Maryland GOP governor nominee Dan Cox: Donald Trump backer, election denier, underdog

WASHINGTON – Maryland Republicans Tuesday nominated a very pro-Donald Trump candidate for governor, a candidate so conservative that the state's current GOP governor doesn't support him.

"Trump lost Republicans the White House, the House, and the Senate," Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted after the nomination of Dan Cox. "He’s selfishly colluded with national Democrats to cost us a Governor’s seat in Maryland where I ran 45 points ahead of him."

What Happened:

• Cox, a state legislator and an outspoken 2020 election denier, won Maryland's gubernatorial primary over Kelly Schulz, a former state commerce secretary who had the backing of Gov. Hogan.

Cox wins:Trump-backed Dan Cox wins Maryland GOP nomination for governor

• During the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021 – after Vice President Mike Pence rejected Trump's demands that he throw out electoral votes that elected Joe Biden, and as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol – Cox tweeted that “Pence is a traitor.”

• Cox, who has also been a critic of Hogan, is considered an underdog in the fall race against whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee in Maryland. Author Wes Moore and former Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez are the top candidates in that primary, in which mail-in ballots are still being counted.

• The Republican primary for governor of Maryland was largely a proxy battle between Trump and Hogan. In endorsing Cox, Trump denounced the GOP governor as a "RINO," meaning Republican In Name Only. Hogan said his candidate, Schulz, was the only Republican who had a chance to win in this largely Democratic state.

• Hogan spokesman Mike Ricci confirmed that the governor does not plan to vote for Cox in the fall election.

Takeaway: Trump has a mixed record on endorsements this election year, but scored a clear win in Maryland. Cox is the latest uber-Trump candidate to win nomination to statewide office, a development that threatens GOP prospects in battleground states like Pennsylvania; similar primary battles between Trump candidates and less conservative Republicans are coming up in Arizona and Missouri.

What they're saying:

• After Cox's win, The Cook Political Report moved the Maryland governor's race from "lean Democratic" to "solid Democratic."

• Some Republicans and conservatives expressed dismay at Cox's victory, calling it a trend that could work against the GOP in the battle for control of key statehouses and the U.S. Senate.

• "Come on guys, what are we doing?," tweeted Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former communications director for the Trump White House. "Do we really want to be represented by Qanon followers? Extremists, & conspiracy theorists?"

• For his part, Cox predicted victory in the fall, telling supporters that "freedom matters" and that it "matters to all parties in Maryland. We're excited to carry that banner.”

• Many Democrats are happy about Cox's victory, as they seek to paint Republican candidates as too extreme for a general electorate. Some spent money promoting Cox, hoping to boost him with hardcore conservative voters while denigrating him with moderates.

• In one ad, the Democratic Governors Association said of Cox: "Too close to Trump, too conservative for Maryland."

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• Trump crowed about Cox's win and Hogan's defeat. In a Truth Social post right before the networks called the race for Cox, Trump said: "RINO Larry Hogan’s Endorsement doesn’t seem to be working out so well for his heavily favored candidate. Next, I’d love to see Larry run for President!"

• Hogan fired back with a tweet that cited Democratic support for Cox's nomination and said Trump has no interest in helping Republicans overall.

• "He’s fighting for his ego," Hogan said. "We’re fighting to win, and the fight goes on."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maryland GOP nominee Dan Cox: Trump backer, election denier, underdog