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Republican

Dan Cox

Republican

Dan Cox

Maryland Republican Governor nominee?

$16.1K

JUN 24, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Overview

Current roleFormer State Representative

PartyRepublican

Political ideologyConservative Republican

Age51 years old (Aug 9, 1974)

GenderMale

LocationMaryland

BackgroundAttorney

EducationUniversity of Maryland University College (now University of Maryland Global Campus) — B.S., Government and Politics

Notable personal detailsDaniel Lewis Cox is an American politician and attorney who served as a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 4 (Frederick and Carroll counties) from 2019 to 2023. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Maryland in 2022 and lost the general election to Wes Moore. He earned a B.S. in Government and Politics from University of Maryland University College (now University of Maryland Global Campus) and has worked in private legal practice (Cox Law Center).

SourcesShow

mgaleg.maryland.gov en.wikipedia.org elections.maryland.gov msa.maryland.gov es.wikipedia.org conduitstreet.mdcounties.org cnbc.com marylandmatters.org wypr.org washingtonpost.com baltimoremagazine.com latimes.com axios.com wmar2news.com commons.wikimedia.org apnews.com wikidata.org coxforcongress.org marylandreporter.com wtop.com states.aarp.org fox5dc.com justfacts.votesmart.org baltimorebanner-the-baltimore-banner-staging.web.arc-cdn.net wbal.com mddems.org mdlcv.org eenews.net voteforcox.com aljazeera.com wbaltv.com aminerdetail.com voterguide.ballotpedia.org x.com developer.ballotpedia.org cba.ballotpedia.org cdn.ballotpedia.org upload.wikimedia.org ballotready.org fec.gov nga.org house.gov govinfo.gov congress.gov

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Advocates major tax cuts including elimination of the state income tax and other tax reductions, suspension of the gas tax, and tax relief for retirees and businesses; supports expanding tax credits for employers and reducing corporate, personal, and property tax rates. Platform materials and past campaigns also include proposals for large spending cuts and replacement of federal/state tax structures.

Healthcare

Dan Cox has expressed opposition to the Affordable Care Act and has supported repeal efforts in past campaigns, while also supporting expanded Medicaid coverage for at-home long-term care and opposing certain pandemic-related public-health mandates. His public statements combine market-oriented positions on federal health policy with selective support for state-level Medicaid expansions and expanded services for seniors and opioid treatment.

Immigration & Border

Supports strict enforcement-first immigration policies including restoring Remain in Mexico, ending catch-and-release, funding deportation of undocumented immigrants, defending states’ ability to close borders, eliminating perceived asylum fraud, and prioritizing a merit-based system that limits illegal entry.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Dan Cox identifies as pro‑life and has repeatedly supported measures to restrict abortion access, including co-sponsoring fetal heartbeat legislation and seeking to remove public funding for abortion. In a candidate survey he answered that abortion should be allowed “Never,” including saying other lifesaving measures should be sought rather than permitting abortion when the mother’s life is at risk. He praised the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs and has said he would continue efforts to limit abortion access if elected.

Climate & Energy

Rejects the scientific consensus on climate change, opposes major emissions-reduction legislation, and supports an "all-of-the-above" energy approach that includes expanded use of oil and gas and rolling back restrictions on fossil-fuel development.

Public Safety & Guns

Opposes most new gun restrictions and describes himself as pro-gun; rejects assault-weapon bans and argues background checks and bans will not reduce gun violence. Has opposed state bills that would restrict firearms and praised the U.S. Supreme Court Bruen decision expanding gun rights.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedMay 23, 2026

Dan Cox is in the news as one of the Republican candidates in Maryland’s 2026 governor’s race, with the primary still ahead and the party nominee not yet decided. Recent coverage has also focused on a mail-in ballot error in the Republican primary, which led election officials to resend ballots and drew criticism from several GOP candidates. Cox has been part of broader Republican criticism of Maryland Democrats on issues like taxes, police funding, and voting rules.

mgaleg.maryland.gov+43

Articles

BSBaltimore Sun3 days ago