Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says he will not run for the U.S. Senate after Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin announced his retirement this week.
Mr. Hogan, a Republican who served as governor from 2015 to 2023, said members of the GOP are pleading with him to run but it is “just not something I’ve ever aspired to do.”
“I’m getting called by senators and donors, and I’m getting lots of inquiries from the media, but the thing that surprised me the most was that my wife said, ‘Why don’t you run for the Senate?’” Mr. Hogan told NewsNation in an interview. “I told her she was crazy. I mean, I didn’t have any interest in being a senator.”
Mr. Hogan would be an attractive candidate for Republicans hoping to retake the Senate majority. He won two terms as governor in a deep-blue state.
But he said governors have more sway than senators in their states.
“You’re one of 100 people arguing all day. Not a lot gets done in the Senate, and most former governors that I know that go into the Senate aren’t thrilled with the job,” he said.
Mr. Hogan, a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump, said running in a presidential year would make a Senate bid “even more difficult.”
Mr. Hogan disappointed senior Republicans by declining to challenge Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen in 2022, and he decided not to run for president in 2024 after some consideration.
Candidates are lining up to replace Mr. Cardin. Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando, a progressive Democrat, said Tuesday he plans to run.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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