Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is running a new ad describing himself as one of the few Republicans who “never caved” to Donald Trump and touting his record sending National Guard troops to the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack.
Scenes of the rioting that day have littered ads for Democratic candidates over the years, but Hogan is likely the only Republican in the country to feature them as he seeks to distinguish himself from the former president in a deep blue state. The ad is part of an almost $8 million blitz Hogan has reserved for the fall as he battles Angela Alsobrooks, who so far has reserved less than $1 million in ads, according to data from AdImpact.
“An early critic of Donald Trump,” a narrator says, as headlines from The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal flash on the screen, describing Hogan as the “un-Trump Republican” and “the face” of the “anti-Trump GOP.”
“On January 6, as we watched in horror, Hogan didn’t just talk about defending democracy, he did something — sending in the Maryland National Guard to protect the Capitol,” the narrator says, as video shows rioters storming the Capitol.
As he seeks to burnish his brand as GOP-bucking maverick, the former governor on Wednesday will headline an event called “Watergate at 50: Lessons in Protecting Democracy” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Watergate scandal. Hogan’s father, Lawrence Hogan, was the only Republican in Congress to vote for all three House articles of impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon, who resigned Aug. 8, 1974.
Democrats outnumber Republicans by 2 to 1 in Maryland, and Hogan needs a large swath of Democratic voters to cross party lines in November to beat Alsobrooks, the Prince Georges County executive who if elected would be the state’s first Black senator. Hogan, who left office with a high favorability rating, has leaned heavily into his reputation as a Trump critic as he battles for the seat.
“Republicans can’t count on my vote,” he said in one early ad.
Hogan skipped the Republican National Convention and has said he will not vote for Trump this fall. For his part, Trump has said he hopes Hogan wins to help the GOP take back control of the chamber.
Alsobrooks has sought to remind voters that Hogan has described himself as a “lifelong Republican” in advertisements, that Trump has endorsed Hogan and that his election could throw the balance of the Senate to Republicans. “We have the power to determine which party controls the Senate,” she says in one ad.
Alsobrooks, who counts Vice President Kamala Harris as a mentor, has benefited from a surge of grassroots enthusiasm since Harris replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the party’s ticket.
A recent AARP poll shows the race in a dead heat, with 7 percent of voters undecided. Only 32 percent of voters said they planned to vote for Trump, with Hogan outperforming him by 40 net points among Democrats and independents.
Senate Democrats are seeking to defend their slim 51-seat majority this November as they play defense across a slew of expensive red and purple states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. Maryland was not expected to be on the map until Hogan’s late surprise announcement that he would seek to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.
Still, Hogan’s campaign thinks its biggest challenge is “reassuring voters who already trust and like Governor Hogan but are concerned about the national Republican agenda,” according to a recent strategy memo sent to supporters by campaign strategist Russ Schriefer.
“Our research indicates that these voters will support the Governor when they are reminded about his commitments and track record of independent leadership,” he wrote. “Our campaign has built the resources to reach these voters with winning messages.”
Hogan has vowed he would be a “pro-choice” senator as Democrats warn a GOP-led Congress could try to ban abortion nationally.
Hogan was repeatedly rebuffed by the Defense Department when he tried to send the National Guard to the Capitol, he previously told The Post. More than 90 minutes after his initial request, the secretary of the Army called asking the Maryland Guardsmen to “come as soon as possible.” Hogan held Trump “responsible” for “inciting” the mob.
Hogan’s new ad also touts his experience battling cancer, his handling of the Baltimore riots and balancing the budget.
Erin Cox contributed to this report.