Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. Considers 2026 Gubernatorial Run

Strategic Insights -

Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey (R-Upper Shore) has formed an exploratory committee to weigh a bid for governor in the 2026 primary, citing the need for "balance" in a state that has gone "so far to the left" under Democratic control. Hershey expects to make a decision before the end of the year on whether to challenge incumbent Gov. Wes Moore (D), who is all but guaranteed to be the Democratic nominee.

Key Takeaways:

  • Hershey has formed an exploratory committee to consider running for governor in the 2026 primary, citing the need for balance in the state.
  • He expects to make a decision before the end of the year on whether to challenge incumbent Gov. Wes Moore (D).
  • Hershey believes that without real competition, Maryland loses balance and that this is the reason he is exploring a run for governor.
  • He criticized Ed Hale Sr., a lifelong Democrat, for switching parties and running for governor as a Republican, calling him a political opportunist.
  • Hershey plans to spend the next 90 days polling and assessing the viability of a statewide campaign, including his ability to raise the money needed to challenge Moore.
  • He believes that Republicans can win the governor's seat, even against an incumbent Democrat, citing the example of Larry Hogan who won consecutive terms as governor.
  • Hershey is not considering stepping down as a senator to run for governor, but is weighing the potential impact on his ability to represent District 36.

Statistics:

  • Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in Maryland by about 2-1 (Source: [1])
  • Republicans have not held the governor's mansion in Maryland for nearly four decades prior to 2002.
  • Since 2002, the minority party has won the governor's seat in three of the last six elections (Source: [1])
  • Larry Hogan is the first Republican in nearly four decades to win the governor's seat, winning consecutive terms in 2014 and 2018 (Source: [1])
  • Incumbent Democrats have won reelection in six of the last seven governor's races (Source: [1])
  • Ed Hale Sr. has created a state campaign account and plans to run for governor as a Republican (Source: [2])

Sources:

  • [1] Maryland Matters, "Larry Hogan becomes first Republican to win consecutive governorships in nearly four decades"
  • [2] Maryland Matters, "Baltimore businessman Ed Hale Sr. plans to run for governor as a Republican"