DC
Dan Cox
Republican · Governor, Maryland
2026 General Election
Dan Cox was the 2022 Republican nominee for Maryland governor, losing to Wes Moore by a wide margin. He previously served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2019 to 2023. An attorney from Frederick County, he positioned himself as a Trump-aligned conservative during the 2022 cycle, winning the Republican primary with Trump's endorsement over a more establishment candidate. He is again seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 2026, running against the incumbent Moore in what remains a heavily Democratic state.
Views on the Issues
Gov. Cox’s stated positions alongside Democratic and Republican party platforms. Sources cited below each position. MyPolity does not editorialize.
Democratic Platform
Dan Cox
Republican Platform
Economy & Taxes
Democratic Platform
Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.Dan Cox
Cox supports significant tax cuts, reduced state spending, and rolling back what he describes as Maryland's regulatory overreach. He has criticized the state's high taxes as driving businesses and residents to Virginia and other neighboring states, and backs a fundamentally smaller state government as the path to economic revitalization.Republican Platform
Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.Healthcare
Democratic Platform
Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.Dan Cox
Cox opposes government healthcare mandates and supports market-based healthcare reforms. He opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates and has been critical of state public health directives he argues exceeded executive authority. He backs health savings accounts and consumer-directed healthcare over government-administered programs.Republican Platform
Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.Immigration
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.Dan Cox
Cox supports enforcement-first immigration policies and has been critical of Governor Moore's executive orders limiting state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. He supports local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities and opposes providing state benefits to undocumented immigrants.Republican Platform
Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.Education
Democratic Platform
Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.Dan Cox
Cox supports school choice including education savings accounts and expanded charter school options. He has been a critic of Maryland's progressive curriculum standards and supports parental rights to opt out of content they find objectionable. He opposes critical race theory and gender ideology instruction in public schools and backs local community control over educational content.Republican Platform
Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.Gun Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.Dan Cox
Cox is a strong Second Amendment supporter who has criticized Maryland's strict gun laws as unconstitutional infringements on Marylanders' rights. He opposes the state's assault weapons ban, handgun permit requirements, and red flag law, and supports aligning Maryland's gun laws with constitutional carry principles.Republican Platform
Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.Climate & Energy
Democratic Platform
Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.Dan Cox
Cox opposes Maryland's aggressive clean energy mandates, which he argues impose enormous costs on Maryland residents and businesses without meaningfully affecting global emissions. He has been critical of the state's electric vehicle mandates and clean building standards, arguing energy policy should prioritize affordability and reliability over ideological goals.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.Foreign Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.Dan Cox
Cox supports a strong U.S. military and backs American interests abroad. He has been critical of large foreign aid packages and supports conditioning international assistance on measurable benefit to U.S. interests. He backs strong support for Israel and is skeptical of multilateral institutions he argues do not serve American interests.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.Social Security
Democratic Platform
Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.Dan Cox
Cox supports protecting earned Social Security and Medicare benefits for current and near-retirees. He opposes tax increases to fund program expansion and backs ensuring long-term solvency through economic growth and spending restraint.Republican Platform
Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.Criminal Justice
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.Dan Cox
Cox supports strong law enforcement funding and opposes criminal justice reforms he argues have increased crime rates in Maryland. He has been critical of Baltimore's progressive prosecution approach and supports mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses, opposing what he describes as a permissive approach to crime that he argues endangers Maryland residents.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.About these profiles. Party platform positions are drawn from the 2024 Democratic and Republican national platforms. Candidate positions are sourced from official statements, voting records, and campaign websites. MyPolity does not editorialize or endorse any candidate.