This week, prominent Trump acolyte, Delegate Dan Cox (R-Frederick), submitted paperwork to join the Maryland Republican Gubernatorial Primary. His candidacy will ensure the Primary is defined by pro-Trump loyalty tests and will force Kelly Schulz out of hiding.
Cox is perhaps most well known for bussing Maryland Trump supporters to the January 6th Capitol insurrection, publicly calling former Vice President Mike Pence a “traitor” as the building was being stormed, and then falsely blaming the attack on “Antifa.”
Cox’s entrance into the 2022 Republican field and his avowed Trump support raises questions for fellow candidate Kelly Schulz. Schulz — another Trump supporter who attended the former president’s inaugural gala — has been nowhere to be found since announcing her candidacy, and has not denounced Cox’s actions on January 6th, or his false claim that the election was stolen.
With recent polling showing that 85% of Republicans prefer pro-Trump candidates, these questions are sure to follow Schulz in a messy primary defined by Trump loyalty.
“While our Democratic gubernatorial candidates are releasing policy platforms, meeting with voters across the state, and working on real solutions for Maryland — the Republicans are in a Trump-loyalty race to the bottom,” said Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis. “Delegate Dan Cox’s entrance into the 2022 field guarantees a messy MAGA primary for the Republican Party, and makes it impossible for Kelly Schulz to continue hiding from Maryland voters. With Cox in the race, Schulz will have no choice but to answer key questions about her support for the former president.”