BALTIMORE — Gov. Larry Hogan will not support Del. Dan Cox as the Republican nominee for governor following the major primary election upset declaring him the winner, a spokesman said Wednesday.
Hogan, who endorsed his former, two-time Cabinet secretary and political protégée Kelly M. Schulz, took to Twitter Wednesday morning alleging that former President Donald Trump cost Maryland Republicans a third consecutive win in November’s general election.
Trump backed Cox, who chartered buses for himself and his constituents to attend the “stop the steal” rally outside the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, in the primary.
Hogan also pointed to the Democratic Governors Association, which spent more than $1 million on TV ads about Cox, for Schulz’s loss.
”Trump lost Republicans the White House, the House, and the Senate,” Hogan wrote. “He’s selfishly colluded with national Democrats to cost us a Governor’s seat in Maryland where I ran 45 points ahead of him.”
After The Associated Press declared Cox the presumptive nominee Tuesday night, Noam Lee, of the Democratic Governors Association, issued a statement describing Cox as “a Q-Anon conspiracy theorist.”
Before the primary, an arm of the organization spent $2 million on ads focused on Cox that were intended to make him an easier opponent in a general election in which Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1.
“We can’t let Dan Cox turn Maryland into MAGAland, which is why the DGA has been holding him accountable for weeks and will continue to ensure we defeat him and his dangerous agenda in November,” Lee wrote.
The Democratic Governors Association also released a new video Wednesday regarding Cox’s views on abortion access and gun control — both of which have been at the political forefront after the Supreme Court handed down opinions overturning Roe v. Wade and Maryland’s concealed carry policy in June.
Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci declined to confirm whether or not the governor would support the Democratic nominee for governor.
“All I can confirm today is he will not support Mr. Cox,” Ricci said.
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