A Republican candidate from a party dominated by former President Donald Trump is highlighting how he “never caved” to Trump and pointing out how he sent National Guard troops to help protect congressional lawmakers during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
But as he seeks to flip a longtime Democratic seat in the mostly blue state of Maryland in a key election that could decide whether the GOP regains the chamber majority, former two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is highlighting his anti-Trump credentials.
A new ad that highlights Hogan’s bipartisan credentials during his eight years as Maryland governor also notes that he was “an early critic of Donald Trump, one of the few Republicans who never backed down.”
New poll in deep blue state suggests key Senate seat at risk of flipping red
Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan celebrates his victory in the 2024 Maryland Senate Republican primary in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 14, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
The spot, which the Hogan campaign said will air statewide as part of an existing $8 million ad buy through the November election, then shows news clips of the U.S. Capitol being attacked on Jan. 6 by Trump supporters trying to overturn Congress’ certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory.
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“On January 6, as we watched in horror, Hogan didn’t just talk about defending democracy, he did something about it, sending the Maryland National Guard to protect the Capitol,” the narrator says in the ad.
A recent poll commissioned by AARP indicated Hogan was deadlocked with 46 percent support among likely voters with Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic candidate in the race.
It’s the first time since Maryland’s May primary that the poll showed a tie, with previous polls suggesting Alsobrooks was ahead. The winner of the November election will succeed Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is retiring this year after serving nearly two decades in the Senate and nearly six decades as a state and federal lawmaker.
Alsobrooks would make history if elected in November, becoming the first black senator from Maryland, a state where about 30 percent of the population is black.
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While Hogan and Alsobrooks were tied, the poll showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump by a wide margin in Maryland. Harris led Trump by 30 points in a multi-candidate matchup and 32 points in a head-to-head matchup, the poll found.
From left, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Maryland Democratic Senate candidate and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, and Vice President Kamala Harris stand on stage together after speaking at a campaign event to mark Gun Violence Awareness Day at the Kentland Community Center on June 7, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
With Democrats outnumbering Republicans about two to one in the state, Hogan will need a healthy chunk of cross-party voters and has stressed his opposition to Trump and independence from his party as he runs for Senate.
“Republicans can’t count on my vote,” Hogan said in a previous campaign ad.
Hogan, who flirted with a 2024 White House run before deciding not to, distinguished himself from most other Republicans this spring by publicly calling for respect for the guilty verdicts in Trump’s criminal trial.
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However, Alsobrooks and Democrats have repeatedly reminded voters that Hogan has described himself as a “lifelong Republican” and that Trump, in a Fox News interview earlier this year, said he would like to see Hogan win.
Hogan skipped the Republican National Convention in July, where Trump was officially nominated, and said he would not vote for the former president. Hogan’s campaign, following the former president’s comments, stressed in a statement that “Governor Hogan has made it clear that he does not support President Trump, just as he did not in 2016 and 2020.”
Former President Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, speaks during a rally at the 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)
A recent policy brief from Hogan adviser Russ Schriefer noted that “our research indicates these voters will support the governor when reminded of his commitments and record of independent leadership.”
Democrats control the Senate by a razor-thin 51-49 margin, and Republicans are looking at a favorable electoral map this year, with Democrats holding 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs.
One of those seats is in West Virginia, a deeply red state that Trump won by nearly 40 points in 2020. With Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat turned independent and former governor, not seeking reelection, flipping the seat is almost a sure thing for the GOP.
Republicans are also looking to pick up seats in Ohio and Montana, two states that Trump won with ease four years ago. And five other Democratic-held seats are up for grabs this year in crucial presidential battleground states.
As Democrats try to protect their fragile Senate majority, Hogan’s late entry into the race in February has presented them with an unexpected headache in a state previously considered safe territory.
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