Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will not seek the Republican nomination for president, he said Sunday.
“I did give it serious consideration. I talked to people everywhere, and I talked to my family. It was a tough decision, but I’ve decided that I will not be a Republican nomination for president,” Hogan told CBS’s Robert Costa. Trump “didn’t really scare me. You’re right it would be a tough race, he’s very tough. But I beat life-threatening cancer, so having Trump call me names on Twitter didn’t really scare me off.”
BREAKING NEWS: Former MD @GovLarryHogan tells @costareports, in a @FaceTheNation with @margbrennan exclusive, that he will not seek the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. “I didn’t want to have a pileup of a bunch of people fighting,” he says. More at 10:30am ET. Tune in. pic.twitter.com/1voXeWfwTW
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 5, 2023
Hogan was term-limited out of office in 2023 after serving eight years as governor. The moderate left office with a 77% approval rating, with Democrats viewing him more favorably than Republicans. Hogan ultimately rebuffed entreaties from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to challenge Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, despite some polls showing a potentially competitive race.
Hogan pointed to his desire to avoid former President Donald Trump’s third presidential nomination in a statement further explaining his decision not to run. (RELATED: ‘This Should Have Been A Huge Red Wave’: Larry Hogan Says Trump Cost GOP The Election)
“To once again be a successful governing party, we must move on from Donald Trump. There are several competent Republican leaders who have the potential to step up and lead. But the stakes are too high for me to risk being part of another multicar pileup that could potentially help Mr. Trump recapture the nomination,” he wrote.
Hogan founded a political action committee, Better Path Forward, in late 2022, spurring speculation about his plans for higher office. He also endorsed several GOP candidates in 2021 and 2022.
Presidential primary polls have consistently shown that Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are the only GOP candidates to consistently receive double digit support. A WPA Intelligence poll conducted in mid-February found DeSantis with 40% support, Trump with 31%, and Hogan one of four candidates with one or two percent suppport.