Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) confirmed Tuesday he is not considering running for U.S. Senate in 2024.
“I’ve just never been interested in the job… it’s not something I’m pursuing,” Hogan told NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on The Hill.
Hogan said he’s been telling people he has been “flattered” by the encouragement to run.
“I really wanted to be governor, and I loved being Governor. I thought I was making a difference in my state,” he said while explaining that the U.S. Senate is an “entirely different job.”
File/In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 file photo, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan speaks during the Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young swearing-in ceremony at War Memorial Building in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
“You’re one of 100 people arguing all day. Not a lot gets done in the Senate, and most former governors that I know that go into the Senate aren’t thrilled with the job,” he added.
He went on to say that he can hypothetically win the ran, pointing to polls that show him up by 12 points against the incumbent, Sen. Chris Van Holland (D), who ran for reelection last year and won.
However, he noted that it’s a tough election year since the presidential race is on the ballot. The Hill noted that running for the Senate in Maryland, a typically blue state, would be difficult for a Republican during a presidential election year, but Hogan, the former governor who frequently criticized former President Donald Trump, would be a “formidable candidate.”
“It’s just not something I’ve ever aspired to do,” he added.
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The interview came after the state’s longtime senator, Sen. Ben Cardin (D), said he would not seek reelection in 2024, ultimately setting up a scramble to fill the seat in the closely divided U.S. Senate.
Cardin’s open seat in 2024 will surely draw some attention with a crowded primary to fill the safe blue seat. It has been reported that possible contenders for the seat could be Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Rep. David Trone, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., and Rep. Jamie Raskin.
The deep blue seat will likely go to a Democrat, as Cook Political Report rates it a solid Democrat seat. However, in 2024, 23 of the 33 Senate seats that are up for reelection are currently held by Democrats or left-leaning independents. With the Senate closely divided, the Democrats will still need to make sure no more than two seats flip.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
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