Baltimore businessman and former Blast soccer team owner Ed Hale has officially jumped into the 2026 Maryland governor’s race, but not as the Democrat many expected.

On Wednesday, August 20, Hale announced he will run as a Republican and on Thursday, the very next morning, he joined WBAL Newsradio’s C4 and Bryan Nehman to explain his decision and lay out his platform.

Why is Ed Hale running for Maryland Governor as a Republican?

When asked about his decision to run as a Republican, Hale — who has spent most of his life as a Democrat — said his choice was influenced by a poll conducted by Patrick Gonzales, which indicated he would lose if he ran as a Democrat against Gov. Wes Moore.

“All the money is going to Wes Moore,” Hale said. “Democrats are back up to 2 million voters. Republicans

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