https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/maryland-gop-nominates-qanon-whackjob-for-governor-but-he-s-not-even-the-most-extreme-winner/ar-AAZN7O8?ocid=msedgntp&cvid

Dan Cox, a candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, reacts to his primary win on July 19, 2022 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Trump-backed election conspiracy theorist Maryland state Del. Dan Cox won the state's Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday after leading an effort to impeach Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and speaking at a QAnon conference earlier this year.

Cox, who called former Vice President Mike Pence a "traitor" during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, defeated Kelly Schulz, who served in Hogan's administration.

Hogan, a prominent Trump critic who supported Schulz, repeatedly blasted Cox during the campaign over his extremist views, labeling him a "QAnon whackjob" after he spoke at a QAnon rally in April.

Cox fully embraced Trump's repeatedly debunked conspiracy theories about the election, declaring in December that Trump was "the only president that I recognize." He pushed conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud and called on Trump to "seize federal vote machines in states where fraud was overwhelmingly rampant" even though Trump and his allies found no evidence of any widespread fraud.

Cox chartered three buses to bring supporters to Trump's D.C. rally on Jan. 6, ahead of the deadly riot. He called Pence a "traitor" on Twitter as a mob of Trump's supporters attacked Capitol police officers and hunted lawmakers through the halls of Congress. And he expressed support for Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was charged with seditious conspiracy over his role in the attack along with other members.