Politics

Gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore says GOP challenger Dan Cox "dangerous" for Maryland

July 23, 2022 / 5:22 PM EDT / AP

BALTIMORE, Md. (AP) -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore said at a press conference on Saturday that his Republican opponent, Dan Cox, "would be dangerous" as Maryland's governor.

Moore won the Democratic primary for Maryland governor on Friday. He defeated a long list of other high-profile Democrats, including Tom Perez, the former U.S. labor secretary and ex-Democratic National Committee chair, and Peter Franchot, the state's longtime comptroller.

Moore is the author of the book "The Other Wes Moore" and the former CEO of an anti-poverty nonprofit. He will square off against Cox—a hardline conservative endorsed by former President Donald Trump—in a general election contest.

"He has pledged his unwavering allegiance to Donald Trump," Moore said of Cox. "Maryland deserves a governor who is devoted to them and not to Donald Trump."

Cox was declared the winner of the Republican primary on Tuesday night. It took until Friday to call the Democratic primary for Moore because the margins were tighter and a larger number of mail ballots were cast in the race. Maryland law prohibits counties from opening mail ballots until the Thursday after election day.

Cox, an acolyte of Trump and supporter of right-wing causes, has promoted Trump's lies of a stolen 2020 election.

"Let's be clear, this is a person who has personally organized buses of insurrectionists to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6," Moore said. "Let's be clear, this is a person who spread Trump's lies about the 2020 election and who still to this day thinks that Donald Trump is the president. A person who fought to have it overturned. A person who traffics conspiracy theories."

GOP voters' decision to nominate Cox dashed the hopes of Hogan and other establishment Republicans that the party could hold on to the governor's mansion in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1.

Hogan has not been shy in his distaste for Cox, denouncing him as a "nut" and a "QAnon whack job." Cox sued over Hogan's stay-at-home orders and regulations at the start of the pandemic and introduced a resolution to impeach Hogan for what Cox called "malfeasance in office."

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

Hogan shot back Wednesday, tweeting that "Trump lost Republicans the White House, the House, and the Senate." He said Trump will "cost us a Governor's seat in Maryland where I ran 45 points ahead of him."

Hogan was "very clear" that he wouldn't support Cox, Moore said at the press conference.

"Dan Cox represents the most extreme fringe of American politics," Moore said. "And simply put he is so far outside of the mainstream that I believe he would be dangerous in the governor's office."

Cox told Baltimore's WJZ-TV that he disagrees with Moore's assessment.

"Returning power to the people and ending the mandates Moore wishes to force upon us permanently is not dangerous, it is called freedom," Cox said in response to Moore's comment that Cox "would be dangerous in the governor's office."

Cox said in a Facebook post on Saturday that Moore's motto of "leave no one behind" was ironic because his failed Biden agenda had already done that for some Marylanders.

"Children and schools are forgotten while extreme divisive [Critical Race Theory] and Gender Identity propaganda is on his website page with continued plans for indoctrination of our kids behind parents' backs; our jobs and freedom are being robbed by mandates, high taxes and inflation; and, our streets are left behind with blood running in them from high crime while the Democratic progressives' approach is to 'defund the police,'" Cox said.

Cox said he intended to prevent "such failed Biden policies" from reaching the State House.

Meanwhile, Perez on Saturday called for Marylanders "to unite" behind Moore. He said he looked forward to helping the Democratic party turn Maryland blue in November.

The stakes in the Maryland general election "have never been higher," Perez said.

"In the era of a radicalized Supreme Court, states are now the last bastion of our civil rights," he said. "Meanwhile, Maryland Republicans have nominated Dan Cox, an extreme right-wing, QAnon conspiracy theory peddling insurrectionist as their candidate for governor. We cannot let that happen. And we cannot take anything for granted."

Moore would be the state's first Black governor if elected.

CBS staff contributed to this report.