ANNAPOLIS, Md. — We will soon know the official candidates facing-off in the General Election for Maryland Governor.
One outlet on Friday reported that Wes Moore emerged from a crowded Primary field to earn the Democratic nomination.
Votes are still being tallied. Maryland law prohibits mail-in ballots from being counted until two days after the Primary Election.
Most other news organizations have not yet named a winner.
In a statement, Moore's campaign said they are not yet claiming victory. Meanwhile his closest competitor, Tom Perez, also says "it’s too early to call this race."
Once official, Moore would face-off against the presumptive Republican candidate Dan Cox, who is projected to defeat former State Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz.
Cox had the backing of former President Donald Trump, while Schulz was endorsed by outgoing Governor Larry Hogan.
Moore, a U.S. Army veteran is a best selling author and former CEO of the Robin Hood foundation. The Takoma Park native also formerly worked for Deutsche Bank in London and with Citigroup in New York.
His opponent, Cox, is a lawyer and current Maryland Delegate representing Carroll and Frederick Counties.
Cox is an ardent Trump supporter who focused his campaign on anti government shutdowns and mandates, as well as other hot button topics like election integrity and immigration enforcement.
In contrast, Moore made his campaign about equity, social justice, and pledging more funding for education and healthcare.
Both men seem to be beating their opponents handily.
Cox looks to have swept Schulz in every jurisdiction, with exception to Baltimore City and Howard and Kent Counties.
At the time of this publishing Cox was up by nearly 33,600 votes, a 55 to 41 percent margin.
Perez still trails Moore by about seven percentage points or more than 31,000 votes.
The Perez campaign claims there are still 134,000 uncounted received ballots and 170,000 additional outstanding ballots not yet recorded.
However in a Friday concession statement, fellow challenger Peter Franchot congratulated the Moore campaign.
Multiple polls leading up to the Primary Election had Franchot as the front runner in the race, but he is currently in third place.
Either way, Republicans face steep odds in the General Election as Democrats outnumber GOP voters 2-1 in Maryland.
