New Poll Shows Nine Percent of Maryland Voters Undecided in 2022 Rematch; Ellis Renews Call for Four-Candidate Debates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2026

CONTACT: Andy Ellis
andy@gogreen2026.com

BALTIMORE — Andy Ellis, the Green Party nominee for Governor of Maryland, today renewed his call for a series of gubernatorial debates featuring all four tickets on the November ballot, after a new statewide poll showed 9% of likely voters undecided in the rematch between Governor Wes Moore and Republican Dan Cox.

The Maryland Now poll, conducted by Zenith Research from July 27 to August 3 among 800 likely general election voters, found Moore leading Cox 58% to 31%, with 3% choosing another candidate and 9% undecided. The same survey put the Democratic Party at 50% approval and 47% disapproval among likely Maryland voters, and the Republican Party at 32% approval and 65% disapproval.

"This poll shows what we have seen as we travel across Maryland. Dan Cox is a known loser, and his MAGA beliefs are widely unpopular. Wes Moore disappointed a lot of people who supported him in 2022, and many people are looking for something else," Ellis said. "Voters are upset at both parties and frustrated with the way the state is working. A vote for Moore or Cox is a vote for more of the same. A vote for us is a vote to change the game and demand something better."

The numbers tell a story about both major-party nominees. Cox's 31% support matches President Trump's 31% approval rating in the same poll, a ceiling that Maryland Republicans have not found a way past. Moore holds 56% job approval, but 39% of likely voters disapprove of his performance, including 27% who strongly disapprove. In a state where Democrats hold a two-to-one registration advantage, the Democratic Party itself sits at a net approval of just two points.

"While we wish this pollster would have mentioned us by name instead of the generic 'someone else,' the 3% showing in this poll would be historic for a third-party gubernatorial campaign in Maryland," Ellis said. "Add that to the 9% of voters who are undecided in this election, and the people whose support for the two parties is tepid, and it is clear that voters would benefit from seeing all four candidates side by side on a debate stage."

On July 27, the Ellis/Andrews campaign called for at least four general election debates, one each in Western Maryland, the Baltimore region, the Washington suburbs, and the Eastern Shore, with at least one hosted by Maryland Public Television. Four tickets will appear on the November 3 ballot: Wes Moore and Aruna Miller (Democratic), Dan Cox and Rob Krop (Republican), Andy Ellis and Owen Silverman Andrews (Green), and Cathy White and Cathy Permut (Working Class Party).

Under current practice, MPT uses a 10% polling threshold to decide who gets on its debate stage. No third-party candidate for governor in Maryland has met that threshold since the end of the Civil War. In 2022, the only televised gubernatorial debate featured just the Democratic and Republican nominees, the same two candidates this poll shows voters hesitating to choose between again.

About the Ellis/Andrews Campaign 

Andy Ellis and Owen Silverman Andrews are running for Governor and Lt. Governor on the Green Party ticket. Get more info at gogreen2026.com.