Del. Dan Cox, a Maryland state legislator who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor of Maryland, talks to reporters, in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, June 30, 2022 (AP Photo/Brian Witte)
The primaries are on fire! Reports have revealed that the Trump-endorsed Dan Cox is projected to win Maryland’s Republican gubernatorial primary. Candidates running in the race hope to succeed GOP governor Larry Hogan, who is term-limited.
Cox, a state delegate, had the endorsement and support of former President Donald Trump. He had previously made a bid for a congressional seat in the state’s 8th Congressional District, ultimately losing to then-state Senator Jamie Raskin (D).
“Dan Cox is an America First Patriot who is running for Governor in the Great State of Maryland. A tough lawyer, and smart businessman, Dan has done outstanding work in the Maryland General Assembly,” the former president said in an announcement at the time.
“Dan is MAGA all the way—unlike his opponent, Kelly Schultz, who was handpicked by her ‘boss,’ RINO Larry Hogan, who has been terrible for our Country and is against the America First Movement,” Trump continued. “As a State Delegate, Dan stood up to Hogan when he was supporting and meeting with Joe Biden. Dan is for low taxes, school choice, and no more lockdowns.”
Trump’s “RINO” insult towards Hogan is an acronym short for “Republican in name only.”
Hogan responded to the attack by insulting the former president, posting online, “Personally, I’d prefer endorsements from people who didn’t lose Maryland by 33 points.”
The Maryland governor has additionally referred to Cox as a “Q-Anon conspiracy theorist.”
Cox ultimately emerged victorious against Kelly Schulz, who previously served as Maryland’s secretary of labor (2015-2019) and secretary of commerce (2019–2022).
Some surveys were projecting the race to be tight — a Goucher College Poll said that 25 percent of likely Republican voters would back Cox while 22 percent would back Schulz.
Election results from the New York Times show Cox taking 56% of the vote to Schulz’s 40%, with approximately 68% of votes reported.