Republican Senate candidate Larry Hogan warns Republicans in Washington, D.C., that he will not be a dependable vote if Maryland decides to send him there.
In a new television ad that aired on Tuesday, the former Maryland Governor stressed his bipartisan credentials. “In the Senate Republicans cannot count on my votes.” “But then again, Democrats can’t count on my vote,” he said.
Hogan said in the video first reported by Punchbowl News, “If they want to get my vote, then they’ll have to do what’s right for Maryland and not just one political party.” “That is exactly what I did for you as governor and that’s the kind of Senator I will be.”
The latest ad is coming as Democrats struggle to maintain the Senate majority despite an unfavorable electoral map. They have targeted the Maryland Republican and painted him as a lackey for Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and as a reliable GOP vote.
Democrats claim that Hogan will help Republicans pass a ban on abortion in the Senate, using the hot-button issue of the election. According to the New York Times, however, the former Republican Governor has stated that he’s “pro-choice,” and would support codifying Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade.
Cook Political Report, an independent political handicapper, considers the deep blue state Maryland a “Likely Democratic”. Prior to Hogan’s entry, it was widely believed that the Senate seat vacated by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) would be won by Democrats. The popular choice of the two-term Governor to run for office has presented a surprising challenge to the Democratic Party. They already have several difficult elections in the United States.
Hogan, despite his party affiliation, has shown promise, particularly with his reputation as a moderate anti-Trump.
Hogan beat Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic primary candidate at that time, in a Washington Post/University of Maryland survey conducted in March. The poll showed Hogan winning by 50% to 36%. The poll was conducted in the midst of a heated Democratic Primary Campaign, before the Prince George’s County Executive’s victory.
