Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) has angered key allies of President Trump after he called on voters to “respect the verdict” in President Trump’s New York hush money trial.
But Senate Republican leaders have defended him, backing the need to campaign for the Senate in heavily Democratic states long thought impossible to overturn without interference from MAGA forces.
Hogan drew outrage from his camp last week when he called on “all leaders” to “reaffirm what has made this country great: the rule of law.”
Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita quickly responded by saying “the campaign is just over,” while Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump said, “At this point, Hogan does not deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party, or frankly anyone in America.”
Other Trump allies followed suit.
“I think it was a big mistake,” said Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), the vice presidential nominee. “I think it’s perfectly reasonable to criticize him when he says things that alienate a majority of Republicans.”
But Vance and others acknowledged the political reality facing Hogan as he prepares to take on Prince George’s County Mayor Angela Alsobrooks (D) in November: President Biden won the Old Line State by 33 points four years ago, Biden’s third-largest margin of victory of any state, meaning Hogan will need to appeal to moderate Democrats to have any chance of winning.
“He’s obviously going to run a different campaign than I am,” Vance said. “I still hope he wins.”
Despite Hogan’s well-known antipathy toward the former president, he has had the full backing of the Senate Republican machine since launching his surprise campaign to replace Sen. Ben Cardin (D-N.Y.) in February. The National Republican Senatorial Committee actively recruited Hogan to run.
NRSC Chairman Steve Daines (Republican, Montana) is a leading Trump supporter and is known for his work on Trumpworld and Hogan is He is running in a state that is “not Mississippi,” a Democratic stronghold.
“Obviously, he’s going to have views that don’t reflect what other people in the community think,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate. “He’s campaigned on that. [in Maryland]He knows best how to win in his state, and we need him in the Senate.”
Hogan’s response to Trump’s conviction marks the latest example of a former governor breaking away from his party.
His campaign ran an ad last week vowing that if elected governor, he would enact Roe v. Wade into law “so that every woman can make her own choice,” a statement that Democrats quickly pounced on.
He has also said in recent months that he will not vote for either Trump or Biden in November.
“Hogan is already well-liked in the state,” said Republican strategist Doug Hay. “He’s more in a position to have the conversation he wants with voters, as opposed to the conversation Alsobrooks wants to have with Larry Hogan.”
But Hogan’s comments about the ruling drew criticism from both sides of the aisle and highlighted problems particular to the popular former governor.
“In a situation like this, and particularly on this issue, the word bipartisanship could be interpreted as giving moral equality to Republicans and Democrats, but that’s not the way to gain support from either side in such a polarized situation,” said Len Foxwell, a Democratic strategist in Maryland. “I’m concerned that his efforts to thread the needle and be all things to everyone may not have ended up satisfying anyone in this particular case.”
Leading Democrats also argue that while Hogan has been successful in the state — he had a 77 percent approval rating when he left the governor’s mansion — his gubernatorial runs were during midterm elections and running on the same ticket as Trump and Biden is an entirely different story.
“Marylanders don’t want to hear Mitch McConnell or Steve Daines say, ‘He’s running a good campaign,'” the Democratic activist said. “They don’t want to be reminded that Larry Hogan is going to be part of the Republican majority.”
“They need to convince Democrats that it’s okay to elect someone who will join the Republican majority,” the operative added.
Democratic leaders have also been quick to take note of polls showing the state’s voters want Democrats to control the Senate, and are trying to associate Hogan with a brand of Republicanism they see as harmful to the state.
“We all agree that it shouldn’t be a revolutionary idea that we should respect the jury’s decision. … It’s only revolutionary in Trump’s world,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a leading supporter of Also-Brooks.
“Larry Hogan has decided to enter this race,” he continued, “and one thing we know for sure is that for Larry Hogan, this is a vote to put Mitch McConnell and Ted Cruz in charge of the United States Senate.”
Hogan will face Also Brooks, who handily defeated Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) in the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history and is seeking to become the state’s first black woman senator.
While Hogan’s comments were no doubt intended to bolster his support among moderate and left-leaning voters, they sent shock waves on the right: Despite Hogan’s broad popularity, nearly 28% of voters backed Robin Ficker, the former governor’s political prick, in last month’s primary.
As some Trump supporters point out, Hogan will need to win over all segments of the electorate, including conservatives and staunch supporters of the former president.
“He needs the votes of Republicans, too,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), one of the first senators to endorse Trump’s campaign.
“I want him to win,” he added.
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