Maryland Democrats Boost Dan Cox in GOP Primary as Wes Moore Seeks Easier 2026 Race
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 16
Maryland Democrats Boost Dan Cox in GOP Primary as Wes Moore Seeks Easier 2026 Race
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 16
Summary
Wes Moore’s campaign began Fox News ads Tuesday praising Dan Cox as backing Trump’s agenda, while the Maryland Democratic Party mailed Republican voters material elevating Cox over rival Ed Hale.
The effort aims to help Cox win next week’s Republican primary because Moore beat the far-right former legislator by 32 points in 2022 and would likely face an easier general election rematch.
Hale — a retired bank executive and former Democrat who switched parties after first launching a campaign against Moore — is Cox’s leading primary rival.
Campaign finance filings show Hale has raised more money than Cox, though neither candidate has bought television ads, making Democratic spending a notable outside boost.
The tactic echoes 2022, when the Democratic Governors Association spent more than $1 million on ads that helped Cox win the GOP nomination in deep-blue Maryland.