by Madeleine Mosher
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
A recent Goucher College poll showed nearly three-quarters of Maryland residents approve of the performance of Gov. Larry Hogan during a term that’s faced racial tension, protests and COVID-19 and the state leader said Tuesday, “I am truly humbled.”
The poll, published Monday, surveyed 1,002 Maryland adults between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4. Seventy-one percent of Marylander approve of Republican Hogan’s performance and 23% disapprove. The Maryland Democratic Party is more popular across the state than the Republican, 54% and 35%, respectively.
“In these divisive times,” Hogan posted on Facebook early this week, “I am truly humbled that Marylanders, regardless of party, race, gender or education, continue to overwhelmingly approve of the job we’re doing.”
The independently funded Maryland-based Goucher College Poll used random-digit dialing and asked people about changes to police departments, including the “defund the police ” movement and views on the police and the Black Lives Matter movement. Hogan and views of the Maryland Democratic and Republican parties were among other questions.
The poll also found that 918 of the 1,002 residents surveyed answered that they were registered voters; 54% identified as Democrats, 25% as Republican, 20% as unaffiliated, and 1% as another party. This matches almost identically to the breakdown of party registration across Maryland as of January, pollsters said.
Officials said 61% of respondents were white and 30% were black, matching exactly Maryland population demographics published in the poll results; 9% of respondents were another race.
Pollsters also asked Marylanders whether they supported police reforms like public reports of misconduct, independent (not internal) misconduct investigations, racial bias training, increased funding for more officers and training, bans on chokeholds, reallocation of police funds to social programs, and the “defund the police” movement. These measures had at least 54% approval, except “defund the police,” which was supported by 28% and opposed by 68% of respondents.
A favorable view of the police was expressed by 66%, and 65% said they also viewed the Black Lives Matter movement favorably. However, 30% of respondents and 29%, respectively, viewed these things unfavorably.
“There is more that unites us than divides us,” Hogan said. “We will keep fighting for all Marylanders.”