Politics

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Announces He Will Not Run For Senate

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Michael Ginsberg Congressional Correspondent
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Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will not run for Senate in 2022 despite the urging of top GOP senators, he announced at his Tuesday press conference.

“I sincerely appreciate the people who have been encouraging me to consider it. A number of people said they thought I could make a difference in the Senate as a voice for common sense and moderation,” he said.

“But as I have repeatedly said, I don’t aspire to be a senator, and that fact has not changed.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and National Republican Senatorial Campaign (NRSC) chairman Rick Scott aggressively lobbied the moderate Hogan, who sports a nearly 70% approval rating in the deep blue state, to challenge incumbent Democrat Chris Van Hollen. McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, reportedly met with Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan in January to sell her on the idea of a campaign. (RELATED: Democrats Go On Attack Against Larry Hogan Ahead Of 2022 Senate Race)

An internal poll shared with the Daily Caller by Hogan’s team in January found the governor with a prospective twelve-point lead over Van Hollen.

Hogan-affiliated groups have continued advertising for the governor, despite the fact that he is term-limited out of office, leading to media speculation that he could mount a long-shot bid for the presidency in 2024. The messaging has focused on Hogan’s support for police and election reforms. Maryland is one of the most gerrymandered states in the country, and the state legislature overrode Hogan’s veto of a map that could eliminate the state’s lone Republican member of Congress.

Hogan appeared to leave the door open to a 2024 run, telling reporters that he does not “plan to sit on the sidelines when it comes to the serious challenges facing our country and our democracy.”

“My current job as governor runs until January 2023, and then we’ll take a look and see what the future holds after that.”

Hogan’s announcement marks another blow for the NRSC, which also failed to recruit New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu into a likely-winnable race against Democratic incumbent Maggie Hassan. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also declined Scott’s overtures to run against Democrat Mark Kelly, even as polls have consistently shown that he would clear a fractured field led by Attorney General Mark Brnovich.