2022 Maryland Governor Candidate Profile: Kelly Schulz
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Maryland's former Labor and Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz has the backing of her former boss Gov. Larry Hogan and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford in her campaign for the Republican nomination for governor.
"She is a true conservative—a common sense conservative," Lt. Gov. Rutherford said Thursday at Lawyer's Mall in Annapolis.
Schulz is facing Del. Dan Cox of Frederick, Robin Ficker and Joe Werner. Del. Cox represents District 4 in Frederick and Carroll counties, the same district Schulz represented from 2011-2015 before joining Gov. Hogan's administration.
"I'm very proud of what we have accomplished over the last eight years," Schulz said.
Del. Cox is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who characterized Schulz as a "RINO," or "Republican In Name Only."
"What really matters is the endorsement of six million Marylanders out there," Schulz said Thursday. "I've been a Republican my whole entire life, so I find it funny someone who hasn't been a Republican their whole life calling me a certain name."
Schulz is hitting economic issues in the campaign's final days, pushing for the repeal of certain taxes tied to retirement and gasoline.
Despite supporting an anti-abortion bill during her time in the General Assembly and describing herself as "pro-life," she says nothing will change with abortion rights in Maryland if she is elected.
"The only one who's being honest, with integrity, is that nothing will change when I'm governor," Schulz said.
Schulz's message to Republican voters feels like a general election pitch as she says she's the only candidate who can beat a Democrat in November. This week, she laid out a Baltimore City crime plan, calling out the city's elected officials.
"You're not recruiting families and you're not recruiting businesses to Baltimore City if you do not have safe streets," Schulz said. "That's what we're going to push hard on with Baltimore City public officials."
Maryland's Primary Election Day is July 19.
For more information about Schulz's campaign, click here.
