What's at stake in MD elections? Notable races, ballot questions

thedailyrecord.com · Reuters Connect · September 8, 2026

# What's at stake in MD elections? Notable races, ballot questions

Author: Reuters Connect Published: 2026-09-08T09:00:26+00:00 Source: thedailyrecord.com (thedailyrecord.com) Language: en

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What's at stake in MD elections? Notable races, ballot questions

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, shown in April 2026, and Republican politician Dan Cox, shown in 2022, won their respective primary elections. (The Daily Record file photos)

# What’s at stake in MD elections? Notable races and ballot questions

Reuters Connect//September 8, 2026//

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##### Key takeaways:

- Wes Moore seeks second term against Dan Cox - Maryland House Bill 2100 alters congressional redistricting - Rep. Andy Harris faces challenger Dan Schwartz in 1st District - Two statewide ballot questions on budget and judicial appointments

As the days tick by, the 2026 general election grows closer and there will be plenty at stake as Marylanders head to the polls.

Who will Marylanders vote for during the midterm elections?

The Nov. 3 general election will determine if Gov. Wes Moore serves a second term.

It’s a rematch between Moore and Republican challenger Dan Cox.

There are several ballot questions and a few interesting races that will grab the headlines as we head toward November.

## Congressional redistricting

Ballots will also include a constitutional amendment that alters how the state handles congressional redistricting and legal challenges to district maps. The Supreme Court of Maryland overturned lower-court rulings in two separate lawsuits that were filed to keep the question off the ballot.

Judge Robert J. Thompson of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County on Aug. 26 ruled in favor of the Maryland Freedom Caucus and other plaintiffs, granting summary judgment and confirming that House Bill 2100 was placed on the ballot unlawfully.

Maryland House Bill 2100 is a constitutional amendment passed during an August 2026 special session that alters how the state handles congressional redistricting and legal challenges to district maps.

It paved a legal path for Maryland Democrats to bypass a 2022 state court ruling requiring compact congressional districts and natural boundaries, with the goal of allowing maps to cross the Chesapeake Bay, potentially dismantling the stronghold of Maryland’s lone Republican in Congress, Rep. Andy Harris, in the Eastern Shore’s 1st Congressional District.

Maryland’s congressional delegation traditionally leans Democratic, with eyes typically focused on the race in the Sixth District. The Sixth District stretches from the more rural and Republican leaning Western Maryland into northern Montgomery County, whose voter rolls are heavily Democratic.

On the Eastern Shore, all eyes will be on the First District race, which pits longtime incumbent GOP Rep. Andy Harris against Democratic challenger Dan Schwartz.

## Congressional matches to watch in Maryland

No U.S. Senate seats are up for election this year in Maryland.

Maryland’s Sixth Congressional District can sometimes be a tight race.

This go-round, Rep. April McClain Delaney is facing Republican challenger Robin Ficker after she won a contentious Democratic primary against former Congressman David Trone.

Ficker is a perennial candidate whose ambitions have included running for Montgomery County Council and governor. He represented Montgomery County in the House of Delegates from 1979 to 1983.

In the First District, Harris has rarely faced a real challenge since he first won the congressional seat in 2010. Democrats, however, hope they have the right contender this time in Dan Schwartz, who describes himself as “a lifelong consumer advocate.”

He told Ballotpedia, “I’ve spent my 14-year career working with state and federal regulators to protect consumers from financial misconduct and abuse.”

## Maryland’s gubernatorial rematch

Maryland’s electorate doesn’t always choose a Democratic governor, but Moore held a 27% lead over Cox as of a statewide poll released Aug. 12. The poll was conducted by Blended Public Affairs in partnership with Perry Jacobson.

The Moore-Aruna Miller ticket won four years ago with about 65% of the vote compared to 32% for Cox and his running mate Gordana Schifanelli.

Cox has a new running mate this go-round, Frederick County gun shop owner Rob Krop.

Cox represented Frederick and Carroll counties in the House of Delegates from 2019 to 2023.

In the past four years, Moore has drawn national attention, with his name being mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.

In February, Moore told USA TODAY, as he was running for re-election as governor, that there is more work to do for Maryland. He said he wasn’t looking past that job to a potential presidential run.

Cox and Moore accepted Maryland Public Television’s invitation for a gubernatorial debate on Oct. 6.

## What other statewide questions are on Maryland ballots?

Two other questions, besides redistricting, will be on statewide ballots.

Question 1 asks voters whether the governor has to include money in the proposed state budget to pay for employment agreements with state workers, including changes to wages, hours, fringe benefits, health benefits and other terms and conditions of employment.

The idea being that the governor has to put enough money in the budget “to cover the agreed upon pay and benefits for employees, whether those terms were negotiated or decided by a neutral decision-maker,” according to an explanation at the Maryland State Board of Elections website.

Question 2 deals with the Commission on Judicial Disabilities. Currently, temporary appointments to the commission are not allowed if a member is recused, disqualified or their term ends.

The questions asks voters if they want to allow for temporary appointments. Such a temporary appointment would be made by the commission chair selecting a former commission member or the governor, at the chairperson’s request, appointing a substitute member or extending a current member’s term until a permanent replacement is appointed.

The Commission on Judicial Disabilities, according to its website, “is an independent body with the power to investigate complaints against Maryland judges and justices and, when warranted, conduct hearings concerning such complaints and take certain actions or make recommendations for other actions to the Supreme Court of Maryland.”

Reporting by Julie E. Greene and Keith Demko, The Herald-Mail / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.

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