Annapolis, MD — Maryland Democrats see good news in a recent poll that shows less than half of Maryland voters—only 43 percent—would vote to reelect Governor Hogan, if an election were held today. The poll also found that Hogan’s approval ratings have dropped by 5 points since last year and his disapproval has gone up 8 points.
“For months, Governor Hogan has ducked and dodged on the tough issues and destructive Trump agenda, especially healthcare, and now voters are holding him accountable,” said Maryland Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Matthews. “We saw in Virginia last week that healthcare is the number one concern of voters, and Governor Hogan will have to explain to Marylanders why he sat on the sidelines while his Washington Republican allies were trying to take away our health insurance. It’s a major warning sign for a Republican governor in a blue state to be below 50 percent on his re-elect.”
Hogan’s reelection campaign keeps getting bad news. In September, Goucher released a poll showing that the number of Marylanders willing to vote to reelect Governor Hogan had dropped by 6 points since the spring and his polling against a generic Democrat had plummeted by 15 points. In a Mason-Dixon poll released in October, Governor Hogan failed to break 50 percent support in a head-to-head against any of the Democratic candidates for Governor. In March, a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll found that only 41 percent of registered Maryland voters would support giving Governor Hogan a second term.
Hogan’s reelection numbers are in stark contrast to Governor Charlie Baker (R-MA), who has opposed the Trump agenda. He has an identical approval rating, but whose bid for reelection issupported by close to 60 percent of Massachusetts voters.
While Baker and other Republican governors were on the frontlines of the fight against TrumpCare, Governor Hogan has not had the political courage to join the fight. According to exit polls, 4 out of every 10 Virginia voters said that health care was their most important issue, and according to exit polls, 77 percent of those voters voted for Governor-elect Ralph Northam.
Right now, as Republicans attempt to strip healthcare from Marylanders to give tax cuts to the wealthy, Governor Hogan is celebrating with his wealthy GOP donors in Texas.