Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who was widely expected to throw his hat into the ring for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has announced that he will not run in 2024. Hogan told CBS News’ Robert Costa, “It was a tough decision, but I’ve decided that I will not be a candidate for the Republican nomination for president.”
Hogan completed his second term as Maryland governor in 2022, and exited with extremely high approval ratings in his home state. The final poll taken during his tenure showed that 77 percent of Marylanders approved of the job he did as governor. However, a significant part of his popularity came from Democrats, who were broadly supportive of Hogan’s moderate tendencies. Republican voters were less enamored of Hogan and rejected his anointed successor Kelly Schulz in the 2022 primary in favor of the more conservative candidate, Dan Cox. Hogan responded by refusing to endorse or campaign for Cox.
Hogan had fueled speculation about a possible 2024 bid with recent visits to Iowa and New Hampshire. However, the very things that made him popular in deep-blue Maryland prevented him from gaining significant traction on the national campaign trail, as Hogan never registered significant support in polls.
Hogan admitted that he gave “serious consideration” to mounting a White House bid, but admitted that the cards were stacked against him in the primary. “I didn’t want to have a pile up of a bunch of people fighting. Right now, you have, you know, Trump and DeSantis at the top of the field, they’re soaking up all the oxygen, getting all the attention. And then a whole lot of the rest of us in single digits, and the more of them you have, the less chance you have for somebody rising up.”
Hogan said that the decision not to run for president was one of the hardest he’s ever had to make, saying, “I care very deeply about the country and my party. I think I’ve been a voice of reason to try to get us back to a place where we have a more hopeful, positive vision for America.”
Former president Donald Trump has already announced that he will once again run, as has former South Carolina Governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also widely expected to run, although he has not made announcement. A number of lesser-known candidates are also expected to throw their hat in the ring.