Hogan Defends His Conservative Credentials

FREDERICK, Md.—Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican running for Senate in the state, defended his conservative credentials during a campaign stop.

As part of a ten-day bus tour that will take him across Maryland, Mr. Hogan stopped at South Mountain Creamery in Frederick, Maryland, where he spoke with employees.

Also bolstering his position is the fact that there’s no incumbent to run against, as Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) will be stepping down at the end of this Congress.

But Mr. Hogan’s spokesperson told The Epoch Times they’re not paying too much attention to the polls: “We’re going to run like he’s twenty points behind,” the spokesperson said.

Still, the polls suggest that Maryland could be on track to send a Republican senator to Washington in November—a feat that no Republican has achieved for over 50 years.

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But as a Republican in a deep-blue state, Mr. Hogan has faced allegations of being a “RINO,” a usually pejorative term meaning “Republican in Name Only” used to describe some Republicans.

Speaking to The Epoch Times, Mr. Hogan defended his conservative credentials and sought to assuage conservatives’ concerns.

Asked his response to the “RINO” allegations, Mr. Hogan replied, “I think there’s a lot of that thrown around.”

But he emphasized the political realities that come with being a Republican in such a deeply blue state.

“I am from the bluest state in America. And that’s different than being in a deep red state. And so we focus on different things and focus on issues that … maybe you don’t do in the deepest red state,” Mr. Hogan said. “But we also are able to expand the map and get a Republican elected in a place that that’s nearly impossible to do.

“I’m a lifelong conservative,” Mr. Hogan added. “I was a chairman of Youth for Reagan, been involved in the party my whole life. And so, ‘Republican in Name Only’ is a bit of a misnomer since I’ve spent my entire life, more than 50 years, dedicated [to] the Republican Party and I’m going to continue to be a conservative Republican.”

Mr. Hogan had earlier said that he wouldn’t run for Senate, despite pleas from his party to do so. He explained to The Epoch Times why he changed his mind.

“It was not like a burning desire to go to Washington. Frankly, I was like a lot of people. I was sort of fed up with the divisiveness and dysfunction. Nothing ever happened seems to happen there,” Mr. Hogan said.

He changed his mind on running for Senate because “I thought, you know, things are really bad and maybe I can help fix it.”

Hogan’s Top Issues

Mr. Hogan also discussed his top issues.

Should he be sent to the Senate by Marylanders, Mr. Hogan said his “number one, most important issue” would be securing the border.

Second would be the economy, a sector in which he touted his performance as governor.

“We had the biggest economic turnaround in America,” Mr. Hogan said, citing his successful efforts to cut taxes, reduce the deficit and debt, and create a budget surplus in the state.

That economic agenda paid off, with Maryland rising from the 49th-best economy in the United States to the sixth over his eight-year term in office.

Mr. Hogan also touted his record on backing police, including during the “Defund the Police” push made in 2020 by some left-wing activists.

“I led the nation in pushing back on ‘Defund the Police.’ I pushed the ‘Refund the Police’ initiative,” Mr. Hogan said, citing an effort to increase police funding by 50 percent.

Mr. Hogan also addressed his past disagreements with former President Donald Trump, but was optimistic that he could work to gain the support of the Republicans who back him.

Asked whether he was worried that Trump voters would sit the election out, Mr. Hogan said: “I don’t think so. I think we’re going to bring a lot of excitement out to the polls. And, look, I think we’re going to work hard to earn the support of the Trump voters and the folks that are not voting for President Trump.”