Former Maryland governor candidate Dan Cox makes bid for Congress

A former state delegate from Frederick County, who failed in his 2022 bid to become Maryland's next Republican governor, has announced he's running for Congress.

Dan Cox announced in an email Wednesday that he was seeking the Republican nomination for the 6th Congressional District, which includes all of Washington, Frederick, Allegany and Garrett counties and a portion of Montgomery County. U.S. Rep. David Trone, a Democrat, is not seeking re-election so he can run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.

"We as a nation are facing challenges like other times in American history," Cox said in the email. "The decisions made in the halls of Washington, D.C., will genuinely impact our individual freedom, our families, businesses, our jobs, and schools."

What offices has Cox run for before?

Cox is no stranger to the ballot.

He ran unsuccessfully for Dorchester County Clerk in 2006, but served as president of the town commission in Secretary, Md., from 2007 to 2009.

In 2016, Cox ran for Congress in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District. Former state Sen. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, defeated Cox in the general election, receiving 60% of the vote.

Cox successfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates representing Frederick County's 4th District in 2018, which at that time included the Emmitsburg and Thurmont areas. He held the job for one term.

With the backing of former President Donald Trump, the little-known lawyer and former collegiate track and field athlete catapulted to victory in the July gubernatorial primary election, defeating Kelly Schulz, a former secretary of commerce in former Gov. Larry Hogan's administration. Cox received 52% of the vote in a contest where fewer than 30% of registered Republicans voted.

But he lost the 2022 gubernatorial race, garnering less than half the 1.3 million votes Democrat Wes Moore received.

From 2022: Dan Cox has a steep path, from small-town official to Trump-backed governor's candidate

What did Cox talk about his campaign announcement?

Linking to a video of a speech announcing his candidacy, Cox's campaign email noted he spoke about several key conservative topics, including the nation's southern border, the fentanyl crisis and the national debt, among other topics.

“The irresponsible and lawless policies of the Biden administration are hurting us all; escalating inflation, and causing fear and irreparable harm to our families and children in Maryland’s sixth district," the email quoted him as saying. "And instead of working together to provide solutions, Washington is plagued by division and career politicians who prioritize special interests over the safety and affordability of our families.”

He also outlined why he thinks he is the best person to represent the 6th District.

"We are the voice of reason and kindness," he said. "We are unwavering in our commitment to secure our borders, control spending, and protect the freedoms and future of our families. We must never surrender this fight. We must never give up.”

How has Cox been received by members of his party?

Cox’s convictions have not always contributed to political or policy victories either. He was not backed up by his party’s elected representatives when he tried to impeach Hogan in 2022 for the governor’s pandemic policies. He was not backed up by the courts when he claimed in July that the 2020 election was “stolen.”

Some of his most high-profile actions as a delegate were tweets in 2022. In one, Cox used a hashtag associated with the conspiracy theory group QAnon, leading Hogan to call the one-term state delegate “a QAnon wackjob” the day after the former president endorsed Cox in November.

Another tweet from Cox called then-Vice President Mike Pence a “traitor” on Jan. 6, 2021, for refusing to overturn the results of the election during Pence's ceremonial role in the Electoral College system.

Cox, who arranged for buses to and attended then-President Trump’s Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., before a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, said he “regrets” the tweet’s poor choice of words in a 2021 letter to legislative leadership and the ethics committee.

Who else is running for the 6th Congressional District?

According to Federal Election Commission and State Board of Elections filings, Cox is facing several Republican challengers for the 6th District, including at least one from Washington County.

The list includes:

• Heath Barnes, Republican, Frederick County

• Chris Hyser, Republican, Frederick County

• Todd A. Puglisi, Republican, Montgomery County

• Mariela Roca, Republican, Frederick County

• Tom Royals, Republican, Montgomery County

• Brenda J. Thiam, Republican, Washington County

Washington County's Neil Parrott, a former state delegate who has unsuccessfully challenged Trone in the past, is listed on the FEC site, but he and Barnes are not listed by the state Elections Board. To appear on the ballot, a candidate must register with the state Elections Board.

Barnes has announced he is seeking the Republican nomination. Parrott has not formally said he is running, though he is raising campaign cash, which is why he is listed in FEC documents.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: MD Republican Dan Cox announces he's running for Congress