MD Supports Hogan, Biden, Questions What's Next For Schools: Poll

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Nearly three-quarters of Marylanders approve of Gov. Larry Hogan (R), a new Gonzales Research & Media Services poll found. Additionally, most of the respondents plan to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden (D) in the presidential election.

The poll, which was released Tuesday morning, says that most participants support the state's coronavirus response. Residents still debate whether students should be in school, however.

Opinions On Hogan, Biden And Trump

Hogan's 73-percent approval rating suggests that he has bipartisan support. Three out of every four Democrats approve of the governor. Meanwhile, 71 percent of Hogan's fellow Republicans approve of his work. These results mirror Hogan's 71-percent approval rating posted in an early October poll.

Though Marylanders cheer their GOP governor, they favor the Democratic presidential candidate. About 58 percent of likely voters said they plan to vote for Biden, while a third will vote for President Donald Trump (R).

The Baltimore metro area (Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Harford County and Howard County) prefers Biden over Trump by a margin of 56 percent to 34 percent. The Washington metro area (Charles County, Montgomery County and Prince George's County) was even more liberal, with 71 percent of likely voters backing Biden.

Trump leads in rural Maryland, however. His 49-percent support there leads Biden by 8 percentage points.

Opinions On Coronavirus

The poll also examined Marylanders' opinions on coronavirus. The results suggested that residents support the state's response at a high clip but are more divided on the nuances.

Seventy-seven percent of participants said Hogan's pandemic leadership is "excellent" or "good." This appraisal is fairly bipartisan, as 83 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of Republicans gave the governor's handling a positive review.

Marylanders are more torn on what's next for the state's schools. Thirty-seven percent said schools should stay online, but another 37 percent pushed for a hybrid model. A fifth of respondents advocated for hosting only in-person classes.

Democrats favored virtual learning slightly more than hybrid classes. Republicans preferred in-person instruction just over the hybrid option.

Marylanders' concern over the virus closely follows party lines. More than 80 percent of Democrats are "very worried" or "worried" about "becoming seriously ill from the coronavirus." Two-thirds of Republicans, on the other hand, are "not too worried" or "not worried at all" that they'll get sick.

Similrarly, Republicans report being more comfortable returning to their daily routine than do Democrats. Two-thirds of Republicans say they're okay with heading back to normal, compared to a fifth of Democrats.

Poll Demographics

The poll surveyed 820 registered Maryland voters who said they plan on voting in this year's election. The respondents were 53 percent Democrat, 30 percent Republican and 17 percent other. That closely aligns with Maryland's party breakdown of 55 percent Democrat, 25 percent Republican and 20 percent other.

Interviews took place over the phone between Oct. 19 and Oct. 24. The findings carry a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. That means there's a 95 percent chance that the reported results are within plus or minus 3.5 percentage points of the true values.

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