New UMD-Washington Post Poll Shows Gov. Hogan Riding Wave of Popularity Heading into MD Primary
Clear majorities of both Democrats and Republicans approve of the job Gov. Hogan is doing and the direction the state is headed
As the Maryland primary elections loom, Governor Larry Hogan is riding high approval and popularity ratings from both Republican and Democratic voters, a new University of Maryland-Washington Post poll finds.
Among all registered voters who responded to the recent poll, regardless of party affiliation, 66% said they had an overall favorable impression of Gov. Hogan. Additionally, the UMD-Post poll found:
- 71% of all respondents either strongly or somewhat approve of the job Gov. Hogan is doing
- 60% said they thought things in the state were generally going in the right direction
- 65% approve of the way Hogan is handling the economy
- 55% approve of the way Hogan is handling taxes
- 51% approve of the way Hogan is handling transportation
- 43% approve of the way Hogan is handling education
“With an approval rating above 50% across almost every category of voters—even among Democrats—Governor Hogan is the counter example to the rampant polarization sweeping the country,” said Associate Professor of Government and Politics Michael Hanmer, research director of UMD’s Center for American Politics and Citizenship (CAPC). “The results from this poll show Marylanders are not discounting Hogan’s achievements just because he’s a member of the Republican Party.”
Democratic Challengers
In his bid for re-election, Gov. Hogan currently faces a crowd of Democratic challengers who will appear on the June 26 primary election ballot. This latest UMD-Post poll finds that former NAACP President Benjamin Jealous and Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III have a slight lead over the rest of the field. Yet nearly four in ten likely Democratic primary voters in Maryland are still undecided on whom to vote for in the gubernatorial race just three weeks before the primary, the poll shows.
“Clearly, the Democratic Party is going to have its work cut out for it,” Hanmer said. “The current arguments by the Democratic candidates don’t yet seem to be working particularly well and it appears that Gov. Hogan has safely distanced himself from President Trump and the majority of the Republican Party.”
When asked for whom they would vote for governor if the election were held today, registered voters selected Hogan in match-ups with each individual Democratic candidate by a margin of 10 percentage points or more.
Read more about the poll’s findings in The Washington Post.
About the Poll
This Washington Post-University of Maryland poll was conducted by telephone May 29-June 3, 2018, among a random sample of 1,015 residents of Maryland including 968 registered voters.
Interviews were conducted by live interviewers on both conventional and cellular phones. The results from the full survey and the sample of registered voters both have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by Abt Associates of Rockville, Md.
The University of Maryland and The Washington Post first teamed up to present the poll in October 2014. Polls have focused on Maryland elections, desired priorities for elected officials and topics of interest to voters including immigration, taxes, education, and healthcare.
The partnership combines the world-class reporting, polling and public engagement resources of The Post with rigorous academic analysis from the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ nationally-renowned Department of Government and Politics. The poll is designed to provide academics, students and members of the public with insight into both key races and the issues that matter to Maryland residents.
In addition to its impact as a public education tool, the poll also represents a unique research opportunity for UMD students. Hanmer and CAPC Director Stella Rouse work with students affiliated with the Center on the design of the poll questions and the analysis of its responses.
The poll is directed by Scott Clement, and UMD alumna Emily Guskin, a polling analyst, for The Post, as well as by Hanmer for the University of Maryland.
Published on Wed, Jun 6, 2018 - 1:04PM