OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The first and likely only debate between the two major candidates for Maryland Governor aired statewide tonight on Maryland Public Television and gave voters the opportunity to see stark contrasts between them.
Sagging in both fundraising totals and in polls, Maryland Republican Gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox jumped at the opportunity to paint his Democratic opponent, Wes Moore as a candidate with extreme ideologies.
Moore, on the other hand, repeatedly followed up with Cox saying that his positions were being misrepresented on a number of issues.
The debate was taped at 2 p.m. inside MPT studios in Owings Mills but didn't air until 7 p.m. The debate aired unedited.
The back-and-forth was managed by moderator Jason Newton, a news anchor with WBAL-TV Baltimore, and questions were posed by four panelists and two student journalists who offered questions by videotape.
Highlighted by a number of contentious exchanges, the debate overall remained civil despite a few instances of name-calling.
"He’s a phony," Delegate Cox said at one point of Moore. "There’s so many things in his book that are completely false. If you look at the book it claims he was raised in Baltimore City. But sir, you didn’t move there until you were 34."
"We’re watching a perfect indication of why Governor Hogan called you unfit to lead," Moore shot back. "We’re watching a perfect indication of why Governor Hogan said, not only will I not support Delegate Cox, I won’t even give him a tour of the Governor’s office."
The debate included a wide range of topics that included transportation, support for HBCUs and legalized marijuana.
The most vociferous exchanges, however, came during the conversations surrounding both abortion and accepting the election results.
Delegate Cox has been asked repeatedly on the campaign trail if he would support the election results if he lost and that was the first question he faced from the panel on the debate stage. He was non-committal.
"I have always accepted the results of elections that are fair and following the Constitution. I intend to look to the law and uphold the Constitution," said Cox.
"We have a remarkably transparent election system in our state. It is irresponsible and dangerous to continue to cast doubt on the election system of Maryland," Moore responded.
As a firm pro-life candidate in an overwhelmingly pro-choice state, Cox's positions and previously filed legislation puts him at odds with both Governor Hogan and the majority of the state's electorate, a position on which he demurred when both were asked if they supported a national ban or a national law in support of abortion.
"As Governor, there’s very little I can do to override or change that. So the idea that’s come from my opponent that I’m somehow dangerous to women’s health care is preponderas (SIC), its false, it’s absolutely not true," said Cox.
"My opponent talks about freedom. But not the freedom of a woman or girl who would potentially have to carry their rapist’ child," replied Moore.
Following the debate, Cox told WUSA9 he felt a key moment in the debate came during a discussion of racial equity.
"For the people to hear my opponent say that he would support some kind of system of reparations, which is what he inferred today, I think that’s going to shock a lot of people because that’s not the direction of our future," said Cox.
"I think just like many things that he claimed today when he said something I supported you can go back and look at the tape, I never said that," said Moore.
In his closing statement, Moore reiterated a theme that he kept at the forefront during the hour-long back-and-forth.
"I think he has policies that are not just dangerous and divisive. He has economic policies that would take the state backward," said Moore.
"We’re going to make sure that we’re safe again. That we have safety, that we have affordability of housing and our groceries and our fuel. To make sure we have freedom again to make our own healthcare choices and that education is world-class again," said Cox.
Following the debate, Cox released a statement saying, in part, Maryland needs to focus on safety, affordability, freedom and education.
Wes Moore took to Twitter also following the debate saying Cox "likes to throw around the word freedom, but freedom is not an empty word for me." He says he is running to build a Maryland that lives up to the principle he learned in the Army: leave no one behind.
Marylanders have already started receiving mail-in ballots. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.