Hogan for Senate — Not as Moderate as He Claims to Be?
The Maryland primary election is set for May 14, with early voting beginning May 2 and mail-in voting already in progress.
There are seven Republican candidates for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, all hoping to be the GOP candidate in the general election on November 5.
For nearly a year, the Republican primary was considered basically an open race, with the winner anyone’s guess. Then in February, Maryland’s former governor, Larry Hogan, entered the race and immediately became the front runner and — in many commentators’ opinion — the presumptive winner.
This puts Maryland’s entire senate race in a new light. Until Hogan entered the GOP primary, Maryland was considered a safe state for the Democrats. Recent polls now predict a close race in November between Hogan and either of the two leading Democratic candidates.
Maryland’s senate race is important because the senate is almost evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. Given the Democrats’ one-seat majority, the loss or gain of even one by either party will affect control of the senate.
To help voters decide who best represents their views, this article looks at Hogan’s biography and his record as governor, including abortion and reproductive rights, education, voting rights, gun violence, and transportation.
Hogan’s Biography
Born in Washington D.C., Hogan attended Catholic high schools in Maryland and Florida and in 1978 was awarded his bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University.
His early career was in real estate after he founded his brokerage firm, the Hogan Companies.
His political experience includes serving as secretary of appointments from 2003 to 2007 for then-Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R). Hogan was elected governor in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. In 2019-20, he chaired the National Governors’ Association.
Hogan on the Issues
Hogan is considered a moderate, pro-business Republican, generally in line with traditional GOP positions and policies. He does not support former President Donald Trump and has said publicly that President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election.
As governor, Hogan’s stance on various issues can best be seen in his many vetoes of bills passed by the Maryland General Assembly; most were overridden.
His veto record suggests that Hogan may not be as moderate as his reputation and distance from Trump imply.
Hogan vetoed the bill to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 over several years. He also vetoed an earned sick leave bill to allow workers five paid sick days per year. Another of his vetoes was against legislation to establish a paid family and medical leave insurance program. All three were overridden by the General Assembly and became law during Hogan’s term of office.
Hogan has consistently opposed abortion and reproductive rights and services. He vetoed a bill to increase the availability of reproductive services and the number of trained providers. This veto came just before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and the General Assembly overrode this veto. In a related action, Hogan refused to release $3.5 million in appropriated funds to train abortion and reproductive health providers.
He also vetoed the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Proposed by the Kirwan Commission, this educational reform proposed a 10-year plan to “expand pre-kindergarten programs and increase funding for schools with high concentrations of poverty, increase pay and career opportunities for teachers, create new career pathways for high schoolers who don’t plan to attend college, and establish an accountability board.” This veto was overridden.
In 2018, a mass-shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis by a gunman using a shotgun ended with five people dead and two others wounded. In response, the General Assembly passed a bill requiring background checks before the sale or transfer of shotguns and rifles. Hogan vetoed it.
Hogan vetoed a bill to give voters the chance to sign their mail-in ballots if they had forgotten to do so. In 2015, Hogan vetoed a bill, also over-ridden, to restore the voting rights of ex-prisoners on probation or parole.
On other issues, Hogan canceled the Red Line light rail project in Baltimore City which would have expanded public transit into new areas. He vetoed a bill to prevent the eviction of tenants who have pending applications for rental assistance in response to covid-related economic hardship. He also vetoed funding for the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, that would have helped lower medical costs for all Marylanders.
In addition to Hogan, the other Republican primary senatorial candidates (with links to candidate information on Ballotpedia) are:
Maryland Primary Election Basic Information
The Maryland Board of Elections has information here along with links to find your polling place, request an absentee/mail-in ballot, track your ballot, and sign up to be an election judge.
Here’s the schedule for the Maryland primary election:
In-person voting:
- May 2 — Early voting begins, 7 am-8 pm
- May 9 — Early voting ends, 7 am-8 pm
- May 14 — Primary election day, 7 am-8 pm
Absentee/Mail-in voting:
- Any registered voter may request an absentee/mail-in ballot.
Voter registration deadline — for new voters or to add/change party affiliation:
- In-person: May 14
Absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline:
- In-person: May 14
- By mail: Received by May 7
- Online: May 7
Absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline:
- In-person: May 14
- By mail: Received by May 14
More Information
“United States Senate Election in Maryland, 2024,” Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics.
https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Maryland,_2024
“Maryland just passed one of the most aggressive climate laws in the US,” Jeff St. John, April 12, 2022, Canary Media.
“Commentary: A look at Larry Hogan’s record on key issues,” Larry Ottinger, Feb. 26, 2024, Maryland Matters.
https://www.marylandmatters.org/2024/02/26/commentary-a-look-at-larry-hogans-record-on-key-issues/
“Larry Hogan Is Running for Senate as a Moderate. His Vetoes Tell a Different Story,” Eric Cortellessa, Feb, 14, 2024, Time.com.
https://time.com/6694872/larry-hogan-maryland-senators-abortion/
“Hogan slams Maryland Senate's proposed Climate law, calling it a tax bill,” Ryan Dickstein, Mar. 10, 2022; WMAR2news.
Jane Jewell is a writer, editor, photographer, and teacher. She has worked in news, publishing, and as the director of a national writer's group. She lives in Chestertown with her husband Peter Heck, a ginger cat named Riley, and a lot of books.
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