(NewsNation) — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has said before he has no desire to run for the U.S. Senate. He’s still not interested.
Hogan was unsuccessfully recruited by Republicans in 2022 to take on Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, and Hogan likely won’t be an option for the GOP next year.
His name surfaced again this week after Maryland Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin announced on Monday he will not seek a fourth term in the Senate. The retirement could have implications for the balance of power in the Senate.
“I really wanted to be governor, and I loved being governor. I thought I was making a difference in my state, and the Senate’s an entirely different job,” Hogan said Tuesday on “The Hill on NewsNation.” “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 really thrilled with the job.”
Maryland has not had a Republican senator since Charles Mathias left office in 1986. While polling suggested Hogan could have bucked that trend last year, he said he has “never been interested in the job.”
Among those who are expected to consider a run are Democratic Reps. Dave Trone and Jamie Raskin, who has become a favorite among progressives.
Raskin said in February that he would be open to a run, but has been battling cancer (large B-cell lymphoma) since late last year. Raskin announced late last week that he was in remission.
Looking ahead to the 2024 presidential election, Hogan said Republicans will need to pick someone other than President Donald Trump as their nominee if they want to win.
“We’ve lost three times in a row,” Hogan said of the Republican Party’s performance since 2018. “I think Donald Trump’s the only person in America who could lose to Joe Biden.”
That seems to be the general consensus among establishment Republicans who are breaking from Trump. That’s in contrast to polling averages that show Trump as the front-runner for the GOP nomination, running some 30 points ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
While Trump may be able to resonate with primary voters, Hogan said he’s a hard sell for general election voters.
“He’s able to win a Republican primary but can’t win swing voters,” Hogan said. “The primary electorate is completely different than what you need for the general election.”
The Hill contributed to this report.