Maryland Delegate Dan Cox (R-04) had the distinction of being the only one to have Trump's support in a race Tuesday night, and easily beat Kelly Schulz who was secretary of licensing, labor, and regulation, as well as secretary of commerce during various periods of Hogan's administration. Trump endorsed Cox in November and the race was the microcosm of something bigger within the GOP as the America First movement and Republican establishment struggle to save the soul of the Republican party. With 68 percent of voters reporting by 11.20 p.m., Cox had won 55 percent of votes, beating Schulz who racked up 40 percent of the vote, the Associated Press election results shared by the New York Times show. The result shows that the conservatives of Maryland are more in line with Trump as opposed to the former governor.
“Wow! Trump Endorsed Dan Cox is doing really well tonight in seeking the Republican Gubernatorial Nomination in the Great State of Maryland,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social Post before NBC News called the race. “Not over yet, but RINO Larry Hogan’s Endorsement doesn’t seem to be working out so well for his heavily favored candidate. Next, I’d love to see Larry run for President!”
“Congratulations to Dan Cox. NBC Fake News just called the race, but in this case the reporting wasn’t Fake (for a change!),” he wrote in a follow-up post.
In his endorsement, Trump slammed Hogan as reported by Breitbart News:
“Dan Cox is an America First Patriot who is running for Governor in the Great State of Maryland. A tough lawyer, and smart businessman, Dan has done outstanding work in the Maryland General Assembly,” the former president said in a statement.
“Dan is MAGA all the way—unlike his opponent, Kelly Schultz, who was handpicked by her ‘boss,’ RINO Larry Hogan, who has been terrible for our Country and is against the America First Movement,” Trump continued. “As a State Delegate, Dan stood up to Hogan when he was supporting and meeting with Joe Biden. Dan is for low taxes, school choice, and no more lockdowns.”
Following the endorsement, Hogan posted on Twitter the following tweet “[p]ersonally, I’d prefer endorsements from people who didn’t lose Maryland by 33 points.”
Hogan has also demanded Trump not run for president in the future. In December, Hogan stated in front of Fox News Channel's Bret Baier that he'd have been “bad for the country” when he appeared on Fox News Sunday. In the morning, Trump blasted Hogan in another statement. “Get rid of Shutdown RINO Larry Hogan, who is trying to get another RINO into office, Kelly Schulz,” he said, as Politico noted.
The win puts the endorsement of Trump at 147-10 for 2022. Most importantly, Trump has been perfect in his selections in the other 22 states:
- Texas: 33-0
- Indiana: 6-0
- Ohio: 16-0
- West Virginia: 2-0
- Kentucky: 6-0
- Pennsylvania: 8-0
- Alabama: 6-0
- Arkansas: 5-0
- California 7-0 [8-0 thanks to Rep. Connie Conway's (R-CA) special election win
- Iowa: 4-0
- Mississippi: 1-0
- Montana: 2-0
- New Jersey: 1-0
- South Dakota: 1-0
- Nevada: 2-0
- North Dakota: 2-0
- Virginia: 4-0
- Alaska: 1-0
- Colorado: 1-0
- 20.Illinois: 4-0
- Oklahoma: 4-0
- 22.Utah: 3-0
Additionally, the thirteen U.S. candidates who have been granted the 45th president's approval have not lost since the beginning of the year:
- J.D. Vance — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Ohio
- Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Idaho
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky
- Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in North Carolina
- Dr. Mehmet Oz — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania
- Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) — Republican nominee for U.S Senate in Arkansas
- Herschel Walker — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Georgia
- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Iowa
- Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Nevada
- Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in North Dakota
- Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in South Carolina
- Katie Britt — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Alabama
- Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) — Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Utah
The primary season continues to experience a slowdown before picking up on August 2nd with significant Republican contests in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, and Missouri.
