The Runback: The Man Can Read A Poll
Larry Hogan's decision not to run for President should not be a surprise to anybody who has followed his career
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The Monday Thought
Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced on Sunday that he would not stand as a candidate for President in 2024.
Realistically, this should not be a surprise to anybody.
Governor Hogan has always had sharp political instincts. It’s one of the reasons that he created Change Maryland, because he knew that people were fed up with tax hikes. It’s one of the reasons that he ran for Governor of Maryland, because he knew there was an opportunity for somebody who stood against the Democratic tax increases could win. And that’s why he ultimately decided not to pursue a primary challenge to Donald Trump in 2020.
The Man Can Read A Poll.
He has also always held close counsel and made his own decisions. No matter how many people yakked in his ear about running, he was always going to be the one calling the final shot. And he made that call today.
The call of course was obvious. Hogan had no shot to win the primary given the current makeup of the Republican electorate and his steadfast opposition to Trump going back to 2016. Even without Trump in the picture, some of the decisions that he made as Governor would not play well with modern Republican Primary voters.
The Man Can Read a Poll.
The question, however, is what next. Will he focus on supporting a Republican Presidential candidate who is not himself? Will he decide to run for U.S. Senate, seeing as he is the only Republican with a puncher’s chance of winning a US Senate seat in Maryland in a Presidential Year? Will he challenge Wes Moore in 2026 in an attempt to make a comeback to the Governor’s mansion?
Hard to say. But whatever he does, he’ll base it off the data available to him. He’ll read the room before he does anything.