdain from fellow Republican Gov. Hogan.
The Washington Post-UMD poll found that Marylander’s support for Hogan is strong as ever, despite the “R” by his name, with 77% support from all party affiliations. The Washington Post said Hogan has “the highest approval ratings of any governor in the two decades The Post has polled voters.”