Hogan Says He Won't Support Cox For Governor In November

MARYLAND — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says he won't support Dan Cox in the November general election for governor.

Cox, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, won the Republican primary for governor last Tuesday. Hogan had endorsed Kelly Schulz for governor, who was a cabinet secretary in Hogan's administration.

Hogan called Cox's win a blow to Maryland's Republican Party.

"We saw in Maryland unprecedented collusion between Trump and the Democratic Governors Association, who spent millions promoting a QAnon conspiracy theorist," Hogan tweeted Sunday. "It’s a loss for the Republican Party, and it’s dangerous for our Democracy."

Trump gloated over Cox's success over Schulz, writing in a statement, “RINO Larry Hogan’s Endorsement doesn’t seem to be working out so well for his heavily favored candidate."

Cox, an acolyte of Trump and supporter of right-wing causes, has promoted Trump’s lies of a stolen 2020 election, organized buses to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, and tweeted during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that then-Vice President Mike Pence was a “traitor."

Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Hogan said he blames the Democratic Governor's Association and Trump for Cox's recent win.

SEE ALSO:

• Dan Cox Wins GOP Nomination For Governor Over Kelly Schulz: AP
• Wes Moore Projected To Win Democratic Nomination For MD Governor

"Both of them were promoting a conspiracy theory, believing kind of nut job. DJA, I think, spent about $3 million. The guy only spent $100,000 on his campaign," Hogan said on the show. "It was a win for the Democrats. It's a big loss for the Republican party and we have no chance of saving the governor's seat. We actually had a chance if they hadn't got together and done that."

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Hogan said Cox isn't qualified to be governor of Maryland. While he won't vote for Cox, Hogan didn't say if he'd vote for the Democratic nominee, Wes More, as the next governor.

"I'm going to have to make a decision between now and November, but I'm certainly not going to support this guy. He does not qualify to be governor," Hogan told CNN.

Democrats see Moore as a strong candidate with a compelling personal story.

He was raised by a single mother after his father died when Moore was 3. Moore graduated from Valley Forge Military College and Johns Hopkins University and won a Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford University.

He later served as a captain and paratrooper with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne and saw combat in Afghanistan.

Moore has written a number of books, including “The Other Wes Moore,” a memoir that juxtaposes his life with that of another man with the same name and a similar background who ended up serving a life sentence for murder.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.