{"id":2616811,"date":"2026-06-21T06:27:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T10:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wes-moore-awaits-opponent-as-he-seeks-to-sway-gop-primary\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T06:29:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T10:29:07","slug":"wes-moore-awaits-opponent-as-he-seeks-to-sway-gop-primary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wes-moore-awaits-opponent-as-he-seeks-to-sway-gop-primary\/","title":{"rendered":"Wes Moore awaits opponent as he seeks to sway GOP primary"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwes-moore-awaits-opponent-as-he-seeks-to-sway-gop-primary%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2616811&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A former long-time Democrat in Maryland, Ed Hale, now a Republican, is attempting to revive a centrist approach similar to Larry hogans in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/haley-campaign-tells-voters-trump-would-allow-russian-victory-in-new-ad\/\" title=\"...y ... warns of &#039;Russian victory&#039; under ... in new ad\">upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dr-seuss-uncanceled-virginia-entrepreneur-passes-out-dr-seuss-books-to-kids\/\" title=\"Dr. Seuss Uncanceled: Virginia Entrepreneur Passes Out Dr. Seuss Books To Kids\">gubernatorial primary<\/a><\/a>. Hale, who claims he is \u201cnot a Donald Trump guy,\u201d is challenging Gov.Wes Moore, a Democrat, in a heavily Democratic state.Democrats are actively working to prevent Hale from gaining momentum, accusing Moore and fellow Democrats of meddling in the GOP primary by boosting certain candidates like Dan Cox, a Trump supporter and 2022 Republican nominee. Cox positions himself as a true conservative and criticizes Hale and Moore, emphasizing his alignment with Trump and conservative principles. The race is seen as a contest between Trump-aligned Republicans and more moderate or centrist candidates, with Maryland Democrats framing it as a battle between &#8220;MAGA&#8221; and &#8220;RINO&#8221; candidates. The Maryland Republican Party remains neutral in the primary, viewing it as a toss-up, while both Hale and Cox face challenges in uniting voters for the general election. Meanwhile, Moore focuses on his reelection prospects, with little opposition expected in the upcoming November election, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >possibly fueling presidential speculation<\/a>. The primary highlights ongoing intra-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-continuous-media-covid-fear-mongering-may-backfire-and-diminish-democrat-voter-turnout\/\" title=\"The Continuous Media COVID Fear Mongering May BACKFIRE and Diminish ... Voter Turnout\">party<\/a> conflicts and Democratic efforts to influence the Republican race, with national figures like Senator Chris Van Hollen emphasizing that Moore is well-positioned for the general election.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A former longtime Democrat in Maryland is trying to revive what loosely resembles the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/larry-hogan\/\">Larry Hogan<\/a> playbook ahead of Tuesday\u2019s gubernatorial primary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ed Hale, a Democrat turned Republican who is \u201cnot a Donald Trump guy,\u201d is testing whether a statewide GOP candidate running on a centrist platform can rebuild a winning coalition reminiscent of the former popular two-term governor to present a formidable challenge to Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/wes-moore\/\">Wes Moore<\/a> (D-MD) in a state Trump lost by nearly 30 points. Hogan, though constitutionally eligible, ruled out seeking a third nonconsecutive term for governor earlier this year.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4601528\/maine-governor-race-bobby-charles-hannah-pingree\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Bobby Charles and Hannah Pingree set for Maine gubernatorial face-off<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4614136\/joe-concha-waning-american-patriotism-midterm-elections\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>\u2018We\u2019re the home of Apple, Amazon, Google, and Sydney Sweeney\u2019: Joe Concha on waning patriotism<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4610901\/janeese-lewis-george-kenyan-mcduffie-dc-mayor-primary-result\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Janeese Lewis George secures nomination for DC mayor as Kenyan McDuffie concedes primary<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats, however, appear set on preventing Hale from even getting the opportunity to rebuild the Hogan brand.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hale charges Moore and other Democrats with recycling an old strategy to meddle in the GOP primary by boosting Dan Cox, the 2022 Republican nominee and a Trump acolyte whom Moore defeated by more than 32 points in 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe governor of our state is manipulating the election to get everybody out except for Dan Cox,\u201d Hale told reporters in the days leading up to the primary. \u201cDan Cox has run continuously for many things. I hate to even mention his name because he\u2019s lost at everything he\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hale\u2019s running mate, Tyrone Keys, was blunter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWes Moore beat Dan Cox like a rented mule in 2022, and he\u2019d do it again,\u201d Keys said. \u201cHe is afraid of Ed Hale. He doesn\u2019t want to run against him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cox positions himself as the true conservative. The former state lawmaker garnered Trump\u2019s support in 2022, but the president has focused his attention on gubernatorial races elsewhere this cycle that, in some cases, have become <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/aca%20fiscal%20story%20on%20republicans.docx\">rare black marks on his endorsement record<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cox condemned what he called the \u201cdirty and disgusting tactic\u201d of Democrats funding campaign materials seeking to influence the primary in his favor. Those include ads from Moore\u2019s campaign that declare Cox \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=haaMiyn4XNA\">too conservative<\/a>\u201d and highlight his past praise from Trump. In 2022, Maryland Democrats and Moore were accused of deploying a similar strategy to promote Cox over Republican rival Kelly Schulz, a former Hogan administration official.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCaring enough to change Maryland for the better is not too conservative, it\u2019s common sense because Wes Moore is too expensive, too dangerous and too incompetent,\u201d Cox wrote on social media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He concluded in a lengthy post: \u201cIn short we want NO MOORE.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither Hale nor Cox responded to inquiries.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In TV ads, mailers, and comments to the media, Maryland Democrats frame the GOP contest as a \u201cclear battle between MAGA and a RINO,\u201d or Republican In Name Only, a label used by some Republicans to accuse someone of being insufficiently conservative.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dFrQN3mpL-g\">Moore campaign ad<\/a> warns Hale \u201ccan\u2019t be trusted\u201d because he was a \u201clifelong Democrat\u201d who switched parties to \u201ctrick everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Moore campaign insisted it has no candidate preference and that the first-term governor will prevail against either Republican, despite its ads that are designed to portray Cox as more favorable to GOP voters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re not going to take anything for granted, no matter who we\u2019re running against,\u201d Moore spokesman Carter Elliott said in a statement. \u201cWhoever wins the Republican primary will be met with the strongest coordinated campaign Maryland has ever seen, and we will work day and night to make sure in November that voters know what they stand for.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, speaks during the National Action Network Convention in New York, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo\/Angelina Katsanis)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/06\/localimages\/AP26099588832690.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland, speaks during the National Action Network (NAN) Convention in New York, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo\/Angelina Katsanis)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moore has consistently ruled out a 2028 presidential run and says he\u2019s focused on winning reelection, but his rhetoric has done little to tamp down speculation. Moore is set to face little resistance in the November general election in a state that\u2019s tilted further left in recent cycles despite his bleeding approval ratings, and a convincing victory in 2026 could fuel presidential murmurs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Maryland Republican Party is neutral in the primary, which also includes several other lesser-known candidates. But while Hale and Cox are considered the favorites, the primary is viewed among Republicans as a true toss-up that has limited public polling. Both potential nominees would face challenges to overcome in the general, most notably Cox\u2019s ability to win over centrist and Democratic voters. Hale, whose <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/abortion-is-the-crux-of-2022-elections-major-pro-life-group-predicts-and-theyre-marshaling-all-forces-to-win-that-battle\/\" title=\"Abortion Is The Crux Of 2022 Elections, Major Pro-Life Group Predicts \u2014 And They\u2019re Marshaling All Forces To Win That ...\">campaign centers<\/a> on a vision of pragmatism, would need to turn out a base that may see him as a RINO.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is when you get to vote for the person who is closest to you or the person who you believe can win in November,\u201d said Maryland Republican Party Chair Nicole Beus Harris, the wife of the state\u2019s only GOP congressman, Rep. Andy Harris. \u201cThis is the time when your vote truly does count.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a statement, the state Democratic Party further tied Cox to Trump and Hale to Democrats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHale told Marylanders he\u2019s \u2018not a Donald Trump guy.\u2019 And, on the other side of this race, you\u2019ve got Dan Cox who has been a lifelong Republican and an ally to Donald Trump,\u201d Maryland Democratic Party Chairman Steuart Pittman said. \u201cEd Hale is working overtime to get Maryland Republicans to forget he was a lifelong Democratic donor and adviser, but I don\u2019t think they\u2019re going to buy what he\u2019s selling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/watch\/2527257\/\">WES MOORE ROLLS OUT COMMENCEMENT TOUR IN BATTLEGROUND TERRITORY<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Capitol Hill, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a close ally to Moore, declined to weigh in on the Republican contest that others in his party have seemed eager to influence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI try my very best to stay out of Republican primaries,\u201d Van Hollen, a rising contender for Senate leadership who\u2019s even <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/senate\/chris-van-hollen-interview\">mulling a presidential run<\/a>, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cLet them choose. I\u2019m sure that Wes Moore will be prepared to take on and win.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ex-Democrat Ed Hale seeks Hogan-style GOP revival in Maryland primary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2616812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26099588832690.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[4087,3728,32773,5894,38909],"class_list":["post-2616811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-campaign","tag-election","tag-gop-primary","tag-politics","tag-wes-moore"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26099588832690.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2616811"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2616815,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616811\/revisions\/2616815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2616812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2616811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2616811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2616811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}