2026 Maryland gubernatorial election

The 2026 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2026, to elect the next Governor of Maryland. Incumbent Governor Wes Moore was first elected in 2022 with 64.2% of the vote. He ran for a second term against Matthew Foldi, the Republican nominee.

The partisan primary was held on July 14, 2026, with political journalist Matthew Foldi winning the Republican nomination, and political commentator and YouTuber Tim Pool nominated for lieutenant governor. Due to the strong political lean of the state, political observers gave Wes Moore a strong chance for reelection. Furthermore, Moore had a strong approval rating by election day, with 68% of voters approving to 32% disapproving. This can be attributed particularly to Moore's response to Hurricane Sally and popularity surrounding public transportation expansion and investment on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Additionally, the unpopularity surrounding the Republican Party, attention surrounding Foldi's controversial views and statements, and lack of funding for the Foldi campaign were factors in limited voter outreach and persuading unaffiliated voters towards Moore.

Moore won reelection by 45.6%, the highest of any gubernatorial candidate in the state since William Donald Schaefer in 1986, and higher than Moore's 32.4% margin in the previous gubernatorial election. Moore flipped five counties that had voted for Dan Cox in 2022, winning Dorchester, Wicomico, St. Mary's, Calvert, and Harford counties. This is the first time since 1990 that a Democratic gubernatorial candidate won Harford, St. Mary's, and Calvert County, and the first time since 1986 for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate winning Wicomico and Dorchester County. Moore's landslide victory additionally aided Democrats running for offices in both the United States House of Representatives and Maryland General Assembly.

Campaign
Andy Harris, who ran for the 2024 United States Senate election in Maryland, was initially viewed as the frontrunner for the race; however, in June 2025, Harris announced that he had no plans for running for political office in the future, and instead endorsed his wife, Nicole Beus Harris. Kelly Schulz, a Republican primary challenger in the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election, announced her candidacy in August 2025, followed by Matthew Foldi, a Republican nominee from the 2024 Maryland's 6th Congressional election.

Harris' unpopularity surrounding her management of the Maryland Republican Party were a source of contention throughout the race, with both Schulz and Foldi criticizing her leadership and rhetoric within the party. Schulz, running as a moderate Republican, attacked both Harris and Foldi as "unwinnable" candidates, campaigning on a return to Governor Larry Hogan's management of the state, and promising to cut taxes within the state. Foldi ran as a more conservative-leaning Republican, with strong backing from national Republican Party officials; however, Maryland Republican officials were divided amongst all three candidates. Schulz outspent all three Republican candidates, though not by much compared to Harris, while Foldi was outspent 3:1 by Schulz and Harris.

Nominee

 * Matthew Foldi, political journalist for the Washington Free Beacon, and nominee for MD-06 in 2024
 * Running mate: Tim Pool, YouTuber and political commentator

Eliminated in primary

 * Nicole Beus Harris, Maryland GOP chair
 * Running mate: Kathy Szeliga, nominee for the 2016 United States Senate election in Maryland, and incumbent house delegate for district 7A (2011-2027)
 * Kelly Schulz, former Maryland Secretary of Commerce (2019–2022), former Maryland Secretary of Labor (2015–2019) and former member of the Maryland House of Delegates for district 4A (2011–2015)
 * Running mate: Barry Glassman, former Harford County executive and nominee for the 2022 Maryland Comptroller election

Declined

 * Kim Klacik, radio talk show host and nominee for Maryland's 7th congressional district in 2020 and for Maryland's 2nd congressional district in 2024 (endorsed Foldi)

Matthew Foldi

 * Executive Branch officials
 * Alan Keyes, former Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (1985–1987) and perennial candidate
 * David M. Friedman, former United States Ambassador to Israel (2017–2021)
 * Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States
 * Michael Flynn, former U.S. National Security Advisor (2017), former Director of the DIA (2012–2014), and retired U.S. Army lieutenant general
 * Mike Pompeo, 70th United States Secretary of State (2018–2021)


 * U.S. Representative
 * Kevin McCarthy, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (2023-2025), current House Minority Leader (2025-present), and U.S. Representative for California's 20th congressional district (2023–present)
 * Andy Harris, U.S. Representative for Maryland's 1st congressional district (2011–2025)
 * Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican Conference (2021–present), U.S. Representative from New York's 21st congressional district (2015–present)
 * Carol Miller, U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 1st congressional district (2023–present)
 * Alex Mooney, former U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 2nd congressional district (2015-2025)


 * Statewide officials
 * Bob Ehrlich, former 60th Governor of Maryland (2003-2007)


 * State legislators
 * Carmen M. Amedori, former state delegate for the district 5A (1999–2004)
 * Pat McDonough, former state delegate for the 7th district (2003–2019)
 * Warren E. Miller, former state delegate for the district 9A (2003–2020)
 * Wendy Rogers, Arizona State Senator for the 6th district (2021–present)


 * Individuals
 * Kimberly Klacik, community activist, political commentator, and nominee for Maryland's 7th congressional district in 2020 and for Maryland's 2nd congressional district in 2024


 * Organizations
 * Informed Choice Maryland
 * Maryland Right to Life