Maryland’s Gubernatorial Primary By the Numbers
Dan Cox wins the largest GOP gubernatorial primary in Maryland history to set up the fifth general election rematch during the direct primary era
Maryland’s 2026 gubernatorial election will be a rematch of four years ago, following the results of last night’s primary.
On the Democratic side, with all but a handful of precincts reporting, Governor Wes Moore cruised to renomination with 87.8 percent of the vote in his head-to-head matchup against physician Eric Felber.
That marks the second largest support in a contested Democratic gubernatorial primary in the state dating back to the first primary in 1911. Only Governor Marvin Mandel turned in a more dominating performance when he received 89.1 percent against four opponents during his 1970 campaign.
On the Republican side, former state Delegate and 2022 nominee Dan Cox (pictured) defeated retired banker and indoor soccer franchise (Baltimore Blast) owner Ed Hale by 9.5 points with 45.2 percent of the vote.
Nine candidates were on the GOP Maryland gubernatorial primary ballot – a party record that nearly doubled the previous high of five when Baltimore County Executive Spiro Agnew was nominated with 83.2 percent of the vote in 1966.
Cox’s plurality victory marked just the second time a Maryland Republican was nominated for the office without majority support. [Larry Hogan won 43.0 percent in a four-candidate field in 2014 – some 14 points ahead of Harford County Executive David Craig].
The Cox vs. Moore rematch will be the fifth in the state among major party candidates during the primary era.
Republican Harry Nice vs. Democrat Albert Ritchie (1919 and 1934). Harry Nice, a former Baltimore City Councilor and state’s Attorney, lost to Attorney General Albert Ritchie by just 165 votes in 1919. Ritchie served four terms but fell 6,149 votes shy of a fifth term in a rematch some 15 years later against Nice.
Republican Theodore McKeldin vs. Democrat William Lane (1946 and 1950). Former Attorney General William Lane held the open seat for his party against the backdrop of the disastrous 1946 Democratic midterms with a 9.5-point win against Baltimore Mayor Theodore McKeldin. McKeldin – the GOP nominee for four consecutive cycles from 1942 through 1954 – would handily win the 1950 rematch against Governor Lane by 14.6 points en route to his first of two terms.
Republican Ellen Sauerbrey vs. Democrat Parris Glendening (1994 and 1998). Former Prince George’s County Executive Parris Glendening won the seventh and eighth consecutive gubernatorial elections for his party – both against State Delegate Ellen Sauerbrey. Sauerbrey ended up 0.4 points shy of victory during the 1994 Republican Revolution and lost by 10.3 points in 1998.
Republican Bob Ehrlich vs Democrat Martin O’Malley (2006 and 2010). In 2006, two-term Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley unseated Governor Bob Ehrlich by 6.5 points. Ehrlich was nominated for a third consecutive cycle in 2010 but the Republican wave did not hit Maryland’s coastline with the former governor landing 14.4 points shy of his destination.
Maryland Republicans have now nominated only four different candidates for governor across the last nine election cycles since 1994: Sauerbrey (1994, 1998), Ehrlich (2002, 2006, 2010), Hogan (2014, 2018), and Cox (2022, 2026).
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Just so everyone’s clear: That guy in Maryland is Dan Cox. With a “C.”
The daylight between Dan Cox and Daniel Fox is hereby noted!
– True, he is not a “fox”, but the onetime legislator, intentionally or not, is an accomplice to the *Insurrection of Twenty-One* – by “organising transportation” for that event (per Maryland Matters, part of States Newsroom).
– Businessperson Ed Hale Sr. is also a former Democrat and even a longtime deep-pocketed donor to Old Line state Democrats.
– Since the state elects its lieutenant governor and governor on a single ballot Mr. Moore will be succeeded by a fellow Democrat were he to resign his office upon election to another federal office – the first Marylander since Spiro Agnew should it happen.
Michael Bennett just became the 1st sitting us senator to lose a primary for governor since Kay Bailey Hutchison in 2010. Dianna DeGette became the latest victim of what I call the age revolt. (Members who either retired or lost primaries to younger insurgents.)