Steven "Andy" Ellis, a Baltimore debate coach and Green Party organizer, is running for governor of Maryland in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Ellis is one of four candidates certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data. He faces Wes Moore (Democratic), Dan Cox (Republican) and Cathy White (Working Class). The governor oversees the state's executive branch, including agencies that affect Montgomery County.

Candidate information

  • Full name: Steven Andrew "Andy" Ellis
  • Party: Green
  • Residence: Northeast Baltimore; has lived in Baltimore City since 2005, according to his campaign website
  • Birthplace: Washington, D.C. (born July 28, 1976)
  • Education: Towson University; University of Maryland Global Campus, business; St. Mary's College of Maryland
  • High school: Governor Thomas Johnson High School, Frederick, Md. (class of 1994)

Experience and public service

Ellis's background spans debate coaching, corporate work and Green Party leadership, according to his campaign biography.

In debate, Ellis said he coached Towson University to its first debate national championship in 2008. He said the team of Dayvon Love and Deven Cooper, two Baltimore Urban Debate League graduates, became the first team of two Black students to win a Cross Examination Debate Association national championship. Ellis also served as program coordinator at the Baltimore Urban Debate League and founded Debate Strategies LLC in 2025, according to his campaign website.

He has no prior elected office.

In the private sector, Ellis said he worked in customer service, data analytics and operational transformation at Nielsen.

His political and civic roles include co-chair of the Maryland Green Party (2019–2020), co-chair of the Baltimore City Green Party (2015–2017) and co-chair of the Green Party of the United States Accreditation Committee (2019–2022). He said he served as chair of Baltimore for Democracy in 2024 and as an appointed member of the Baltimore City Charter Review Commission from 2023 to 2024. Ellis ran as a candidate for state delegate in Maryland's 45th District in 2018.

He said he serves as co-chair of the Green Party of the United States Coordinated Campaign Committee, a role he began in 2025.

On the issues

Ellis's policy positions are drawn from his responses on his campaign website and via BallotReady.

Climate and environment: Ellis said he would declare climate, environment, energy, food and water emergencies to ensure state and local government act with urgency.

Data centers: Ellis's campaign lists "Stop the Data Centers" as an infrastructure priority.

Education: Ellis said he would build out and fully fund the public education system "so it truly works for all."

Economy and social investment: Ellis said he supports developing what he calls a "solidarity economy" to invest in people and communities. He also said he would pay reparations and invest in community-led repair and reinvestment.

Government reform: Ellis said grassroots democracy works best with organizations independent of the two-party system. He said those organizations should push government offices and elected leaders to make democracy accessible and keep voters engaged beyond election season.

Candidate responses were collected through BallotReady and the candidate's campaign website. The Potomac Beacon did not interview the candidate for this profile.