Larry Hogan, GOP Senate candidate, tells Maryland voters he is ‘fed up’ with Washington gridlock

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says he is “fed up” with the partisan gridlock in Washington, as he tries to align himself with middle-of-the-road voters in his U.S. Senate bid.

The Hogan campaign released a new statewide television ad Wednesday that touches on the frustration of voters who do not understand why things have to be so polarized in the halls of Congress.

“Like you, I’m completely fed up. Enough is enough,” Mr. Hogan says in the ad. “Cut reckless spending, support our police and secure the border. I’m Larry Hogan, I approve this message and I’m running for the U.S. Senate to get stuff done.”

Mr. Hogan is fighting to make the Senate race in deep-blue Maryland competitive after serving two terms as governor and leaving office in good standing with voters.

A Hogan victory would hamper Democrats’ defense of their slim Senate majority, with key races playing out in more Republican-friendly territory.

Political handicappers rate the races in Arizona, Montana, Nevada and Ohio as pure toss-ups.

In Maryland, Democrats are favored to defend the seat of retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, who is calling it quits after serving three terms. That reflects the fact there are two registered Democrats for every registered Republican in Maryland.

The last time a Republican was elected to the U.S. Senate was 1980, and the state’s congressional delegation included only one Republican.

Mr. Hogan has been one of the Republican Party’s most vocal critics of former President Donald Trump, warning on numerous occasions that the party’s brash de facto leader has poisoned the GOP’s national brand.

Mr. Hogan flirted with running for the Republican nomination for president but ultimately decided he would struggle to sway the party’s base after criticizing Mr. Trump.

But he does see an opportunity to thread the needle in Maryland’s U.S. Senate race, which requires cobbling together a coalition of Republicans, moderate Democrats and independents who are not only ready to move on from Mr. Trump while hunting for more conventional, less divisive leadership.

Mr. Hogan, who remains popular in the state, is leading his potential Democratic rivals, Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, in hypothetical general election showdowns, according to a recent poll from The Baltimore Sun, FOX45 and the University of Baltimore.

Mr. Hogan led Mr. Trone, 53% to 40%, and Ms. Alsobrooks, 54% to 36%.

The Hogan campaign said the new ad is part of a $1 million buy and will run statewide.

The Maryland primary is May 14.