Dan Cox, a Republican who lost against Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in the 2022 gubernatorial election, has filed to run for governor again this year.
The former Maryland delegate’s candidacy was posted on the Maryland elections board website Friday, and he listed Rob Krop as his running mate for lieutenant governor.
The Cox campaign is launching a website, which says it will be operating soon.
President Donald Trump endorsed Cox during his first run for governor. Cox is a father of 10 and served in the Maryland House of Delegates between 2019 and 2023, representing the 4th District, which includes Carroll and Frederick counties, according to his House of Delegates biography.
Cox, who was a constitutional lawyer and first-term state delegate when he first ran against Moore, advocated far-right conservative positions following Trump’s Make America Great platform. He railed against “critical race theory” and “gender identity indoctrination” in schools and against the COVID-19 lockdown measures, which did not win over Maryland’s deep blue electorate.
Cox lost his 2022 election bid in a lopsided victory where Wes Moore held more than 60% of the vote.
On Saturday, Maryland Democratic Party Chair Steuart Pittman released a statement in response to Republican’s filing that said, “Dan Cox’s entry into the Maryland Governor’s race, and his likely nomination by the Republican Party, creates a historic opportunity for Maryland Democrats to expand our base of support everywhere.”
“Cox demonstrated his blind allegiance to Donald Trump when he bussed insurrectionists to Washington on January 6, 2021,” the statement continued.
“He will serve as a reminder to Marylanders what Donald Trump has done for us: his economic assault on farmers, blue collar workers, small businesses, and public servants; his disdain for the rule of law; his disrespect for our veterans; and his lack of fiscal discipline.”
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