ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan told reporters Wednesday he will not vote for his own party’s nominee to succeed him.
Dan Cox was declared the projected winner in the Republican primary for Maryland governor Tuesday evening with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
Hogan, who has a 64% approval rating among Republicans in the state, has previously called Cox a “Q-Anon whack job.” Hogan tweeted Wednesday about the Trump endorsement in the Maryland GOP race.
“Trump lost Republicans the White House, the House, and the Senate," the term-limited governor tweeted. "He’s fighting for his ego. We’re fighting to win, and the fight goes on."
But some Republican voters told WUSA9 that Cox’s criticism of mask mandates, as well as national issues like inflation and gas prices, resonated with them.
“I'm not really a big fan of Cox with Trump, but out of the two I went with Cox," said Republican voter Gianni Tumminello when asked about his decision to reject more moderate Republican Kelly Schulz.
Cox is a 2020 election denier who was present in Washington on Jan.6. He also appeared in April at a Pennsylvania Conference hosted by Q-Anon conspiracy theorists.
The morning after primary night, the Democratic Governor's Association released a new ad calling Cox "too extreme."
Maryland’s former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who is also the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, questioned how Cox can win against a Democrat in November in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1.
"Who's going to vote for you outside of the hard-right Republican base?" Steele asked. "Dan Cox is not going to be able to get away with a ‘what do you have to lose’ narrative with Black voters in Prince George's County. I'm sorry, that it ain't gonna fly."
Former Maryland Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich said there is no mystery to Cox's performance in the primary regardless of his prospects in November's general election.
"You have a conservative base," he said. "Generally, the Republican party is the conservative party. And you have the more conservative candidate who wins. That in itself is not shocking."