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.