DemocraticIncumbent
Wes Moore
Incumbent Governor of Maryland, first elected in 2022. He is a former author, Army combat veteran, and nonprofit executive.
Campaign siteState
Governor / Lt. Governor
The Governor is Maryland's chief executive, responsible for signing bills into law, managing the state budget, and overseeing state agencies. The Lt. Governor assists the Governor and is first in the line of succession.
Republican
Dan Cox
Republican nominee for Governor, previously served as a state delegate. His running mate is Rob Kroh.
Campaign site
Compare on the issues
| Issue | Wes Moore | Dan Cox | Andy Ellis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy & Taxes | Campaign states he raised the minimum wage to $15/hour and expanded tax credits for families. FY 2027 budget proposal focuses on economic competitiveness without raising taxes and supports The DECADE Act of 2026 to attract businesses. Supports “a more progressive tax policy” to ensure “everyone pays their fair share,” raising “the tax rate for higher income levels,” and reforming corporate tax codes. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Pledges to cut the corporate and income tax rate to 4.9% and reverse fees. Campaign states his focus is on affordability and providing resources to business owners. Supports lowering “property taxes,” “corporate taxes,” and “fuel taxes”; in 2016 said he will “grow jobs… by lowering the business and individual tax rates.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide)▶ Watch interview: Maryland Public Television · Direct Connection, July 13, 2026 (starts 0:40) | “Economy for the people, not the corporations”: tax the wealth of the wealthy, close corporate tax loopholes and end corporate tax breaks, make user fees progressive, charter a public bank for infrastructure and renewable energy, modernize unemployment benefits, and build a decade-long cooperative worker-ownership program. (gogreen2026.com/economy) |
| Education | Proposed budget includes a historic $10.2 billion for K-12 schools. Backs increased K-12 and higher-education funding and will work toward “LGBTQ+-affirming policies” at schools to combat harassment and offer mental health care. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | States he will restore funding that was removed from the DDA (Developmental Disabilities Administration) budget. Supports parental choice and funding for “private, charter, and homeschool K-12 learning”; voted against legislation increasing education funding by $3.8 billion per year for 10 years but supports raising teachers’ salaries. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Platform pledges to “build out and fully fund our public education system so it truly works for all.” (gogreen2026.com/platform) |
| Public Safety | Proposed budget increases funding for local police agencies by $2 million, to a record $124 million. “With the ‘responsibility’ of being a police officer, ‘there’s going to be accountability.’” Supports civilian review boards and wants a police force committed to “abolishing police brutality… racial profiling… and the no-knock warrants.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Pledges to use an emergency order to begin rebuilding the Key Bridge immediately and ensure all bridges and roads are safe. Will back the police, maintain “quasi-immunity,” “double their pay,” and treat them like “heroes.” Voted against independent investigation of use of force resulting in death and against making officer misconduct records public. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Energy & Environment | Supports expanding clean energy production, such as solar, to lower utility bills. His executive order creates a regulatory framework for data centers to address grid reliability and community impact. | Proposes bringing power plants back online, pursuing clean energy like SMRs and LNGs, and preserving farmland. Calls for a statewide ban on data centers to protect the state from rising energy costs. Wants to end the fracking ban to produce more energy; voted against bills establishing an electric school bus pilot program and prohibiting wild animal trafficking. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide)▶ Watch interview: FOX45 Baltimore · Morning News interview, September 24, 2026 (starts 0:00)▶ Watch interview: WBAL NewsRadio · C4 & Bryan Nehman show, July 16, 2026 (starts 0:00)▶ Watch interview: WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore, July 16, 2026 (starts 0:00) | Day-one executive order to halt all state data-center permit approvals and ban agency NDAs with developers; 2027 legislation to ban new data-center construction, repeal their tax breaks, tax AI and crypto transactions, and impose the nation's strictest water, land, energy, and emissions rules on existing facilities. Platform also calls for declaring climate, environment, energy, food, and water emergencies. (gogreen2026.com/data-centers, /platform) |
| Healthcare | Supports an expanded government role in health care; has called abortion “health care” and pledged to make reproductive care “more affordable and accessible.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide)▶ Watch interview: CBS News · Face the Nation, April 5, 2026 (starts 9:05) | Opposes an expanded government role in health care. In 2016 said he supports a “free-market approach” and opposes “government-run healthcare.” Voted against a bill to maximize enrollment in affordable insurance programs, and called COVID-19 health measures “oppression.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Immigration | “Immigration is what make our country rich.” As CEO of a nonprofit foundation, pushed for support for immigrant families left out of the American Rescue Plan and gave $150,000 to a college in NYC to help undocumented DACA students. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide)▶ Watch interview: CBS News · Face the Nation, February 15, 2026 (starts 0:00) | Says he will “end ‘sanctuary’ cities” and “secure our borders.” Voted against bills to extend a tax credit to undocumented taxpaying immigrants and to expand immigrants’ protections, and opposed a bill prohibiting police from asking suspects their immigration status. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Government & Ethics | Supports the Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act to expand housing near rail stations and the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act to protect consumers. | Platform includes a focus on affordability and accountability in state government. His campaign was endorsed by former Gov. Robert Ehrlich. | Plan to “end the corruption of the two-party system”: open primaries to unaffiliated voters, optional ranked-choice voting, public financing for state and school-board races, a Corporate Reset Act barring corporate campaign finance, electronic petition signatures, all-candidate televised debates, and 2028 ballot amendments for citizen initiative and proportional representation. (gogreen2026.com/two-parties) |
| Legal Abortion | Legal. “I believe that abortion is health care” and will make “reproductive care more affordable and accessible”; would “ensure Maryland will be a safe haven for abortion.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Ban. “I firmly believe in pro-life values.” Would stop taxpayer funds going to out-of-state patients seeking abortion in state, and sponsored a bill prohibiting abortions of fetuses with a heartbeat, at roughly six weeks. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Climate Change | Treats climate change as a priority; supports clean-energy investment and emissions reduction. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Does not see climate change as a top priority. Voted against bills supporting lowering greenhouse gas emissions, conversion to zero-emission buses, and more jobs in the clean energy sector. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Elections | Yes — affirmed Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election and campaigned with him. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Has said Joe Biden did not legitimately win the 2020 presidential election; served as one of “President Trump’s volunteer lawyers” and said he would “order a forensic audit of the 2020 election.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Gun Laws | More restrictive. “I am committed to strengthening our gun laws.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Less restrictive. “I stand for constitutional carry” and would “cease enforcement of unconstitutional gun laws in Maryland.” Voted against gun-safety legislation. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Labor | Easier for unions to organize. Believes “strong unions are essential” to a thriving economy, will “strengthen collective bargaining” for teachers, and says unions “will always have a voice and seat at the table.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Harder for unions to organize. Voted against a bill allowing union members to subtract union dues from their income tax. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| LGBTQ Rights | Expand. Would adopt LGBTQ+-affirming policies in schools, provide gender-affirming health care to transgender people, and support LGBTQ+ businesses. “Being gay isn’t a choice. Ignorance and Intolerance is.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Limit. Opposes “gender indoctrination” in schools and transgender athletes participating in women’s sports. Voted against a bill prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, and another requiring licenses and ID cards to have an unspecified/other sex option. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Marijuana | Legal. Supported the recreational marijuana ballot initiative; says legalizing “is a meaningful way to combat racial inequities” and will “expunge the records of anyone convicted of simple possession.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Banned. Opposed the recreational marijuana ballot initiative and voted against a bill that set legal amounts for marijuana possession and home cultivation. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Minimum Wage | Raise. Would have accelerated the wage increase to $15 by 2023: “It will not (take) until 2025 in my administration.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No recent position found; in 2019, voted against a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2025. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Student Financial Aid | Yes. Supports loan forgiveness as a STEM incentive, will increase “funding for financial aid,” and expand the Student Loan Debt Tax Credit. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No. Calls student loan forgiveness “an affront to everyone in the state of Maryland”; says the issue is not “reducing interest” but making sure “the economy is working again.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Voting Rules | Opposes tightened restrictions. “Voting should always be easy and safe for everyone.” Supports early voting and mail-in balloting; criticized a 2021 voter ID bill as “voter suppression.” (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | Supports tightened restrictions. Backs a voter ID requirement; voted against allowing addition of missing signatures on mailed-in ballots and against permitting voters to get automatic mail-in ballots. (Guides.vote 2022 Maryland Governor Voters Guide) | No clear public position found in reviewed sources. |
| Sources |
Coverage & sources
Maryland MattersLean Left2026-08-28
The debate over the debate, and Magruder steps down from green bank, in political notes
Reports that Governor Wes Moore and Republican nominee Dan Cox are set to debate on October 6. Cox has accepted the invitation but is pushing for additional debates, a request not met with agreement by the Moore campaign.
WBALCenter2026-08-28
Debate date set as Wes Moore again faces Dan Cox in race for Maryland governor
An upcoming debate between incumbent Governor Wes Moore and challenger Dan Cox is scheduled for October 6. The article notes that Cox faces high stakes, given Moore's strong polling, name recognition, and large campaign fund.
FOX45 News BaltimoreRight2026-09-24
Republican candidate Dan Cox calls for statewide data center ban, criticizes Moore order
Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox criticized Governor Wes Moore's executive order on data centers, calling for a statewide ban instead. Moore's order establishes a review framework, while Cox argues a ban is essential to protect the state.
The Office of Governor Wes MooreOfficial
The Moore-Miller Administration's 2026 Session Results
The Moore-Miller administration highlights its 2026 legislative achievements, including a balanced budget passed without tax increases. Key legislation mentioned includes the DECADE Act for economic development and bills to lower housing and energy costs.
Dan Cox for GovernorCampaign
Issues - Dan Cox for Governor
Dan Cox's campaign website outlines his key policy positions for his gubernatorial run. His platform includes cutting taxes, bringing power plants back online, and immediately starting the rebuild of the Key Bridge.