Update: Republican nominee for governor Dan Cox congratulated Democratic Gov.-elect Wes Moore on Wednesday morning.
Cox said he was caught off guard by the results, especially when the race was not close, "the outcome was a complete surprise."
He blamed the results on low Republican voter turnout, praised former President Donald Trump and criticized outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan in an open letter.
Without Trump, Cox said he wouldn't have been able to raise money because Hogan didn't support him as the nominee.
Cox's running mate Gordana Schifanelli congratulated Moore and Miller on their win on social media.
The Associated Press declared Democrat Wes Moore the winner of the Maryland governor’s race just after the polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The Associated Press only calls a political race “the moment a trailing candidate no longer has a path to victory," according to guidelines published by The Associated Press.
But at 8 p.m. at Republican Dan Cox’s “Victory Party” in Annapolis, the room was still mostly empty, the band had not yet started playing, and Cox was not ready to concede.
Just after 10 p.m., Cox’s daughter Patience Faith Cox, who also helped run his campaign, took to the stage. She told the crowd not to believe what they were seeing on the TV broadcast to her right, where Moore could be seen giving his victory speech.
“It's a moment for the media to try and prove their fake polls that they made up,” she said. “They're still counting votes, which means the race is not called yet, and the media does not determine the election.”
The supporters in the room cheered her declaration.
When Dan Cox eventually addressed the room, he was more subdued than his daughter.
“We're at a point where it's not looking good,” he said.
He said he believed there was still a path to victory if he were to win more than 60% of the votes left to be counted. He highlighted Dorchester and Garrett counties, two of the state’s least populous counties, where he appeared to have strong leads.
But he told his supporters he didn’t want to mislead them.
“We're not doing as well as I had hoped in places like Baltimore County,” he said. “This is a tough road ahead.”
As of midnight, Moore had won nearly 60% of the vote, with more than 96% of Election Day precincts reporting.