Former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland is ahead of two Democratic challengers in the U.S. Senate election in Maryland by double digits, according to a University of Maryland poll for The Washington Post released on Wednesday.
Hogan served as the governor of Maryland from 2015 to 2023 and had a 77% approval rating upon leaving office. Hogan announced on Feb. 9 his candidacy for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, and he currently leads two potential Democratic rivals — Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks — by 12 and 14 percentage points, respectively, according to the poll. (RELATED: Dems’ Senate ‘Nightmare’ May Have Just Come True)
In a hypothetical general election match-up against Trone, Hogan would earn the support of 49% of respondents compared to 37% for Trone, and led Alsobrooks 50% to 36% according to the poll.
As inflation is out of control and Marylanders are struggling to pay their bills, the legislature is considering the largest tax increase in history—a $4 billion tax on everyone and everything. This will destroy Maryland’s economy and cost us businesses and jobs.
The last thing… pic.twitter.com/P0c4Hbk11o
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) March 19, 2024
Hogan also exceeds the other two candidates in terms of favorability ratings, with a 64% favorability among respondents, compared to just 33% for Trone and 26% for Alsobrooks.
Hogan’s lead in Maryland comes despite its status as a heavily Democratic state, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of D+14. In 2022, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen defeated his Republican challenger by a landslide margin of 31 percentage points for re-election.
Hogan has been a critic of former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, and endorsed his primary opponent, former Republican Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, during the process. Hogan has said that he will not vote for Trump in the election, according to Axios.
The poll was conducted from March 5 to March 12, 2024, and surveyed 1,004 registered voters in Maryland with an error margin of 3.3 percentage points.
Trone and Alsobrooks’ campaigns did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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