Students undecided on choice for governor

Students+say+they+plan+to+vote+for+governor+on+Nov.+8%2C+but+they+havent+decided+which+candidate+they+will+chose.+Shown%2C+Democratic+candidate+Wes+Moore%2C+left%2C+and+Republican+Dan+Cox.

Creative Commons photos

Students say they plan to vote for governor on Nov. 8, but they haven’t decided which candidate they will chose. Shown, Democratic candidate Wes Moore, left, and Republican Dan Cox.

Tomi Brunton, Reporter

Students said in October they plan to vote for governor but don’t have a favorite candidate. 

In an informal Campus Current poll of 50 students on the Arnold campus, 56% said they plan to vote and 44% said they do not. But only 18% said they know which candidate they will vote for.

“I’ve just been seeing, like, the posters, and, like, all the signs everywhere,” Brenda Latorre, a fourth-year nursing student, said. “But I don’t really know who’s running.”

Voters will decide the next governor of Maryland on Election Day, Nov. 8. During the primaries earlier in 2022, Wes Moore, a nonprofit executive and television host, was nominated as the Democratic candidate for governor, while Maryland Delegate Dan Cox was nominated as the Republican candidate.

Of the nine students with a specific candidate in mind, seven said they would vote for Moore. 

Jason Parris, a second-year ecology student, said he plans to vote for Moore.

“Whoever I think the more environmentally friendly candidate is, is a big factor for me,” Parris said. 

Andy Engstrom, a second-year film studies student, also said he would vote for Moore.

“The people Cox surrounds himself with aren’t my favorite individuals,” Engstrom said. “And the [Libertarian and Green Party] candidates don’t have a chance of winning.”

First-year medical lab technology student Zoe Forster said she plans to vote even though she hasn’t been following the race.

“Voting is important,” Forster said. “It helps everyone get to share their piece and their ideas to help make change.”

Morgan Robinson, a first-year undecided student, said she had to do more research before deciding whom to vote for.

“I probably should get on that, though,” Robinson said. “If we don’t vote, how do you expect a change to happen?”

First-year graphic design student April Fox said she plans to vote for Cox. 

“I didn’t know that much about Dan Cox until I found out that he was pro life and so then I decided that I was going to vote for him,” Fox said.

Dominic Mattias, a second-year physical therapy student, said he does not plan to vote in the midterm elections.

“I don’t have, like, all the information I need,” Mattias said. “It’s not really on my priority list at the moment.”

First-year business student Dominic Breeton agreed, saying he “just hasn’t looked that much into it.”

“It’s on me to put more research into it,” Breeton said.