Maryland Delegate Dan Cox (R-04), who secured former President Donald J. Trump’s highly valuable endorsement, defeated Trump critic Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R-MD) choice as his successor, Kelly Schulz, in Maryland’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
Cox was the only candidate with Trump’s backing in a contest Tuesday night and handily beat out Schulz, who served as secretary of labor, licensing, and regulation and secretary of commerce during different points of Hogan’s administration. Trump endorsed Cox in November, and the race became a microcosm of something much larger happening in the GOP as the America First movement and Republican establishment battle for the soul of the party. With 68 percent reporting at 11:20 p.m., Cox had garnered 56 percent of the vote, trouncing Schulz, who took home 40 percent, the Associated Press election results shared by the New York Times show. The victory signals that conservatives in Maryland are more aligned with Trump than the departing governor.
BREAKING: Dan Cox wins Republican nomination for governor in Maryland primary election. #APRaceCall at 11:02 p.m. EDT. https://t.co/2nlgpji7ac
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) July 20, 2022
“Wow! Trump Endorsed Dan Cox is doing really well tonight in seeking the Republican Gubernatorial Nomination in the Great State of Maryland,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social Post before NBC News called the race. “Not over yet, but 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!”
“Congratulations to Dan Cox. NBC Fake News just called the race, but in this case the reporting wasn’t Fake (for a change!),” he wrote in a subsequent post.
In his endorsement, the 45th president blasted Hogan, as Breitbart News previously reported:
“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 a statement.
…
“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.”
After the endorsement, Hogan tweeted that “[p]ersonally, I’d prefer endorsements from people who didn’t lose Maryland by 33 points.”
Personally, I’d prefer endorsements from people who didn’t lose Maryland by 33 points.
— Larry Hogan (@LarryHogan) November 23, 2021
Hogan has also called on Trump not to run for president again and, in December, asserted to Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier that he would be “bad for the country” while appearing on Fox News Sunday. On Monday, Trump blasted Hogan in a statement yet again. “Get rid of Shutdown RINO Larry Hogan, who is trying to get another RINO into office, Kelly Schulz,” he said, as Politico noted.
The victory puts Trump’s endorsement record at 147-10 in 2022, and notably, Trump has been perfect with his picks in 22 other states:
- Texas: 33-0
- Indiana: 6-0
- Ohio: 16-0
- West Virginia: 2-0
- Kentucky: 6-0
- Pennsylvania: 8-0
- Alabama: 6-0
- Arkansas: 5-0
- California: 7-0 [8-0 with Rep. Connie Conway’s (R-CA) special election victory]
- Iowa: 4-0
- Mississippi: 1-0
- Montana: 2-0
- New Jersey: 1-0
- South Dakota: 1-0
- Nevada: 2-0
- North Dakota: 2-0
- Virginia: 4-0
- Alaska: 1-0
- Colorado: 1-0
- 20.Illinois: 4-0
- Oklahoma: 4-0
- 22.Utah: 3-0
Moreover, all 13 U.S. candidates who have earned the 45th president’s nod are undefeated thus far:
- J.D. Vance — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Ohio
- Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Idaho
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky
- Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in North Carolina
- Dr. Mehmet Oz — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania
- Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) — Republican nominee for U.S Senate in Arkansas
- Herschel Walker — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Georgia
- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Iowa
- Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Nevada
- Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in North Dakota
- Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in South Carolina
- Katie Britt — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Alabama
- Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Utah
The primary season endures another lull before picking up again on August 2 with major Republican races in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, and Missouri.
