Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan\u2002(R) ruled out a 2024 Senate bid Tuesday, depriving Republicans of a candidate with a proven record of winning statewide elections in the Old Line State.
Hogan was at the top of the GOP\u2019s list of preferred candidates after Sen. Ben Cardin\u2002(D-Md.) announced on Monday that he would not be seeking reelection next year. But Hogan says it\u2019s not happening.
\u201cI\u2019m getting a lot of calls about that,\u201d Hogan told NewsNation\u2019s Leland Vittert on \u201cThe Hill.\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m getting called by senators, and donors, and I\u2019m getting lots of inquiries from the media, but the thing that surprised me the most was that my wife said, \u2018Why don\u2019t you run for the Senate?’\u201d
\u201cI told her she was crazy,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, I didn\u2019t have any interest in being a senator.\u201d
\u201cThe Senate is an entirely different job,\u201d Hogan said. \u201cYou\u2019re 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\u2019t thrilled with the job.
Hogan went on to say that theoretically he could win the race, but that it would be tough.
\u201cIn a presidential year, it makes it even more difficult,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s not something I\u2019m pursuing.\u201d
Cardin\u2019s announcement that he will not seek reelection opens up Maryland\u2019s Senate seat for next year\u2019s election. Over the last 40 years, only five people have represented Maryland in the Senate, with Democrats John Sarbanes and Barbara Mikulski having served for 30 years each.
It\u2019s a difficult race for the GOP in a presidential election year, when Maryland is a reliably blue state.
But Hogan, a centrist governor who frequently criticized former President Trump, would have been a formidable candidate.
Democratic sources indicated to The Hill on Monday on that three possible candidates in their party lead the pack of contenders to replace Cardin: Reps. David Trone (D-Md.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Prince George\u2019s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D).<\/p>\n\n\n\n