Republican Dan Cox is running for Maryland governor a second time in a 2026 rematch against now-Gov. Wes Moore. Four years after losing the office in a landslide, the former state delegate from Frederick County is betting that a shifted platform and a focus on independent voters can alter the trajectory of the race.
A Strategic Pivot Toward Data Centers and State Infrastructure
Speaking at an event in Frederick County, Cox outlined a series of policy positions designed to separate his current bid from his 2022 campaign. The candidate called for an immediate statewide ban on new mega data center approvals alongside an immediate moratorium on current development while pushing to enact a permanent ban.
On the stump, Cox promised voters he would cut taxes and fees while tackling soaring energy costs. He also announced a plan to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge before the end of the decade and outlaw Flock cameras statewide.
“I’m running for governor to make a difference and stop the kind of craziness that we’re seeing right here in Adamstown and across all of Maryland,” Cox told voters.
Weighing Grassroots Organizing Against Past Political Battles
The campaign operation relies on a tight-knit family structure. Cox, a married father of 10 home-schooled children, runs a schedule where his daughter serves as campaign manager. He describes a daily routine divided between professional legal practice in the morning and afternoon and campaign events by evening.
In 2022, Cox was endorsed by President Donald Trump and remembered by some for a failed state court bid over the counting of absentee ballots. Addressing that history, Cox dismissed the past litigation entirely. “It doesn’t even register. It’s not an issue because I’ve never done that,” he said.
With the November election approaching, Cox maintains that traditional party lines will not dictate the outcome. “Guess what? The Independents have yet to speak, and the Independents will show up and vote for Dan Cox for governor. Why? Because they’re ready to throw this governor out of office,” he said.
