Maryland candidates for Governor campaign at Gaithersburg Labor Day parade

Gaithersburg became the center of Maryland's political world today as Democrat Wes Moore and Republican Dan Cox made the town's annual Labor Day Parade a key stop on their campaign trails.

Maryland will be saying goodbye to Larry Hogan in January as term limits will conclude the Republican's two-term tenure. The two candidates who hope to replace him marched in what has long been an important political event on the Maryland calendar. 

The annual Labor Day Parade, which was on hold during the pandemic, gave both of the candidates a chance to meet voters in person. Both candidates recognized that it was important for people to see candidates in person and not just through campaign ads. 

Republican Dan Cox said that "Our families matter and parents matter, our businesses matter. And we are out here to make sure that the workers, and the businesses and the opportunities for our families continue for FREEDOM in Maryland."

Democrat Wes Moore said "Anytime you get a chance to talk to voters, talk to residents and neighbors about where people are, I see that we have a beautiful state that’s worth fighting for and that’s the exciting thing about being out here."

Moore starts the fall campaign season ahead in the fundraising race at a 10 to 1 advantage. Moore has raised $1.8 million in just the past 2 months while Cox has raised $195,000. 

In addition to the candidates for Governor, candidates for Montgomery County Executive and Congress also came out. 

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said "We’ve seen thousands of people out today in Kensington and Gaithersburg, everybody loves a parade!" 

Republican candidate for Montgomery County Executive Reardon Sullivan said "Face time is VERY important actually getting out and shaking hands, actually getting out and seeing the people, hearing the people, and hearing their concerns, you can’t beat that."

Both Cox and Moore are slated to hold their first debate in Baltimore next month.