Based on the Maryland State Board of Elections official candidate list (updated November 26, 2025), several candidates have already registered for the 2026 gubernatorial primary [1].
Democratic Primary
Two candidates have filed in the Democratic primary [1]:
- Ralph Jaffe (Baltimore County) - Filed July 30, 2025, with running mate Donald Ray Palmore as Lieutenant Governor
Ralph Jaffe consistently runs as a protest or “message” candidate and typically finishes with well under 2% of the vote in Maryland Democratic gubernatorial primaries.
- Wes Moore (incumbent governor) is expected to run for reelection [2]
Republican Primary
Three gubernatorial candidates with running mates have registered in the Republican primary [1]:
- John A. Myrick (Prince George’s County) - Filed February 26, 2025 (earliest filer), with running mate Brenda J. Thiam. Myrick previously ran in the 2024 U.S. Senate Republican primary [3]
- Carl A. Brunner, Jr. (Carroll County) - Filed July 14, 2025, with running mate Kevin L. Rhodes, Sr.
- Kurt Wedekind (Carroll County) - Filed September 24, 2025, with running mate Shannon Wright
Green Primary
- Andy Ellis (Baltimore City) - Filed September 22, 2025, with running mate Owen Silverman Andrews. Listed as “Seeking the Nomination to appear in the General Election Only” [1]
The filing period is still open, as the candidate list notes it was last updated November 26, 2025, at 6:00 PM [1].
Citations:
[1] 2026 Gubernatorial Primary Election State Candidates List https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2026/Primary_candidates/gen_cand_lists_2026_1_ALL.html
[2] 2026 Maryland gubernatorial election - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Maryland_gubernatorial_election
[3] Announcement: John A. Myrick as a Republican candidate for Governor of Maryland for the 2026 election https://www.wgmd.com/announcement-john-a-myrick-as-a-republican-candidate-for-governor-of-maryland-for-the-2026-election/
[4] Maryland 2026 General Election - The Green Papers https://www.thegreenpapers.com/G26/MD
[5] [PDF] Public Candidate List - Prince George’s County https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/sites/default/files/media-document/CF006%20GUB%20PRI%2011.13.25.pdf
[6] 2026 Maryland House of Delegates election - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Maryland_House_of_Delegates_election
[7] 2026 Gubernatorial Primary Election State Candidates List https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2026/Primary_candidates/gen_cand_lists_2026_1.html
[8] 2026 Candidate Listing - Maryland State Board of Elections https://elections.state.md.us/elections/2026/Primary_candidates/gen_cand_lists_2026_7.html
[9] Politics1 https://www.politics1.com/md.htm
[10] Maryland gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 https://ballotpedia.org/Maryland_gubernatorial_and_lieutenant_gubernatorial_election,_2026