Maryland has seen enough of one-party government. Question 3 is the latest reason to try something different.
When I wrote “Why Not Dan?” in July, the idea was simple. Maryland politics could use a little less consultant-approved doom and a little more of the old 1989 Orioles attitude. Why not us? Why not try something different? Since then, Wes Moore and the Annapolis machine have decided to make the argument for me.
Start with Question 3. The governor calls it democracy. I call it a naked power grab with better branding. The Maryland Supreme Court allowed Question 3 to remain on the November ballot, but not before agreeing that the language written by the General Assembly was misleading. The court rewrote the question, and that alone ought to get your attention. The revised language says that “nothing in the Maryland Constitution provides applicable criteria for the limits of a congressional districting plan.” Read that again.
Maryland Democrats already hold seven of our eight congressional seats. Now the same political establishment wants voters to approve a constitutional amendment that removes state constitutional criteria that could limit congressional mapmaking. Seven out of eight is not enough. Governor Moore says he will campaign vigorously for Question 3. Fine. Then Republicans, independents, and every Democrat who still believes politicians should have guardrails should campaign just as vigorously against it. Vote NO on Question 3.
The problem is that Question 3 does not exist in a vacuum. It fits a more extensive pattern in Annapolis: more power, fewer restraints, and accountability that seems to arrive only after an auditor starts asking questions. State auditors found that the State Highway Administration charged expenses to federally funded projects beyond authorized amounts, resulting in approximately $358.7 million in overcharges. That may ultimately have to be covered by the Transportation Trust Fund or state money. The audit crossed both the Hogan and Moore administrations, so no, Wes Moore did not invent the problem. But he inherited the governor’s chair, the agencies, and the responsibility to fix them.
Then auditors examined the Social Services Administration. They found seven people on Maryland’s Sex Offender Registry whose addresses were associated with approved guardianship homes. Ten children were living in those homes. That is not a misprint. Seven registered sex offenders and ten children. After that came the Medicaid audit, where auditors found inadequate procedures involving questionable payments related to incarcerated recipients and payments made after recipients had died. Some of those findings were repeats from an earlier audit. At some point, “repeat finding” starts to sound like Maryland government’s unofficial state motto.
To Moore’s credit, he eventually ordered Cabinet officials to review audit findings and improve compliance. Wonderful. Most Maryland families call that doing your job. Accountability should not be something an administration suddenly discovers after the headlines get ugly.
Then there are the insider optics. TeraWulf founder Paul Prager and his wife contributed a combined $12,000 to Moore’s campaign and another $12,000 to Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller’s campaign. TeraWulf later pursued a massive data-center project at the Morgantown power plant while the company officials had extensive contact with senior Moore administration officials. There has been no public finding of a quid pro quo, and that matters. But appearance matters too.
When major political donors get meetings, government assistance, and access while ordinary taxpayers get another speech about transparency, people are allowed to raise an eyebrow. That is what I mean when I talk about a culture of corruption in Annapolis. I am not claiming everybody in Annapolis is taking envelopes in a parking garage. I am talking about a political culture where one party controls nearly everything, insiders seem to know which doors open, auditors keep finding serious problems, and the response is usually another press conference promising accountability.
One-party rule breeds complacency. Complacency breeds arrogance. Arrogance invites abuse. Abuse invites corruption. And corruption, the republic consumes.
That brings us back to Dan Cox. The experts will tell you he cannot win. The consultants will show you spreadsheets. The Annapolis crowd will roll its eyes. They have done that before. But Maryland voters now have an even clearer choice. Do we want four more years of one-party rule, recurring audit failures, insider government, and a governor actively campaigning to weaken constitutional restraints on congressional redistricting? Or do we want somebody willing to walk into Annapolis and start asking uncomfortable questions?
Maryland does not need a king. It needs competition. It needs watchdogs. It needs a governor who remembers taxpayers are citizens, not an ATM. And this November, voters should send Annapolis one very simple message: NO on Question 3.
And for governor? Why not Dan? Really check him out at https://dancoxforgovernor.com/
Endnotes
1. Maryland State Board of Elections, “Ballot Questions for the November 3, 2026 Election.”
Official ballot language for Question 3. https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2026/ballot_questions.html
2. Office of Governor Wes Moore, “Statement from Governor Wes Moore on the Maryland Supreme Court Redistricting Ruling,” September 3, 2026. Governor Moore’s statement supporting Question 3 and pledging to campaign for its passage. https://governor.maryland.gov/news/press-releases/statement-governor-wes-moore-maryland-supreme-court-redistricting-ruling-0
3. Maryland Office of Legislative Audits, “Maryland Department of Transportation — State Highway Administration,” 2025. Official state audit detailing approximately $358.7 million in expenditures charged beyond federally authorized amounts. https://dls.maryland.gov/pubs/prod/NoPblTabPDF/SHA25.pdf
4. Maryland Matters, “SHA ‘knowingly charged’ $360 million in unauthorized expenses to federal projects,” September 11, 2025. Reporting on findings from the Maryland State Highway Administration audit. https://marylandmatters.org/2025/09/11/sha-knowingly-charged-360-million-in-unauthorized-expenses-to-federal-projects/
5. Maryland Office of Legislative Audits, “Department of Human Services — Social Services Administration,” 2025.
Official audit covering guardianship homes, background checks, foster-care oversight, and other deficiencies. https://dls.maryland.gov/pubs/prod/NoPblTabPDF/SSA25.pdf
6. Maryland Matters, “Auditors: Maryland Medicaid agency may have paid for care for inmates, dead people,” May 28, 2026. Reporting on questionable Medicaid payments and repeat audit findings. https://marylandmatters.org/2026/05/28/auditors-maryland-medicaid-agency-may-have-paid-for-care-for-inmates-dead-people/
7. The Baltimore Banner, “TeraWulf’s Paul Prager wanted a power plant. He needed Moore’s help,” June 20, 2026.
Reporting on TeraWulf founder Paul Prager, campaign contributions, meetings with Moore administration officials, and state involvement related to the Morgantown project. https://www.thebanner.com/community/climate-environment/terawulf-data-center-paul-prager-wes-moore-C4IG5HRMYRGC7EJ7SVAK5UDY3Y/
8. Maryland Matters, “Moore and Cox differ on data centers at Maryland conference,” August 15, 2026.
Coverage of the TeraWulf project, campaign contributions, and the competing positions of Wes Moore and Dan Cox. https://marylandmatters.org/2026/08/15/moore-cox-data-centers/
9. Maryland Matters, “Moore pushes state agencies to improve response to audits,” February 5, 2026.
Coverage of Moore’s directive ordering state agencies to address audit findings and repeat deficiencies. https://marylandmatters.org/2026/02/05/moore-audit-response/
Alex Luther is a contributing editor for Direct Line News, covering Maryland politics and public policy.
Direct Line News is a Maryland-based free-access publication committed to the Republican reform tradition.
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