Ex-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announces surprise bid for Senate

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has decided to run for the U.S. Senate this year, giving the GOP a big boost in the battle for the upper chamber.

Mr. Hogan ran Maryland from 2015 and 2023. He was a popular Republican in a deep-blue state, making him a desirable recruit for GOP leadership.

“We desperately need leaders willing to stand up to both parties — leaders that appreciate that no one of us has all the answers or all the power, because this is not just about the differences between the right and the left. This is about the difference between right and wrong,” Mr. Hogan said in a launch ad posted Friday on X.

Mr. Hogan previously flirted with a third-party run for president and signaled he had no interest in running for the Senate.

However, GOP leaders lobbied him to run for the seat being opened by retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat.

Flipping a Maryland Senate seat to the red column would be a major coup for Republicans hoping to take back the Senate as Democrats cling to a razor-thin majority.

“Governor Hogan is a great leader for Maryland, and that’s why he remains overwhelmingly popular in the state,” said Montana Sen. Steve Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “We look forward to welcoming him to the United States Senate.”

Mr. Hogan said he can move beyond the “toxic” politics in Washington and negotiate successfully with Democrats.

First, he’ll have to defeat whoever emerges from the Democratic primary, with Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks leading the pack.

Despite Mr. Hogan’s popularity, Democrats will be quick to point to the stakes in the Senate race. It could determine which party wins control of the Senate and has the power to pass laws and approve nominations from the president.

“A vote for Republican Larry Hogan is a vote to make Mitch McConnell Majority Leader and turn the Senate over to Republicans so they can pass a national abortion ban,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokeswoman Maeve Coyle said. “Democrats have won every statewide federal election in Maryland for 44 years and 2024 will be no different.”

For now, Mr. Hogan’s entry makes him the front-runner on the Republican side, which features several lesser-known candidates.

One of them, Air Force Brig. Gen. E. John “Dragon” Teichert, said it is good for GOP voters to have more options.

“We’ve formed coalitions, received endorsements, captivated hearts and minds, and are still gaining momentum every single day,” Gen. Teichert said. “Marylanders deserve to have a choice and I welcome anyone to the race who wants to offer them one.”

Mr. Hogan’s decision to enter the race is a bit of a shock given his past comments about the race.

“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 told NewsNation in May.

Mr. Hogan was seen as a leading contender to launch a presidential bid through “No Labels,” a group that supports centrism and a “commonsense majority.”

Now voters looking for a viable third-party candidate will have to look to Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia or elsewhere.

“Larry Hogan announcing his run for Senate is very significant. He had been a major player in the @NoLabelsOrg Party and widely considered a front-runner to lead their ticket,” Matt Bennett, executive vice president for public affairs at Third Way, a think tank that champions center-left ideas, wrote on X. “This is not exactly a vote of confidence in their presidential prospects.”