- Written by Madeline Halpert
- BBC News, New York
image source, Getty Images
Larry Hogan, the popular former Republican governor of Maryland, has announced his candidacy for the Senate.
Hogan, a prominent critic of Donald Trump, resigned last month as leader of a third-party movement called “No Labels.”
He announced in a video posted to X on Friday that he was running in his home state.
Hogan said he is running “not to serve one political party, but to stand up to both parties, fight for Maryland, and fix our broken politics.”
“This is what I did as Governor of Maryland, and this is exactly how I will serve Maryland in the Senate,” he said.
This seat is currently held by Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who announced his retirement. Hogan is the only prominent Republican to participate in the race so far.
Democratic U.S. Rep. David Trone and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks are vying for the seat in the Democratic primary.
Hogan won two terms as governor of Maryland, a longtime Democratic state, before leaving office with high approval ratings.
He became the first Republican governor in 64 years to win a second term, taking a moderate stance as the party moved to the right.
Two years ago, Republicans asked him to challenge Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, but he declined the offer.
Hogan co-chairs the third-party group No Labels, leading to speculation that he might run for president as a third-party candidate.
However, he supported Nikki Haley, who was far behind Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
If President Joe Biden wins re-election, Republicans would need to flip two seats to take control of the Senate, but they would only need one if they retake the White House.
Another state where Republicans are gearing up to take over Democratic seats is Montana, where Rep. Matt Rosendale also announced his candidacy for the Senate on Friday.
His announcement begins a fierce primary battle within the Republican Party in a key race to defeat incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.
The conservative hardliner will face former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, who has been endorsed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and is also former President Donald Trump.
