Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced on Monday his decision to run for the Senate seat in his state. Hogan made this decision following the recent actions of Senate Republicans, who blocked a bipartisan border measure after receiving instructions from former President Donald Trump.
“I chose to run for Senate because of this,” expressed Hogan during an interview with MSNBC Live’s Luke Russert at the network’s first-ever live event in downtown Washington. Hogan, a moderate Republican and outspoken critic of Trump, firmly believes in the importance of his decision.
“I never really thought about running in this race,” Hogan admitted. “I had always made it clear that I didn’t aspire to be a senator. I had a job and didn’t need another title. However, three weeks ago on a Wednesday night, I witnessed a genuine solution to secure the border and provide funding for important countries like Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. Most Republican senators acknowledged the significance of these issues, yet they were instructed to vote against their own beliefs. This frustrated and angered me enough to decide that I should go down there and take action.”
In early February, the border bill, which was led by Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, was blocked by Republicans.
When asked about his thoughts on the lack of support from Senate Republicans towards Ukraine, Hogan expressed his surprise and confusion at what he refers to as a “new strain of isolationism in the Republican Party.” He emphasized the importance of providing assistance to Ukraine, as he believes that failing to do so will ultimately worsen the situation for Americans. Hogan also expressed his bewilderment regarding individuals within the GOP who seem to sympathize with Putin.
According to the speaker, immediate action must be taken to assist Ukraine in order to prevent the need for deploying American troops to defend NATO countries.
According to Hogan, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not play a role in recruiting him for the race, despite McConnell’s announcement last week that he will step down from his leadership position in November. Hogan mentioned that Senator Steve Daines, R-Mont., who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, made a significant effort to convince him and even arranged for around twelve senators to contact him. Additionally, former Vice President Mike Pence reached out to Hogan. However, it was a former president who ultimately convinced him to enter the race.
George Bush reached out to Hogan and expressed his belief in the importance of his voice for the party. He acknowledged the need for a missing voice that would help steer the party towards a more Reagan-esque and inclusive direction. Despite Hogan’s potential reluctance to become a senator, Bush emphasized the necessity of his contribution to the party’s success.
Hogan kicked off his campaign on February 9th and quickly emerged as the leading contender for his party’s nomination to replace Senator Ben Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland, who is stepping down from Congress. On the Democratic side, the candidates vying for the nomination include Representative David Trone and Angela Alsobrooks, the Executive of Prince George’s County.
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