State

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 4
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The governor is Maryland's chief executive: proposes the state budget, signs or vetoes laws, appoints judges and cabinet secretaries, and leads the executive branch. The lieutenant governor runs on the same ticket and fills in when the governor can't serve.

Candidates Compare by issue

Dan Cox

Republican

Running mate: Rob Krop

The gist

Proposes a 4.9% state income and business tax rate.
Proposes capping property tax assessments and auditing every agency.
Proposes new power plants and leaving the RGGI carbon program.
Proposes universal opt-in coverage at legislators' premium rate.
Pledges to rebuild the Key Bridge.
Supports renewed police coordination on immigration, focused on violent criminals.
Proposes down-payment help and tax credits for first-time buyers.

More about Dan

View sources (2)

Proposes a 4.9% state income and business tax rate.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Economy · onyourballot.vote411.org
“submitting a 4.9% income tax rate and business tax rate, down from combined 9.6% and 8.25% respectively”
Proposes capping property tax assessments and auditing every agency.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Affordability · onyourballot.vote411.org
“cap property tax assessments, and audit every agency to eliminate waste”
Proposes new power plants and leaving the RGGI carbon program.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Affordability · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will lower electric bills by opening new power plants including SMRs and ending the 30% RGGI tax”
Proposes universal opt-in coverage at legislators' premium rate.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Healthcare · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will submit legislation to permit universal opt-in coverage at the same rate Maryland Legislators pay.”
Pledges to rebuild the Key Bridge.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Economy · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will build the Key Bridge.”
Supports renewed police coordination on immigration, focused on violent criminals.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Immigration · onyourballot.vote411.org
“reopening communications between law enforcement agencies, eliminating raids and lack of cooperation, and focusing on removing violent criminals, gangs and cartels”
Proposes down-payment help and tax credits for first-time buyers.
Dan Cox for Governor (home page and issues)
Campaign website · Candidate campaign · Affordable Home Ownership · dancoxforgovernor.com
“mortgage downpayment assistance and tax credits for first-time and young home buyers”

Andy Ellis

Green

Running mate: Owen Silverman Andrews

The gist

Supports taxing the rich and ending corporate tax breaks.
Proposes a state-owned public bank and more worker co-ops.
Supports new public power utilities to lower electric bills.
Supports exploring a state single-payer health system.
Opposes any Maryland government cooperation with ICE.
Supports ranked-choice voting and public campaign financing.
Opposes new data centers in Maryland.

More about Andy

View sources (2)

Supports taxing the rich and ending corporate tax breaks.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Economy · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We need to tax the rich and end corporate tax breaks!”
Proposes a state-owned public bank and more worker co-ops.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Economy · onyourballot.vote411.org
“establishing a state-owned public bank, growing worker co-ops, and public ownership of pro sports teams”
Supports new public power utilities to lower electric bills.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Affordability · onyourballot.vote411.org
“supports the creation of new public power utilities”
Supports exploring a state single-payer health system.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Healthcare · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We should explore a single-payer model at the state level.”
Opposes any Maryland government cooperation with ICE.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Immigration · onyourballot.vote411.org
“no government or law enforcement entities should collaborate with ICE, formally or informally”
Supports ranked-choice voting and public campaign financing.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Voting · onyourballot.vote411.org
“public financing for all races, and ranked choice voting and proportional representation”
Opposes new data centers in Maryland.
Andy Ellis for Governor of Maryland 2026 (home page)
Campaign website · Candidate campaign · An Agenda for the People · gogreen2026.com
“Stop the data centers”

Cathy White

Working Class Party

Running mate: Cathy Permut

The gist

Supports a living-wage job for every worker.
Supports workers organizing for higher wages and affordable necessities.
Supports health care as a right, not based on income.
Opposes ICE enforcement actions.
Supports a separate political party for working people.

More about Cathy

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Supports a living-wage job for every worker.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Economy · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Every person able to work needs a job with a living wage.”
Supports workers organizing for higher wages and affordable necessities.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Affordability · onyourballot.vote411.org
“workers will need to organize and fight to get the things we need, like higher wages”
Supports health care as a right, not based on income.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Healthcare · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Health care should be a human right and not based on how much money you have.”
Opposes ICE enforcement actions.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Immigration · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I am opposed to the actions of ICE.”
Supports a separate political party for working people.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Background · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The working class needs its own political party, its own representatives, to express our interests.”

Wes Moore

DemocraticIncumbent

Running mate: Aruna Miller

The gist

Supports building more affordable housing and curbing price gouging.
Pledges to continue job-creation legislation and executive actions.
Supports funding rural hospitals and statewide health care access.
Opposes deputizing Maryland police to work with ICE agents.
Supports laws protecting election workers.

More about Wes

View sources (1)

Supports building more affordable housing and curbing price gouging.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Affordability · onyourballot.vote411.org
“building more affordable housing, and introducing legislation to combat price gouging”
Pledges to continue job-creation legislation and executive actions.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Economy · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We will continue to pass legislation and take actions that have created jobs”
Supports funding rural hospitals and statewide health care access.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Healthcare · onyourballot.vote411.org
“fought to fund rural hospitals and create quality and accessible healthcare across the state”
Opposes deputizing Maryland police to work with ICE agents.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Immigration · onyourballot.vote411.org
“we will not allow untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents to deputize our law enforcement officers”
Supports laws protecting election workers.
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Governor / Lt. Governor, 2026 General Election
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland Education Fund (VOTE411) · VOTE411 answer: Voting · onyourballot.vote411.org
“passed legislation to protect election workers”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 8 issues covered in this race.