Republicans Chances of Flipping Senate Just Got Even Better

Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is trying to continue his political career in the U.S. Senate.

The popular former Republican leader of Maryland announced on Friday, as part of a nearly three-minute campaign announcement, that he is running "not to serve one party but to try to be part of the solution to try to fix our nation's broken politics and to fight for Maryland."

He filed for the ballot hours before the deadline, intending to replace retiring Democratic Senator Ben Cardin. The state has not had a Republican senator in 37 years, since Charles Mathias served from 1969 to 1987.

Newsweek reached out to Hogan via email through his campaign website for comment.

Hogan invoked his father, former Representative Larry Hogan Sr., in his announcement to convey a sense of leadership that extends beyond partisan politics. Hogan Sr. was the first Republican to come out in favor of impeaching President Richard Nixon.

"Today, Washington is completely broken because that kind of leadership, that kind of willingness to put country over party, has become far too rare," said Hogan, who was in office between 2015 and 2023. "My fellow Marylanders, you know me. For eight years we proved that the toxic politics that divide our nation need not divide our state."

He touted his record of no tax increases during his eight years in office, in addition to balancing the budget and creating a record surplus. Current politicians in Washington, D.C., "seem to be more interested in arguing than actually getting anything done for the people they represent," Hogan added.

David Bergstein, communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), said Hogan's campaign will end like others before him.

"Democrats have won every statewide federal election in Maryland for 44 years and 2024 will be no different," Bergstein wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Just prior to leaving office, a statewide Gonzales poll showed Hogan to be one of the most popular governors in the country.

Often described as a moderate Republican, about 77 percent of Maryland voters approved of his job performance, including 81 percent of Democrats.

Between his first month in office and his last, the only time he was below 70 percent approval was his first month, garnering about 67 percent approval.

Democrat Wes Moore won the gubernatorial election in 2022. While he did not endorse Moore, Hogan was critical of Republican candidate Dan Cox, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

In the months leading up to the 2022 election, Hogan referred to Cox as a "QAnon whack job" and a "nut job." Moore ended up defeating Cox by a wide margin, receiving more than 64 percent of the vote in a Democrat-heavy state.

Hogan, whose name was floated as a potential 2024 third-party presidential candidate, separated himself from the No Labels third-party movement last month, according to the Associated Press. He has been one of the few Republicans, current or former, who has not been shy about criticizing Trump.

Following the 2022 midterm elections and "red wave" anticipated by conservatives that never came to fruition, Hogan said his party was engaging in "insanity" by continuing to support Trump considering the results in the Senate and House.

He also condemned Trump for his actions regarding the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, saying that ex-president's lies and efforts to subvert democracy should not be rewarded with another presidential run.

Although he expressed a "diminishing" impact on the GOP by Trump that same year, Trump is arguably more popular than ever within the Republican Party and is on pace to claim the presidential nomination.

Hogan endorsed former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley for president.

Update 2/9/24, 1:06 p.m. ET: This story was updated with more information.