Overview
- A Gonzales Research poll of 808 likely voters conducted Dec. 21–Jan. 6 (±3.5 points) finds Gov. Wes Moore at 52% approval and 41% disapproval, down from a 64% peak in 2024.
- Fifty-eight percent say they pay too much in taxes, and only half say they would reelect Moore today; among those who feel overtaxed, a hypothetical Republican leads him 47% to 34%.
- Partisanship dominates responses, with about 73% of Democrats approving of Moore and Republican approval in the low teens, while independents show slippage for the governor.
- Lawmakers open a 90-day session facing a projected $1.4 billion deficit, and Moore says his balanced budget will not include tax or fee increases after last year’s package of roughly $1.6 billion in hikes passed.
- Moore is seeking about $374 million in additional K-12 funding without specifying offsets as state analysts project recurring shortfalls through at least fiscal 2031.