The only scheduled confrontation in this uneven campaign, the debate offers Cox a rare opportunity to pierce the inevitable atmosphere around Moore.Democratic nominee Moore leads by 32 points in polls, Trying to inspire voters in deep blue The state came up and voted by portraying Cox as extreme.
Cox, a far-right conservative state representative endorsed by former President Donald Trump, faced the greatest risk when he entered the exchange. Moore, the best-selling author and former head of one of the country’s largest poverty alleviation organizations, is leading the fundraiser with four weeks to go until Election Day.
The debate, which began and ended with a handshake between the two, was often contentious and sometimes aggressive.
In a series of heated exchanges, Cox called Moore’s efforts to close the racial wealth gap a “racist” diversion of resources, and Moore called Cox an “extremist election denier.”
Cox called Moore a “liar”, claiming his book “The Other Wes Moore” was full of “completely false” passages.Moore has previously denied he misunderstood whether He was born in Baltimore. He later said Cox, who claimed the 2020 presidential election was “stolen”, was a candidate with “dangerous and divisive” policies.
When men discuss abortion, some of the sharpest disagreements arise: Moore says Maryland should be a “safe haven” between a woman and her doctor for health care decisions, Cox says he’s “pro-life” , and will “ensure that everyone is safe and that women, children and the unborn are equally protected and supported by our laws.. “
Both candidates have sought to capitalize on the governor’s popularity. Larry Hogan (R) by making favorable comparisons to limited-term governors. Hogan, who did not support the campaign, called Cox a “QAnon job” he didn’t think he was fit to visit, let alone lead, in the governor’s office.
However, Cox tried to ally with Hogan during the debate, saying he worked on the governor’s crime task force and sided with him against tax increases.
When the host asked for a letter grade for Hogan, Cox gave it an “A,” with the exception of how the governor handles pandemic restrictions. Moore noted that Cox sought to impeach Hogan over the restrictions.
“He was standing alone,” Moore said. “Even his Republican colleagues didn’t do that.”
Moore sidestepped the question of letter grades, giving Hogan an “incomplete” question, but praised him for “talking so early and with all his strength about the dangers of this MAGA movement”.
Moore went on to say that for enough people, the economy isn’t improving fast enough. As governor, he said, he will work to ensure people have the right skills to apply for open positions, focus on valuing public education beyond college admissions, and expand access to affordable child care, allowing those who want to rejoin the workforce to have the right skills. an easier path.
Cox countered that Moore’s proposal was costly, predicting: “You’re going to see tax increases like never before. Tolls are going to go up.”
As he did many times during the hour-long debate, Moore responded: “It’s not true.”
Cox also accused Moore of supporting “trans indoctrination in kindergartens,” which Moore said was not something he once said.
Under pressure from the presenter, Cox explained what he thought was happening in elementary school, saying he believed kindergarteners would see a book called “Gender Queer” which described “so disgusting” behavior, which he could not describe on television. The book, which has become the target of the conservative-dominated parental rights movement across the country, is Maia Kobabe’s memoir about growing up with asexuality and non-binary.
In turn, Moore went on to say that Cox’s proposal to reduce income and sales taxes would eliminate the state’s main source of revenue and bankrupt the state. “This is not an ideological position,” he said. “That’s math.”
Cox did not elaborate on the size of his tax cuts, but he has broadly proposed eliminating or reducing them.
Candidates are divided on fundamental issues like racism and the legacy of wealth in the country.
When the moderator asks candidates about compensation and How to deal with the cost of inflation, given the long-documented racial wealth gap that disproportionately affects many black families, Cox rejected the question’s premise and called his opponent “racist” because he proposed “Remedial actions,” such as fixing the state’s procurement system and addressing discriminatory practices in housing appraisals.
Cox said the only gap between rich and poor worth reparing was created by lockdowns during the pandemic. He accused Moore, who made fairness a pillar of his campaign, “transferring wealth away from people because of the color of their skin. That’s racist; it’s wrong.”
Moore, who is black and leads a poverty-relief nonprofit called the Robin Hood Foundation, fired back with a hint of exasperation.
“The impact of racial disparities didn’t start two years ago, Cox Representative,” he said. “We are focusing on some long-term challenges that our state must grapple with and address. The fact that we have an 8-to-1 racial wealth gap in our state is real. It’s not pretending, and it’s not because a group of people is working hard for eight times.”
Cox, who unsuccessfully challenged plans to count mail-in ballots in advance, again declined to say whether he plans to accept the November election results, saying doing so would be akin to declaring a successful operation before it happens. He noted that the state gave candidates the right to challenge the election, and said he intended to preserve the process.
Cox has struggled to shake off the far-right stance that cemented Republican support in the primary. The bipartisan appeal is critical for Republicans in Maryland, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2-to-1 margin.
Meanwhile, Moore, who is running for office for the first time, said after winning the primary that he hopes general election voters will not only vote against Cox, but support Moore’s vision for the country.
A political newcomer, Moore is still introducing himself to voters — especially the disaffected Republicans and independents he’s courting. By the end of August, he had accumulated $1.3 million in his coffers, outscoring Cox 10-1.
Cox, who has criticized Moore for disagreeing with more debates, said after the debate that he hoped his opponent’s campaign would agree more.
When asked if he wanted to share the stage with Cox again, Moore smiled and said: “I think I’m fine.”