BREAKING: Popular Republican Governor Announces Bid To Flip Democrat Senate Seat

On Friday, former Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) announced that he would be running for Senate in the 2024 election against Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD). The longshot campaign in a state where residents haven't elected a Republican senator in decades could be a significant pickup for the GOP if Hogan was able to translate his gubernatorial record into success on the campaign trail.

"I am running for the United States Senate – not to serve one party – but to stand up to both parties, fight for Maryland, and fix our nation's broken politics," Hogan wrote on X alongside a video. "It's what I did as Maryland's governor, and it's exactly how I'll serve Maryland in the Senate. Let's get back to work."

Hogan, a moderate Republican, was first elected to the Maryland governorship in 2014, where he won a narrow victory, 51 percent to 47.3 percent, against Anthony Brown. Hogan went on to win reelection in 2018 handily, 55.4 percent to Ben Jealous' 43.5 percent.

"Fifty years ago, my father, Maryland Congressman Larry Hogan Sr. made a very tough decision. He became the first Republican to come out for the impeachment of President Nixon. He put aside party politics and his own personal considerations and he stepped up to do the right thing for Maryland and the nation," the former governor said in his campaign launch video. "Today, Washington is completely broken because that kind of leadership, that kind of willingness to put country over party has become far too rare." 
 

"My fellow Marylanders, you know me. For eight years, we proved that the toxic politics that divide our nation need not divide our state. We overcame unprecedented challenges, cut taxes eight years in a row, balanced the budget and created a record surplus. And we did it all by finding common ground for the common good," he continued. "The politicians in Washington seem to be more interested in arguing than actually getting anything done for the people they represent. Enough is enough. We can do so much better, but not if we keep electing the same kind of typical partisan politicians." 

With Republicans guaranteed to pick up the senate seat in West Virginia and have a competitive fight in Montana, Ohio, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, the potential for Maryland to be thrown in the mix will make the Republican Party's chances of flipping the Senate in November even more likely. Democrats were already on the backfoot in Senate races across the country, but Hogan's announcement is a nightmare for the Democrats. 

WATCH:

I am running for the United States Senate – not to serve one party – but to stand up to both parties, fight for Maryland, and fix our nation's broken politics. It’s what I did as Maryland’s governor, and it’s exactly how I'll serve Maryland in the Senate. Let’s get back to work. pic.twitter.com/d0TuZchAtN

— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) February 9, 2024

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