Larry Hogan To Run For Open Maryland Senate Seat

Politico reporting that former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan will run for the open Senate seat of outgoing three-term Democrat Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD).

• Bullet edited to correct typo 17:02 ("deep red" to "deep-blue")
• Politico reports: "The anti-Trump Republican is expected to file for the open Senate seat on Friday, the last day of the filing deadline."
• Hogan's pending decision appears to end speculation that he might mount a White House bid for the third-party organisation No Labels. He stepped down as president of No Labels last month, saying in a statement: “...it is my intent that new leaders, who can devote themselves full-time to the effort, will be able to take the helm to direct the No Labels political operation.”
• Hogan's decision may give Republicans their best chance of flipping a senate seat in deep-blue Maryland for the first time in decades. He has strong name recognition in the state after a popular stint as governor and will be running against either Rep. David Trone (D-MD) or Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks - two candidates who lack Hogan's political experience. Trone, who is leading in early polling, mounted a highly expensive, failed, campaign to unseat then-House Rep (now Senator) Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in 2016.
• If Hogan can build a strong campaign, it would exacerbate a highly unfavourable Senate map for Democrats where they are already defending at three highly vulnerable incumbents and resigned to losing the West Virginia seat of Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV).