Dan Cox Wins GOP Primary for Maryland Governor

Former state Delegate Dan Cox won the Republican primary for Maryland governor on June 23.

Cox defeated former state retired banker Ed Hale and six other candidates.

He will face incumbent Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, in the Nov. 3 election in what is a rematch of 2022, when Moore won by more than 32 percentage points.

If Cox wins in November, he would likely need to govern alongside the legislature’s Democratic supermajority.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican who served two terms, often clashed with Democratic lawmakers, which resulted in many of his policy goals being diluted or blocked altogether.

President Donald Trump did not endorse a candidate in the Republican primary, though he endorsed Cox in 2022.

Cox is a private attorney and founder of The Cox Law Center, a firm focused on protecting constitutional rights, supporting families, and defending individual freedoms.

The firm’s website prominently features a photo of Cox alongside Trump.

Cox served in the Maryland General Assembly from 2019 to 2023 and ran unsuccessfully for Congress twice.

During the gubernatorial campaign, Cox was active on social media and used it to criticize Moore on affordability, pointing to his approach to electric bills and tax increases.

Hale owns the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team.

Originally a Democrat, he changed his party affiliation to Republican in August 2025, describing the move as a practical decision that would allow him to challenge Moore for governor.

Hale previously served as CEO of First Mariner Bank and was a member of the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam era.

Hale and Cox regularly criticized one another on social media, suggesting they viewed each other as a main rival in the Republican primary.

Cox’s platform included cutting taxes, helping retirees, ensuring affordable homeownership, practicing fiscal discipline, and providing reliable and low-cost energy.